6 Alexa skills that you will use every day

Alexa is no longer 'new'. The smart technology revolution is in full swing and Amazon Echo is at the heart of it. According to Edison Research, nearly 40 million people have voice-activated loudspeakers, or about one in six adults in the United States.

Echo has changed the game and millions of households have integrated Alexa into their daily lives. For many techies, the question is not to invest in intelligent technology, but what type. Click or click here to find the Amazon Echo product that's right for you.

Now is the time to see what Alexa really can do. Most users know how to select songs and search for information on the Internet. These skills are practical, but they are only the tip of the digital iceberg. If you want to upgrade your entire home with smart technology, tap or click here to see all the ways to control your home with Echo.

But if you want to rely on the speaker system itself, thousands of sophisticated skills can enhance your Alexa experience.

1. Automated actions with "routines"

In real life, a human assistant does not require separate requests. When you enter the office, you do not have to say, "Pat, can I have coffee?" Then say, "Pat, can you answer the phone?" Assistants already know your morning routine and they know what you need (well, the best ones do) without you having to ask everything.

Alexa can now imitate this behavior thanks to its "routines" feature. For example, you can say "Alexa, I'm at home!" and Alexa can welcome you, turn on the smart lights in your living room, read the news of the day and read a specific music playlist.

Or you can say "Alexa, good evening" and she can answer "Sweet dreams", lock your doors, set your thermostat to a set temperature, turn off all your lights, then spread a binaural white noise to fall asleep.

The list of possible combinations is long. Click or click here for a complete list of orders you did not even know how to use.

To create a routine in the Alexa application, go to the Menu then press The routines. Press the Sign Plus (+) to start a new sequence. To select When that happens, then choose your trigger. The trigger can be

a sentence, calendar, or motion sensor event. Then select Add an action to start building the routine. To conclude, choose the device from which you want to trigger the routine, then press Create.

2. Make announcements

Another feature that you can try with several Amazon Echos is to configure them as multi-room intercoms. With this feature, you can use your smart speakers to run an ad throughout your home, much like a school, airport, or cruise ship.

For example, you can say "Alexa, announce that dinner is ready," and Alexa will record your voice and repeat your ad on every echo of your house.

Amazon Echos also offers a feature called "Drop In". This feature allows you to instantly connect to any Echo gadget in your home, without having to wait for someone to pick up the call. Better still, you can also connect remotely to the echoes of your friends and relatives.

To configure this, open your Alexa app, go to settings, then select the desired Echo device and press Drop In. Now select either Sure or Only my house enable Drop In conversations. To call an echo, simply say "Alexa, Appointment" followed by the name of the echo you want to call.

These orders can also save lives in an emergency. Tap or click here to find out how Amazon can call 911.

3. Free phone calls

Just like your car's Bluetooth speaker, you can use Alexa to make hands-free phone calls. Just link your mobile number to your echo and you can call anyone from your contact list.

To activate Alexa calls, you need to have an Amazon account, your mobile phone number and the Alexa app installed on your phone. Just open the Alexa app, go to the Conversations tab (in the bottom menu, a bubble icon), and follow the on-screen instructions to check and link your phone number. mobile phone.

To make a call from your compatible Echo devices, ask Alexa to call the person or contact you want to contact by name.

The use of voice-activated commands is a concern to some users because it is well known that echo records every command you give. Tap or click here to see all the recordings of your voice with Alexa.

4. Translating languages

For decades, futurists have dreamed of a universal translator. The idea of ​​talking to a computer and receiving an instant transcript in English has always seemed to be a distant dream. But Echo can now do just that, which is a paradigm shift for meetings, exchange students and Couchsurfing hosts.

Echo requires a skill called Translated to interpret one language to another. After activating this skill, you can say "Alexa, open Translated" and then ask how to speak English words and phrases in a specific language. The translated skill currently supports more than 35 languages.

5. Control your TV

Like Apple and Google, Amazon is smart to develop networks on its many devices. One of the best examples is the Amazon TV Fire TV key, which you can remotely control by talking to your Echo.

To do this, open your Alexa app, then select Music, video and books. To select Fire TV >> Link your Alexa device, and then follow the on-screen instructions to select the devices you want to link. To confirm the link, tap Connecting devices.

Note: If you have only one Fire TV account registered on your Amazon account, it will be automatically connected to your Echo..

To use your voice as a remote control, say "Alexa," followed by a playback command such as "pause," "fast forward," or "skip an episode." You can also ask Alexa to search for a specific video and open other apps on your smart TV.

6. Multi-room audio

If you have multiple echoes in your home (including Echo Dot and Show), you can set them up to play the same music simultaneously, much as if you had a centralized speaker system in your house. If you know Airplay from Apple or the Sonos system, the system works the same way.

Here's how to set up multi-room audio. Go to settings in the Alexa application, then scroll until you find Audio groups and select Multi-room music. Here you will see all your Smart Home Groups. To select Add a Group >> Amazon Multi-Room Music Group. Select a name for your new group, and add the Echo devices that you want to include.

Once you have set up your groups, tell Alexa the song, artist, album, station or genre you want to play, followed by your group name.

What digital lifestyle issues do you have? Call my national radio show and click here to find it on your local radio station. You can listen to the Kim Komando Show on your phone, tablet or computer. From buying tips to the problems of digital life, click here for my free podcasts.

Copyright 2018, WestStar Multimedia Entertainment. All rights reserved.

Discover all the latest technologies from the Kim Komando Show, the biggest radio talk show in the country. Kim answers calls and gives advice on the digital lifestyle of today, from smartphones and tablets to privacy and online data hacks. For daily tips, free newsletters and more, visit their website at Komando.com.