Say hello to amazon’s alexa jackie brown
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- Navigate this page:
- WHAT IS AN ECHO OR ECHO DOT
- HOW DOES IT WORK
- DESCRIPTION OF ECHO AND ECHO DOT
- HOW EASY IS IT TO GET GOING
- USING ALEXA
- SOME THINGS YOU CAN’T DO
- CONCLUSION AND PRICING
SAY HELLO TO AMAZON’S ALEXAJACKIE BROWNOnline retail giant Amazon launched its digital assistant, Alexa, in the UK at the end of September. It has taken at least 18 months for the Echo and Dot to reach these shores, but it seems to be proving very popular among blind and partially sighted people because of its accessibility… WHAT IS AN ECHO OR ECHO DOT?The Echo or its smaller sibling the Echo Dot is a WiFi based device that you talk to. Alexa is the built-in digital assistant you converse with. Both Echo and Echo Dot offer the same features, except the Dot is smaller, and has a 3.5mm socket to enable you to connect it to a hifi or similar device. Both units are mains only, and come with built-in speaker. Both also require an Internet connection. HOW DOES IT WORK?Once you set up your Echo or Echo Dot, you can activate a raft of skills to get the most from Alexa by simply talking to her. Skills are like tiny applications that people write and upload to the Internet. For example, there are skills on the Guardian, Daily Telegraph, and Daily Mail newspapers, bus and train travel, quizzes and general knowledge, adventure and other fun games, and a whole lot of other useful utilities. You can link your Spotify account to the Echo and Echo Dot, your Google calendar, and set timers, reminders and wake-up alarms. If you are an Amazon Prime customer, then there are even more benefits to be had with 2m tracks you can ask Alexa to play, or join the Amazon Unlimited music service to take advantage of 40m songs. And if you have purchased digital music from Amazon, this is available in your library for Alexa to play when you ask her. If you are interested in home automation, it is possible to link Alexa to your Hive or Nest central-heating system, or adjust your lighting provided you have the relevant Philips Hue bulbs. It is also possible to control other devices by using TP-Link Smart plugs. Skills are being added all the time, so it is advisable to check the Amazon and Alexa websites to see what is new. DESCRIPTION OF ECHO AND ECHO DOTThe Echo reminds me of a large can of Pringles. It is cylindrical with the mains outlet underneath at the rear. On top of the unit are two buttons, the one with a dot on it being the action button. You press this to activate the built-in set of seven microphones. To be honest, I have never used it because Alexa can hear very well, and when you want to speak to her, simply say “Alexa” before asking her a question, or issue a command. The other button turns off the microphone. The top of the unit turns clockwise to increase volume, and anticlockwise to decrease it. The Echo Dot has two further buttons on the top for up and down volune, and the 3.5mm socket at the back beside a micro USB outlet to connect the device to the mains. Dot is much smaller, so its built-in speaker does not carry the depth of sound of its sibling. HOW EASY IS IT TO GET GOING?When you first unpack your Amazon Echo or Echo Dot, you need to get it to find your router. You can do this in two ways, either using wireless on a computer or laptop, or from the app that can be downloaded from the Apple or Play Store. Personally, I detest the app; it is sluggish, often unresponsive, and has a tendency to throw me out! But the app is more straightforward to set up your Echo or Echo Dot with just a few simple questions. You need to sign in with your Amazon account details, choose your region of the world, then go to Settings and pair it with your router. Alexa explains what you need to do as you commence setup, so it is extremely friendly to achieve. Once done, you are ready to start playing with your new device, and getting to know Alexa. Alternatively, you can set up your Echo or Echo Dot by going to https://alexa.amazon.co.uk The website is much more friendly, and enables you to change settings on your device, add or remove skills, and link it to your Spotify account or Google calendar if you have one. You can also add further Echo or Dot devices here. USING ALEXAThe wake word is Alexa, though you can change this within the settings tab on the website or in the app. You might want to start getting used to Alexa by asking her simple questions. You don’t need to shout or stand over the Echo or Echo Dot. Provided