Using only your own voice, you can play music, make searches in Internet, create to-do lists and purchases, make purchases on the Internet, receive instant weather reports and monitor popular smart home products.
In particular, at the moment, it is Amazon that is gaining momentum in introducing its own Alexa assistant in various devices and products.
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Amazon Alexa – what is it?
Amazon Alexa, named after the ancient Greek Library of Alexandria, is Amazon’s voice control system (virtual assistant), which was developed in Lab 126 in order to compete with other well-known voice assistants such as Siri, Google and others.
What devices does Alexa Amazon work on?
American engineers are actively introducing Alexa not only in their own devices, but also in the products of such companies as Ford, Range Rover, etc.
This smart assistant is currently the only development that is used in mobile devices as well as in on-board computers of cars.
Alexa Amazon can be downloaded not only to Amazon Echo, but also to other gadgets and even to some smart watches. Installing a virtual assistant is possible on Amazon Echo Dot, LG SmartThing Q, Tap and others.
Amazon Alexa features?
The device is a smart speaker with the connection to Alexa Amazon which can be activated using your own voice. The voice assistant is inside the speaker.
The difference between these speakers is that the Echo is constantly “hearing you.” to establish a command, as you do in Siri. With Amazon Echo, things are much simpler: just execute the command out loud, and Echo runs it.
Voice assistant is able to execute commands in complex difficulty. She can plan your business for a short and long term, for example on lamps. Alexa can turn on music at your request at any time. If you want to play a sports team, the virtual assistant can always answer. You can use your own skill for Alex or use one of the ready-made skills from the catalog (more than 15,000 skills from all available lives).
How to download and install the Alexa app?
You can download Alexa from the regular Google Play and App Store. There is no way to download and install this virtual assistant through game stores.
You can download applications through third-party Internet resources, but there is no guarantee that the file will not contain viruses.
Amazon has its own store: Amazon Underground. There you can download the virtual assistant for Android only.
How to enable and disable Alexa?
To make a Command, you only need to name the word “Alexa, (Command)”. The default activation word is “Alexa,” but you can change it to “Echo,” “Amazon,” or any other.
The second generation Alexa and Echo have already been released, at present. They differ from the first generation voice assistants in their responsiveness. There is no activation button for manual activation. Just say (“Alexa”, “Echo”, “Amazon” or “computer”) and your command, it will perform using the voice assistant (if you are all set up correctly and enter the correct command).
Using Alex will become much more natural and intuitive than talking to a phone voice assistant such as Siri or Google Assistant. As a result, you will use your phone while at home.
Application Settings
We go to the “Alex”. Settings → Echo Dot.
We need to connect a sound confirmation so that the column always hears you and expects to receive various commands.
Find the General section and click Edit. Here they are asked to enter the address of the place of residence. Enter and save it.
Setup completed.
Smart home and Amazon Alexa
What do they have in common?
In addition to the voice assistant, Amazon also releases competitive products to Google Home and Apple HomePod. By the way, the devices of the American company are much more functional in their capabilities than the existing analogues from other developers.
A huge difference becomes immediately visible while comparing the Amazon Echo station with its competitors; starting from device management and ending with a list of tasks that a product from Amazon can perform.
Technological progress is growing every year and does not cease to amaze users with new developments. In particular, voice assistants from the mobile giants Apple, Google and Amazon are currently leaders in the global ranking.
If a few years ago the whole option ended with searching for a request on the Internet, today the capabilities of this software have expanded greatly and acquired artificial intelligence. In particular, at the moment, it is Amazon that is gaining momentum in introducing its own Alexa assistant in various devices and products.
Amazon IoT
IoT is the Internet of Things that Amazon is actively promoting in all of its developments. Thereby, the manufactured devices Echo, Echo Dot, Tap, Fire TV, and other products of American engineers deliberately created so that the user can carry out basic tasks only by saying the appropriate command. In their opinion, this is how all gadgets in the homes of the future should implement.
The Internet of things is directly related to Amazon Alexa and other products of the American company. It involves a single bundle of all smart gadgets with Alexa around the world.
This is done for several reasons:
- Machine learning through which artificial intelligence develops.
- It has improved user experience.
- Promotion of new developments in existing products.
Amazon Alexa smart home station
Amazon developers see their voice assistant as the main smart home management program. For example, you acquire an Echo station, attach it to Philips Hue smart bulbs, the LG SmartThingQ TV, Google sensors, and other devices, and then control all the gadgets through the Amazon assistant.
Why it’s worth paying attention to the control stations from this company?
There are several reasons:
- A truly smart built-in helper that continues to evolve as it is used
- Support for pairing a large number of devices that are currently available on the mobile market. Apple and Google, compared to Amazon, do not have such a list of supported accessories.
- A large assortment of stations in which you will find the best option for yourself
Conclusion
According to Amazon engineers, the Alexa project is actively developing and will continue to be implemented in other devices of third-party companies. If today on-board computers in American cars serve as an example, then after a few years, the assistant will cover a much larger volume of products that could be controlled using voice.
As a brief conclusion, it is worth highlighting several points:
The American company is moving in the right direction. This is confirmed by its products, which are in demand not only in the United States but also abroad. In addition, Amazon’s collaboration with other well-known developers leads to good results. An example of this fact is the relentlessly growing capitalization of assets and positive quarterly reports.
However, as stated in the Amazon office, the main indicator of success for them is the attention of users, the high level of demand, and customers’ comments about their products.
