Amazon Alexa is the most popular smart speaker in the United States and throughout the world. Amazon’s installed base market share was 64.6 percent in September 2018, according to Voicebot.ai. Not only does Amazon have the largest share of the smart speaker market, but it also has the most voice applications. Amazon recently reported that there were over 70,000 Alexa skills available worldwide. Amazon is well-known for making its platform available to developers, establishing an almost infinite amount of APIs to aid developers, and conducting yearly skill development competitions with huge cash awards and publicity. Alexa is Amazon’s AI-powered digital assistant with a vocal interface that controls a whole smart device ecosystem. Alexa can respond to simple questions and carry out numerous activities or orders.
Alexa is an Amazon cloud-based voice service that may be found on hundreds of millions of amazons and third-party devices. Amazon Alexa, usually known as Alexa, is a virtual assistant system based on the Ivona voice synthesizer, which Amazon purchased in 2013. It was originally utilized in Amazon Lab126’s Echo smart speaker, as well as the Echo Dot, Echo Studio, and Amazon Tap speakers.
1. Stream Audio Using Bluetooth
Amazon Prime Music, Audible audiobooks, iHeartRadio, TuneIn Radio, Pandora, and Spotify are all integrated with Alexa speakers by default, while Apple Music integration began this week. Alexa Echo devices, on the other hand, may be used as a Bluetooth speaker to broadcast any audio. This is how you can utilize Google Play Music with an Alexa speaker. You can also use Bluetooth to stream music from your phone to your Echo.
2. Control Echo IoT Devices
Amazon has created not just Alexa Echo smart speakers, but also an unbelievable number of Echo IoT devices that work with the smart speakers. The Echo Sub, Link, Smart Plug, Link Amp, Show, Spot, Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote, and others are just a few examples. If you enjoy your Alexa smart speaker, why not introduce your family to smart home devices? There are built-in voice commands for Echo devices.
3. Profiles Of Voice
Various Amazon accounts can be linked to a single Alexa speaker, allowing multiple people to customize their Alexa experience. It also includes voice profiles, which allow Alexa to recognize who is issuing orders and generate personalized responses. When Alexa is activated, it will be able to tell you what’s on your schedule when you ask it, and when a buddy requests for music, it will play songs from their Spotify account, not yours. Alexa can differentiate voices without the use of a manual or voice command, though you can change accounts manually if you choose.
4. Flash Briefing
Users can enable news applications of their choice in order to compile a collection of rapid updates from their preferred sources using Alexa’s ‘Flash Briefing’ feature. Many third-party applications, including CNN, BBC, NPR, and even Voicebot.ai, have been created to take advantage of this functionality. Activate your Voicebot.ai. Here’s a Flash Briefing called Voice Bot Daily. Simply ask “Alexa, what’s in the news?” or “Alexa, what’s my Flash Briefing?” to activate the capability.
5. Routines
Users can create Routines — a set of skills launched by a single command – using the Alexa app on their phone. Alexa Routines are totally customized, and they can even be triggered by the user’s current location. For example, Alexa may be urged to send a reminder to your significant other after you leave work for the day. Users can design a ‘Good Morning’ Routine that gives the weather, reads their calendar, and then starts their Flash Briefing, as an example.
6. YouTube
You may utilize the Alexa smart display, the Echo Show 2nd Gen, to watch YouTube videos. Users could watch cooking videos in the kitchen & use voice commands to control YouTube videos. for example. Google deleted YouTube from the Echo Show in 2017, however the addition of a browser in the new Echo Show brings YouTube back, but with fewer navigation choices than when Google shut off API level access to the service.
7. Voice-Added Skills
Users can add abilities using either their voice or the mobile app. “Alexa, enable [skill name],” just say.
8. Calling & Messages
Alexa-enabled Amazon Echo speakers can make phone calls and send text messages to other Alexa users. It can also be done through the Alexa app. Anyone in your phone’s contacts list who has an Echo smart device and has enabled calling will become an “Alexa contact.” “Alexa, send [name] a message,” and “Alexa, call [name],” are two commands that users can use to send and receive messages. In addition to their Alexa mobile app, a notification will ring on all of the recipient’s Echo devices. Alexa can also make a phone call to both mobile and landlines.