there isn’t a whole lot of noise going on, just say: “Alexa, what is the time?” You will find Alexa answers you quite quickly. Because you have linked her to your location, you can say: “Alexa, will I need an umbrella today?” She should tell you what the possibility is of rain in your area. You can ask Alexa a whole range of questions about sunrise and sunset, moon phases, the day you were born, whose birthday is it today, and even whether you have any packages arriving from Amazon this week. Alexa gleans this type of information from the Internet and, in relation to parcels and shopping, from your Amazon account. Say: “Alexa, good morning,” and she will tell you something famous that happened on this day in history. The more skills you add, the wider her knowledge becomes, and the more benefits she offers. You can ask her to spell a word, or define its meaning, and you can ask her to convert something from dollars into pounds sterling, for example. For those with some sight, there is a series of lights that glow in a ring on top of your Echo or Echo Dot. For example, the ring light goes blue when you first plug in the Echo or Dot, then turns orange when Alexa speaks at setup. But you can activate audible chimes in the Alexa settings on the website if you want her to make a sound when you speak her name in addition to the light on top of the device. It is possible to use the Echo or Echo Dot as a Bluetooth speaker and pair it with your Smart device. Just ask: “Alexa, activate Bluetooth.” When you want to stop it, say “Alexa, disconnect Bluetooth.” For radio lovers, having an Echo or Dot is a real plus. Alexa uses the TuneIn service, so if you want to listen to a station, for example, just ask: “Alexa, play BBC Radio Five Live,” and she does. When you have finished listening, just say: “Alexa, stop,” and your broadcast is ended. I really enjoy listening to the radio on my devices because the quality is better than DAB in our area. You can also ask Alexa to play songs and albums, particularly if they happen to be in your Amazon music library. Similarly, you can listen to Audible titles if you are a member. Flash Briefing is very handy. If you have missed a news bulletin somewhere in your day, just ask: “Alexa, read the news headlines.” She links you to Sky News where the last report of that hour is played. After that, depending on what tick boxes you have checked in Settings on the website or app, she will read the weather forecast, or sports headlines. If you don’t want to hear everything, just say: “Alexa, next.” She will then move onto the next section of that Flash Briefing. If you shop on Amazon regularly, and perhaps have an Amazon Prime membership, you can add items to your basket using Alexa. You can add items to your shopping list in the same way. You can have more than one device too. For example, I have the Echo downstairs, and a Dot upstairs connected to my docking-station. They don’t get confused, since the one you are nearest to is the device that will act when you give the wake word.
Amazon Echo costs £149.99, while its sibling the Dot is priced at £49.99. You can purchase an Alexa remote for £19.99, which enables you to speak to Alexa from another room, and skip between tracks. The Echo and Dot come in black or white, with a multitude of cases and sleeves if you want to go the whole hog! For blind and visually impaired people, the Amazon Echo or Dot are great devices when you don’t want to grab your phone to get the time, or you just want a quick check on the weather. Skills are being added and updated constantly, so it is always worth checking the Amazon website or Alexa’s own page. And remember that improvements to personal digital assistants are the “in” thing, so who knows what Alexa will be doing this time next year. You may find other useful features that Alexa offers, part of the fun is learning her secrets! Directory: files files -> Answer True False 2 points Question 2 files -> Integer programming and game theory files -> 4 Integer Programming files -> Bpa vehicle Window Repair Scenario #1 task: Procure vehicle window relacement. Objective files -> Pop Warner History files -> North Carolina Inclusion Initiative Mapping Where Children with ieps are Being Served Purpose files -> Fall 2013 Spring 2014 Program Data: Standard 1 Exhibit 4d files -> Hanban – asia society confucius classrooms network 2010 request for proposal files -> Northern England’s set-jetting locations Download 13.61 Kb. Share with your friends:
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