No matter what kind of Amazon Echo you’ve got – from the diminutive Dot to the video-enabled Show – you’ll learn how to get the most from it with this exhaustive unofficial guide! Discover how to set up, use and even create your own Alexa skills!
Right from the very beginning, Amazon’s voice assistant was a very clever piece of software indeed This is the Amazon Echo, an entirely new way to control your virtual life. Moving away from the tapping, scrolling and pinching of our touchscreen-equipped devices, the Amazon Echo wants you to instead use your voice to unlock its world of functionality. This is made possible thanks to ‘Alexa’, Amazon’s cutting edge voice assistant. Simply say the magic word (‘Alexa’ by default, but this can be changed to a couple of alternatives including ‘computer’), and the device will light up to show that it’s listening for your command. Want Alexa to read you the news? Just say, “Alexa, what’s the news?” Fancy some music? All you have to do is ask. But with so…
Netatmo Weather Station Sure, Alexa can already give you weather reports, but there’s something much more satisfying about gathering the data yourself, which this weather station will enable you to do. Price: £139/ $179 Website: www.netatmo.com/product/weather/weatherstation Belkin WeMo Switch If you have electronic devices with hard-to-access switches, then Belkin’s smart switches can be controlled using Alexa. Perfect for making sure your TV isn’t drawing too much power in standby. Price: £39.99/ $39.99 Website: www.belkin.com Appkettle WiFi Smart Kettle If pressing a button to boil water seems like a lot of effort to you, then why not do it with your voice (after you’ve filled it up with water)? Price: £129.99/US Price TBA Website: www.myappkettle.com Yale Z-Wave Touchscreen Deadbolt Alexa can let you know if you remembered to lock your Yale…
Rediscover the radio It’s easy to listen to the radio with Alexa by simply asking it to play a station of your choice, and it’s much quicker than opening an app on your smartphone. Smarten your commute Who has time to check Google Maps every morning? If you don’t want to get caught out by delays, then check in with Alexa before you leave for work. Get some food Scientists haven’t yet invented a device to help you decide what to eat, but at least Alexa can help you order takeaway once you’ve finally made up your mind.…
TED Talks: Catch up on some excellent TED talks with this skill that enables you to play the latest one, or select at random. RuneScape Quests – One Piercing Note: Part storybook, part choose your own adventure game, this shows the gaming possibilities of the Echo. The Magic Door: An audio adventure where you guide your character through a variety of locations solving puzzles and finding items. Jeopardy!: Based on the TV show of the same name, the Jeopardy skill stands out thanks to contributions from the show’s official writers. Ambient Noise: If you find it easier to sleep or work with background noise, then this skill can help your Amazon Echo give you exactly that. Twenty Questions: As it turns out, your Amazon Echo is also pretty good at…
The redesigned Echo is now smaller than the first generation model and can be customised to fit your home Simply named the Amazon Echo, some people know it as “the Alexa device.” The redesigned Echo is now smaller than the first generation model and can be customised to fit your home. There are six shells to choose from including fabric, wood and a metallic finish. If the shell you have doesn’t fit in with your home’s furniture, you can purchase a new shell and change it over by pushing the button at the base of the Echo. Another big change from the earlier model is the removal of the volume dial. Instead, the Amazon Echo has two volume buttons on the top of the device. The Echo can deliver better…
The Echo Dot features far-field voice recognition, so the device will still hear you even when music is being played Sometimes referred to as the “hockey puck” due to its size, the Echo Dot is a good option if you’re wanting to try Alexa out at a more affordable price point. Its small size has meant it is lacking in the sound department compared to all other Echo devices. It does have a 0.6” tweeter but it doesn’t have the 360-degree room-filling sound of the Echo or Echo Plus. It probably sounds no better than your smartphone’s speaker. We recommend using the 3.5mm jack aux-out at the back to hook it up to an external speaker system. If you don’t want to use the 3.5mm output you can use Bluetooth…
