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Since 2014, Amazon Alexa has dominated the smart speaker arena with no obvious signs of slowing down anytime soon. While Amazon continues to grow its lineup of Smart Echo Devices, they also continued to grow their skills.
The rate at which new skills are being added to Alexa is a sign of Amazon’s efforts to pull ahead of its competitors.
Now, you can ask, “Alexa, what are the best deals on Amazon Prime Day?” you’ll hear a series of Prime Day-exclusive deals that you need an Alexa-enabled device to order.
If you have already purchased an Amazon Echo or considering picking one up, then this post is for you.
12 + Cool Skills You Didn’t Know You Can Do with Amazon Alexa
1. Plan a vacation
With a Kayak account, you can enable your Alexa to help you plan a trip. This skill can check prices and also track flights.
If you are on a budget Kayak Explore will tell you where in the world you can go. To activate it, just say “Alexa, ask Kayak where I can go for $600.”
2. Dictate hands-free text messages
If you are an Android smartphone user you can send SMS messages hands-free through the Alexa app.
For iPhone owners, you, will need to use a third-party skill such as the Mastermind skill, this will let you send and receive SMS messages, but will also help you find your phone, gets its battery life, turn on Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, start Google Maps, send articles from your phone to Alexa, and much more.
3. Skill finder
Alexa has a lot of useful abilities, which are similar to apps on your smartphone. They perform useful tasks, but you don’t know which Alexa skills you’ll like until you know they’re there.
Start by saying, “Alexa, open skill finder” to find out more about Alexa’s many talents.
4. The Bartender
Are you having a party or a cocktail after work? This Alexa skill, The Bartender, is like having your personal bartender on-call.
You probably don’t know a lot of cocktail recipes, so ask Alexa which ingredients go into the one you want to make. If you’re feeling adventurous, just ask Alexa to surprise you, she’ll come up with something you may have never heard of!
5. Order pizza
It’s Friday and you’re tired of the leftover food in the fridge for the week? Or have you been eating healthy for the week and would like to have a cheat night? Say, “Alexa, open Domino’s and place my easy order.”
6. 7-minute workout
Why are you getting up early to go to the gym when you have Alexa as a personal trainer? Instead, Alexa can keep you healthy in just 7 minutes a day? Just ask Alexa to open the 7-minute workout (get ready to sweat but talk to your doctor first.
7. Feels like?
Don’t know what to wear outside? Are you confuse by the weather reports? One minute it’s feels like 80 degrees but really “feel like” 90 degrees. The weather report doesn’t factor in the humidity and other conditions that can make it hotter than the temperature reports.
To find out how you should dress, try this. Enable Alexa’s feels like skill.
8. Uber
Do you need a lift to the airport? Are your friends and family too busy to drop you off? Did you forgot to ask someone for a ride, Alexa can help. Ask Alexa to have Uber pick you up.
9. Airfares
Your next vacation you plan can now be much easier, with online services like Google Flights. But Alexa has radically transformed travel planning, too.
To set this feature, start by using Kayak for airfares to the destination of your choice. Or ask where you can fly for your budget, whether it’s $200 or $1,000.
10. Airport wait time
Instead of rushing to the airport to get there on time and then wait in line for your boarding pass or to get through security. Your assistant, Alexa can keep your wait times shorter!
Ask Alexa to enable Security Line, then ask how long the wait is at your airport. Now, you don’t have to rush if you’re just going to be standing in line for hours
11. Podcasts
I love podcasts, every morning I listen to a podcast to start my morning in a positive direction. One of my favorites is Twit.tv This Week in Tech with Leo LaPorte and friends. If you are a podcast listener like me, you can you Stitcher on Alexa to listen to your favorite or popular podcast.
It’s so easy, just say:
“Alexa, launch Stitcher.”
“Alexa, ask Stitcher to play the latest episode of This Week in Tech on Demand.”
12. Amazon Prime Day
Are you someone who buys your gifts throughout the year or a shopper who likes to wait to hit the holiday sales? Personally, we like to do both. One reason we like to buy throughout the year is because of our gift budget.
We would rather spread it out over the course of the 12 months rather than getting hit so hard in December. we also like to wait until November to get some good deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
It seems silly to be talking about these two big shopping days so early in the year, but that’s because there is another one that we often forget about. Amazon Prime Day!
Looking for Alexa deals? Get the best of Amazon’s daily deals by asking “Alexa, what are my deals?”
13. Get Free Audible Audiobooks
Audible can ask an Echo speaker to read a full audiobook at no cost if you are a new subscriber. Now you can listen to the hottest novels or business books of your choice.
Knowledge is POWER! Never stop growing and learning new information. If you are able to read books faster through a system like Audible instead of reading a paperback book, sign-up to Audible!
Related Articles:
- 131 Best Things to Ask Alexa Echo | Alexa Commands
- 11 Best Amazon Alexa Skills You Should Download Today
- 35 Fun Things Your Kids Can Ask Amazon Alexa
- 30+ Useful Amazon Alexa Skills and Features
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It's great to see that you have come across my website. I hope you explore it thoroughly. The website caters to regular consumers who have an interest in home automation. I am based in the Tri-state area and enjoy the latest smart tech along with my wonderful wife and three energetic boys.
