I got this from a friend and thought you'd like to see it.
Nearly all of the tips in the following article from Learnbonds.com will
likely not be new for seasoned Echo users. However, if someone is new to
the Alexa universe I thought I'd pass this along ..
learnbonds.com
Does it Creep You Out That Amazon Echo is Listening to Everything You Say?
Muhammad Nadeem
Amazon Echo is one of the hottest gadgets of 2016. As you may already
know, it is a hands-free speaker that you control with your voice. The
device connects you to Alexa, the voice-controlled intelligent personal
assistant developed by Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN).
As loved as Amazon Echo has become, there is one thing that bothers many
owners and that is the fact that Amazon Echo is always listening for
voice commands. It only “turns on” when it hears it’s wake word but in
order to hear that wake word it has to be listening all the time and if
it’s listening all the time… well you get my drift.
Amazon Echo isn’t the only device that’s listening to you though. If
you own Google Home, you face the same issue. And if it’s not enough
that they are listening, they are also recording. So there’s that too.
We can’t stop Amazon Echo from listening but at least we can control
some of what is recorded and stored by Amazon. Here’s how you can
simply delete Amazon Echo voice data along with 9 other simple tips and
tricks that we hope will enhance your experience with Echo.
1. Deleting Your Amazon Echo Voice Data
Go to the Amazon Echo app > Settings > History. Here you will see a list
of all recordings. To delete a specific recording, tap it, press Delete
voice recordings.
To delete everything from History, go to www.amazon.com/myx. Click Your
Devices, select Amazon Echo, then click Manage Voice Recordings.
2. How to Change the Wake Word
You can change the wake word which Alexa by default. Amazon does not
allow you to set your own wake word, but you can choose between Alexa,
Amazon, Computer or Echo. Here is how you can select one of the three
alternate wake words.
Go to the Alexa app or echo.amazon.com and open Settings.
Select your Echo device, open Wake Word, pick one of the four names from
the drop-down menu and hit Save.
3. Alexa Can Solve Math Problems
In addition to helping you control your smart home, Alexa can also make
quick calculations. You can her to convert currencies or do mathematic
equations.
For example, say “Alexa, 20 times 20” or “Alexa, convert 100 dollars to
euros.” Isn’t it awesome?
4. Play Apple Music and Google Play Music with Alexa Speakers
Are you looking to play your own music library, Apple Music or Google
Play Music with the Alexa speakers? There is no need to worry. Just pair
the Echo to a mobile device or computer using Bluetooth and enjoy
unsupported audio.
5. Order Anything from Amazon Prime Using Alexa
Amazon Prime is a subscription service that gives you access to free
two-day shipping, streaming video, and other benefits.
You can order almost any product Amazon offers through the Amazon Echo.
On your purchase request, Alexa will search through Prime-eligible
items. If an item is available, Alexa will tell you the item name and
price. She will also inform you about the estimated delivery time.
6. Tracking Your Amazon Shipment Using Alexa
You can ask Alexa to track your orders from Amazon. If you have multiple
orders, Alexa will give you the status of the order with the closest
delivery date.
To track the status of a recently shipped order, say something like,
“Alexa, track my order” or “Alexa, where is my stuff?”
7. Ordering Your Favorite Food
Alexa can order your favorite food and drink through “Skills” set up by
companies like Dominoes and Pizza Hut. There are more than 10,000 skills
you can use.
To order your favorite pizzas from Pizza Hut, you need to activate the
Pizza Hut Alexa skill. Simply ask Alexa, “Enable Pizza Hut skill”.
Similarly, you can enable the Domino’s Pizza Alexa skill.
Amazon Echo
8. List of Most Useful Alexa Commands
Here is a list of the most useful commands, thanks to Buzz Feed. You
should save it for later.
* “Alexa, stop.” or “Alexa, cancel.”
* “Alexa, help.”
To control the volume:
* “Alexa, turn it down.” or “Alexa, softer.”
* “Alexa, turn it up.” or “Alexa, louder.”
* “Alexa, volume 2.” (Choose between 0-10)
While playing music:
* “Alexa, play some jazz [or your genre/artist of choice].”
* “Alexa, set a sleep timer for [X] minutes.”
* “Alexa, pause.” or “Alexa, resume.”
* “Alexa, next song.”
* “Alexa, loop.”
* “Alexa, restart.
While listening to Pandora or iHeartRadio:
* “Alexa, I like this song.” or “Alexa, thumbs down.”
Other ones you can use:
* “Alexa, what time is it?”
* “Alexa, what’s the weather like in [your city + state].”
* “Alexa, wake me up at 7 am.”
(Again thanks to Buzz Feed for sharing this list)
9. Make Alexa Read You Latest News
To head the day’s top news, just ask Alexa “what’s in the news?” or
“Alexa, what’s new?”
You can choose news publications and sources. Go to Settings, and select
Flash Briefing. There, you can select hourly briefings, from sports to NPR.
10. Manage Lists with Alexa
Alexa can your to-do-list manager. It helps users make and manage to-do
and shopping lists. You can access your lists in the Alexa app, the
Alexa Shopping List on the Amazon website, and the Amazon app.
Ask Alexa “create a new to-do” for you. To add an item to a list, say
“add [item] to my Shopping List” or “Alexa, put [task] on my To-do
List.” To review a list, say “Alexa, what’s on my Shopping List?” or
“Alexa, what’s on my To-do List?”
_______________________________________________
ATI (Adaptive Technology Inc.)
A special interest affiliate of the Missouri Council of the Blind
http://moblind.org/membership/affiliates/adaptive_technology
