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One of the best use cases of Amazon Alexa is its ability to quickly summarize the headlines of the day thanks to its customizable Flash Briefing skill. Now, Amazon is launching a new feature that will allow Alexa device owners to get more detailed information from their favorite information provider, with this week's launch of "New Forms of Information." This new feature is currently compatible with Bloomberg news. , CNBC, CNN, FoxNews, Newsy and NPR, explains Amazon.
Getting the news is already a major vocal activity among smart speaker owners. According to a survey conducted by Adobe in 2018, 46% of voice badistant users ask for news from their smart speaker. In addition, today's Alexa Skill Store lists more than 5,000 voice applications in its News category, indicating a certain level of consumer demand for this type of content.
But sometimes users want more than just quick titles. This is where Alexa's deep information function aims to help.
Amazon says that voice commands such as "Alexa, tell me the news", "Alexa play news" or "Alexa play news from …" followed by the name of the source, will now launch information sessions in depth presenting reports selected by the information provider. This can include reports on NPR's most popular radio shows, CNN headlines, Newsy's video news, and more.
Newsy and CNBC will offer video reports on Alexa devices with screens such as Echo Show and Echo Spot. The rest will be audio only.
Customers can listen to or watch all the news or browse the different stories with verbal commands such as "Alexa, Next" or "Alexa, Jump" to get ahead.
When you ask Alexa for news for the first time, the wizard asks you for your preferred provider. You can also edit it later in the same settings screen as the one in which you currently set your Flash Briefing preferences.
This is a bit confusing, because the section is still labeled Flash Briefing, instead of something more appropriate, such as "News" or "News Settings".
In addition, the process of using the new feature is slightly different for customers who are already using Flash Briefing, which is also confusing.
If a Flash Briefing user asks Alexa to inform her, the wizard continues to play Flash Briefing that you have already set up and you usually have access to it by saying things like "Alexa, what's the news?" Or "Alexa, tell me the news," among others.
If you want to hear now the long form version For news, you must specify a source by saying the specific command: "Alexa, play news from CNN" (or the news provider you prefer.)
Amazon seems to understand that this process is a bit awkward because it tells us that the device is still in its infancy and that it will "continue to listen to customer feedback and to evolve the experience as it goes. time".
The launch is an important bet for owners of smart speakers who want to do more than stream music, control their smart home or perform other minor tasks, such as setting alarms and timers, or Use of lists, for example. Instead, he sees Amazon Alexa, to a certain extent, taking the place of watching a TV show every night. This is an option that do not have many cord cutters today because they have dropped pay TV only for Netflix or another combination for streaming applications.
Longer form content could also give Amazon a place to place ad blocks in the future if it wants to go that route.
The detailed information function began airing on Monday in the United States.
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