9. Drop In
Users can use the Drop-In function with loved ones to check in on them through voice or video chat, in addition to calling and texting between Alexa devices. A connection must be established on the recipient’s Echo devices, and an indicator will appear on those devices when someone is nearby on their enabled Echo Show. The person on the other end of the line is not required to respond. Say “Drop-in on Home” to activate the feature.
10. Announcements
If users enable the Announcements functionality, connected Alexa devices can function similarly to an intercom. A message can be broadcast to all Echo smart speakers in a home using Announcements. To use the feature, simply “Alexa, announce that dinner is ready,” and the messages will be sent to all connected speakers. Mobile devices can also use announcements, allowing users to broadcast an announcement to connected speakers directly from the Alexa app.
11. Nightlight
An Alexa Echo speaker’s ring light can be utilized as a nightlight. “Alexa, open Night Light for 20 minutes,” users can say, and the light ring will pulse for that amount of time, or until commanded to stop.
12. Skill Finder
Skill Finder is a skill that is solely for the purpose of discovering new and highly ranked skills. Users can ask Alexa to list skill categories, the Skill of the Day, the top Alexa skills, and more. By stating “tell me more about…”, users can get more information about a skill.
13. Amazon Prime
Alexa is linked to Amazon Prime, allowing Prime members who own an Alexa device access to exclusive services. Alexa allows eligible users to shop on Amazon using their voice, track items, and even receive delivery notifications. Users enjoy automatic access to Prime Music and receive exclusive Prime discounts. Users with Prime Music can listen to over 2 million songs without interruption. Alexa can tell what song you wish to listen to merely by saying a few phrases. Prime Photos is now featured, allowing customers to store photos for free and indefinitely. If you have a Fire TV or an Echo Show, you may ask Alexa to show you specific photos just by asking for a subject.
14. Computer & Phone Access
Alexa is available on both mobile devices and PCs. Alexa apps for Android, iOS, and PC allow users to issue voice instructions to their connected devices.
15. Reminders
Echo devices can be used to set reminders, alarms, timers, and to-do lists. To create a reminder, say, “Alexa, create a new reminder,” and you can even create a reminder for a reminder, as well as delete them. “Alexa, set an alarm,” says the user. Alexa will ask you for further information, and it works in the same way for to-do lists and timers.
16. Ambient Noise
Ambient Noise is one of the most popular third-party Alexa skills. The skill plays soothing sound loops to assist users in falling asleep or simply drowning out annoying noises. “Alexa, open Ambient Noise,” says the user. “Alexa, stop in 3 hours,” say to start a timer. Users can also request a list of available sounds by asking Ambient Noise for one.
17. Translated
The skill Translated allows users to translate brief lines from English into 37 different languages. The caveat is that you can only translate from an English sentence; it does not operate in both directions. It is, nonetheless, a useful talent. Users may also ask Alexa to ‘slow down’ and ‘repeat’ the translation when she responds.
18. Jason Finder
The inability to locate Jason appears to be a major issue for everyone. No one appears to be able to find him, as is typical with Jason. Fortunately, someone decided to create an Alexa skill to assist people all across the world in finding Jason. You can now ask Alexa where Jason is, where he’ll be tomorrow, and whether he’ll be in Cleveland.
19. Time Machine
Time Machine is an Alexa talent that tells you what happened a year ago on the same day. The New York Times claimed that users may listen to the top headlines from “yesterday.”
20. Company Specific Skills
There appears to be an infinite number of skills that well-known firms have developed to attract customer attention while utilizing Alexa. NPR, Showtime, PayPal, and Amex are just a handful of the top firms with outstanding capabilities. Alexa allows users to listen to the latest news, learn about their favorite shows, and manage their finances. Alexa has even teamed with music producing businesses such as Sony to improve her abilities. Brett Eldredge’s Christmas Countdown talent was just released, and Little Mix also created one.
