The constantly evolving tones of Amazon’s Alexa get a little smarter this week with a handful of new enhancements and features designed to make life easier, especially for busy parents and others who are constantly on the go.
Probably the most important batch of features helps Alexa figure out just where you are, exactly, and respond accordingly. New location-based routines can automatically activate every time a user enters or leaves a location. That means Alexa enthusiasts can create routines that turn on the lights when they get home or turn off the music when they split. This new feature is based on the GPS readings from your smartphone.
The smart assistant can also fire up location-based reminders that automatically trigger when you reach a destination, such as “Alexa, remind me to start the broiler when I get home.” Unlike some
Voice is, of course, an essential element to Alexa’s many abilities and for those who are prone to fancy restaurants and takeout, her new ability will be welcomed. Now, Echo owners can search for and call local businesses and restaurants simply by shouting out, “Alexa, what’s the number for Domino’s?” Users can follow up with “
If you’re a new parent, Alexa has some cool new kid-friendly routines on deck. Parents can customize a “Good Night” routine in the
For parents who have trouble sleeping, Alexa also has a couple of new tricks. Users can now add a sleep timer for music in
For parents and partners who are mindful about their absence, Alexa has a new Routine where you can send a pre-recorded message to all of your
Other new features include a “Do Not Disturb” command that can be embedded within Alexa Routines as well as a “Stop Audio” command that can be embedded in Routines with commands like, “I’m leaving.”
Finally, Alexa is aiding and abetting email junkies with a new command that reads, “
These features started rolling out on Monday, December 10, and will be available to all U.S. customers in the coming days.
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