The Amazon Echo just keeps getting better with age
If you are not yet fully convinced that the Amazon Echo is well worth every bit of your penny, here are five amazing things that the smart speaker can do which should help persuade you to decide to shell out a reasonable amount from that hard-earned money of yours.
Help you get in shape
If you’re on a tight budget and a little hesitant to shell out a significant portion of your savings for a smart speaker, or perhaps you’re weighing in on whether or not you would rather use your money for a gym membership rather than have a smart speaker at home — guess what? You can do both. As if the Echo isn’t useful enough with all its built-in amazing features, the brains behind this stunningly smart speaker have decided to give the device the ability to help users get in shape, too.
Alexa, the virtual assistant existing inside the Amazon Echo, has just acquired a 7-minute workout skill that should help you shed off that extra pounds that you’ve been meaning to shed — in just seven easy minutes.
Help you get out of shape
In case you want to do the opposite and would rather stack up some pounds instead, Alexa can help you out with that as well. This amazing smart speaker also has CookBook as part of its skills, and is very much capable of setting up multiple timers for you without the actual need for you to get your hands on anything other than the food you want to be cooking, and the utensils that you will be needing. Alexa can walk you through with step-by-step cooking instructions like having a real sous chef ordering you around the kitchen — and a bartender, too, with some help from the device’s savvy Bartender app.
Control your smart home
Not that the Echo isn’t as useful if you do not have a smart home, this smart speaker has countless other functions other than being a smart home controller — but in case you have a home that’s already set up with home products from brands like Winks and SmartThings, this device can make things a whole lot cooler. This smart speaker can also control random household things like plugs, doorbells, and thermostats — and is set to start working with The Nest products in just a few weeks.
Control your savings
One of Alexa’s numerous impressive skills is the ability to help you out with your savings. Well, sort of. Alexa now has a Capital One skill that allows users who bank with Capital One the ability to check the balance or most recent transactions on their savings or checking accounts, as well as inquire about when their credit card bill is due, and pay their credit card bill if it’s already due.
Bedtime stories
After a long day of working out, cooking, and banking, you might want to do some relaxing. Alexa has got this covered for you, too. As creepy as it might sound, Alexa is fully aware of the books you’ve bought from Amazon and how far in the book you already are. If you want to, Alexa can do the rest of the reading for you, and she’ll pick up exactly where you left off on your Kindle or your smartphone. If you find Alexa’s weird robotic monotone a little disturbing, you can always opt to have an audiobook play out for you instead.
And if that does not work well enough to put you to sleep, you can always ask Alexa to play a soothing classic music for you through the Spotify app for Amazon Echo.