Alexa! This has become a magic wand in a completely human world. You say a command, and the job is done. Even kids have learned the wake word Alexa by heart. And it is very sweet to hear it in their cute voices that even Alexa is pleased and grant their wishes.
Since the time Alexa was introduced, requesting it to play music has been a much-loved pastime of many and it is my personal favorite too. With a simple request, you can tap into the huge reservoir of songs in Amazon music and play the ones that match your mood. Now, there is even more to just playing music.
Guess what? You can even have a karaoke session right at your home. Now you don’t have to be at a party or DJ to enjoy karaoke, you have Alexa karaoke. You can turn your home into a nice, cozy club and sing to your heart’s content. And don’t worry about the lyrics. They will come to you at the right time. Here’s how.
Further reading: What Is Alexa And What Does Alexa Do?
Whole new Alexa Echo Show
While Echo is just a speaker with the virtual assistant Alexa, Echo Show comes with a touchscreen that can display things you asked for. It works with your fingertip, or you can request Alexa using voice commands like you always do. Users have fallen in love with this new addition to the Echo speakers, where their experience with Alexa has gone to a whole new level.
So, we were talking about Alexa karaoke. All you have to say is “Alexa, play (the song title)” and boom! The song is played, and the lyrics come floating as you sing along. By default, Alexa plays the song from Amazon Music if there is no preference given. You can also play songs from other music apps.
The interesting thing is that the words that are currently played will be highlighted in blue. So there is no confusion as to when to start and what to sing. Go ahead and sing like a pro as if you have sung the original version!
I am not finished yet. There is more to Alexa Echo Show. Here are a few things you can do with the smart gadget.
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Set up Alexa Routine
This is for all the lazy bones which don’t want to repeat the same set of commands every day; instead, get it done in a single command. Alexa routines let you group together a set of tasks that will be done one after another using a single command.
When triggered, a series of tasks are carried out in succession, the trigger being a voice, an echo button, or schedule to name a few. This is a very important feature of Alexa that saves time and improves efficiency.
For example, if you want to set a night routine for your kid, you can say “Alexa, good night” and get the lights dim, followed by a bedtime story and soothing music.
Do voice shopping
Echo speakers would let you go shopping, but you never had the luxury of seeing the products before buying. With an attached touchscreen, this is made possible. Shopping with Echo Show is pretty cool, offering a complete view of the products and letting you voice shop.
To enable this feature, open the Alexa app, tap the hamburger icon. Now go to settings, tap Alexa account and then Voice Purchasing and toggle it on. The feature is now enabled. Try saying, “Alexa, buy (what you want to buy)”.
It will show the search results with your desired items from Amazon. You can then browse through the search results using voice commands to see options like brands, color, and more.
Chef Alexa
When I say chef Alexa, don’t take it literally. Alexa will be an assistant to the chef in you. It will give you the best recipes in the world and even play videos that will help upgrade your cooking skills. From breakfast to lunch to dinner, ask Alexa for help, and you can be a better cook than you were.
To search for a recipe, say “Alexa, find a recipe for (the dish name)”. If you like the one Alexa gives, you can ask for more information about it. If you want another recipe, say “Next”.
After selecting a recipe, you can start cooking, and Alexa will give you detailed step-by-step instructions. Just say, “Alexa, start the recipe,” and it will read out each step along with a display of the text and images relevant to it.
When you are done with a step, say “Alexa, next step” to go to the next step of the recipe. You can also go back to check whether you have done it right by saying, “Alexa, previous step”. It also lets you go to a particular step if given the number.
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The New Alexa Smart TV
Of course, with a screen, Echo Show must act as a TV too. There is no surprise here. You can say “Alexa, play (the movie name or show name)” when you are in the mood to watch your favorite show. You can also say “Alexa, show my watchlist” and find the one you want Alexa to play.
If you want to see what is latest in Amazon, open the Alexa Content Hub and press “Video”. This will show you the Amazon Prime Video interface from which you can select whichever show or movie you want. There are more search options if you want to give a try.
For example, you can say, “Alexa, show me action movies”. Alexa will then display relevant results for you to choose from.
These are only a few things that I have listed here. There is much more to what Alexa can do. All said, if asked what they love most about Alexa, many users still vote for the music and karaoke played by it. Music can lift your mood and instantly makes you relaxed. So, switch on some music and explore what more Alexa can do for you.