Voice assistant alexa. Living with the virtual assistant Alexa

In the course of another attempt to implement ideas from science fiction films, the tech giants, one after another, started working on virtual assistants. At the Google I / O 2016 conference, the company presented Google Assistant, as well as an analogue of Amazon Echo - the home voice assistant Google Home.

The latest of the big companies is entering the virtual assistant race. Let's see what competitors it has (including among startups).

First, let's remember what Google Now is.

Google Voice Search / Google Now

Peculiarities: Quick. Extremely precise when creating routes. Frightens with its knowledge of your flights, bookings and other details. with some third-party applications: manage notes, messages and music playback.

Disadvantages: Sometimes it gets boring with excessive initiative (for example, it shows the results of games of teams that you are not interested in, or routes to your home from famous places). Useless for smart home control. Work on integration with third-party apps seems to have stalled.

Humanity Level: Null. Not conducive to communication. It doesn't even have a name other than Google.

Summary: Google's vast store of personal data and access to a search engine should, in theory, have made Google the industry leader, but the company has yet to figure out how to leverage its strengths and create an assistant that can understand the user. Today, Google Now and voice search compete on equal terms with Siri, but they have not yet reached a new level of development.

And now about the competitors.

Apple Siri

What: A voice assistant that can talk to the user and make proactive recommendations. Activated by a long press on the Home button on and iPad. Recently, there was support for the assistant on Apple TV and Apple Watch.

Peculiarities: Easy to use on iOS devices. Understands natural speech. Knowledgeable about news, weather, sports, movies, routes and local businesses. Can tell you what to watch on TV. Knows how to interact with some elements of the "smart home".

Disadvantages: Can't interact with most other applications and services. Slower than some competitors.

Humanity Level: He is not able to maintain a full-fledged conversation, but at certain moments he demonstrates his own wisdom. The female voice sounds comparatively human.

Disadvantages: Feels great on Windows - the platform that is least interesting to developers, and, possibly, users. Using the assistant on Android and iOS is more difficult, and there are fewer functions.

Humanity Level: She loves jokes, especially banal ones. Has a long list of witty answers to common questions at the ready. Can read extracts from Shakespeare.

Summary: After years in the shadow of Siri and Google, Cortana has become a much more interesting chatbot. Microsoft wants to make its voice assistant the basic intelligence for all other bots, able to manage your travels, appointments, to-do lists and other things, as well as increase the degree of integration with other Microsoft products, such as Office. The company aims to create a new shell for the computing technologies of the post-PC era, but it is too early to judge whether it will succeed or not.

Facebook M

What: It is partly operated, partly by humans, and is still in development. M will be a text-driven assistant in the Facebook Messenger environment.

Peculiarities: Will try to do whatever you ask.

Disadvantages: It is not yet a finished product, and it will not be for a long time. Only available to a small number of users in San Francisco.

Humanity Level: Extremely high, since people will participate in the formation of answers to questions. According to Wired, the company hopes that over time, M will learn from these operators and be able to operate more independently.

Summary: At the moment, M is just a little more than just an idea. But given Facebook's interest in chatbots in general, it shouldn't come as a surprise if M eventually becomes superintelligent.

X.ai

What: One of the few virtual assistants with only one function. Works only via e-mail, where he can make appointments at your request.

Peculiarities: Knows your schedule and preferences, negotiates with other participants for you.

Peculiarities: Viv promises that their product will be able to understand complex questions such as: "Will the temperature near the Golden Gate Bridge be above 20 degrees the day after tomorrow after 5 pm?" Work is underway to ensure compatibility with third-party applications.

Disadvantages: So far, apart from the prepared presentations, there is no evidence that everything works exactly as stated.

Humanity Level: He values ​​visual aids and concrete answers more than detailed descriptions. The presence of wit is questionable.

Disadvantages: The possibilities for integration with third-party applications are limited, and it is impossible to open the service directly on iOS or Android. Requests that the assistant cannot recognize are redirected to Ask.com.

Humanity Level: Does not dispose to long conversations, but knows how to answer additional questions.

Summary: It seems that Hound's mobile apps actually exist only to showcase the capabilities of the Houndify service, which SoundHound plans to sell to other companies. If everything works out, we will not even know that we are using it.

Ozlo

What: AI, the main function of which at the moment is the search for cafes, bars and restaurants. Available for a limited number of users.

Peculiarities: Finds and combines data from multiple sources, including Yelp and Foursquare, and then presents everything in the form of handy flashcards. Attempts to communicate by asking and answering additional questions such as "what places are open now?" or "what's on the menu?"

Disadvantages: Limited features unless the creators of Ozlo add new features. AI training is highly dependent on users.

Humanity Level: Avoids unnecessary pleasantries, only greets briefly by name.

Summary: Ozlo would be no different from many other chatbots if it didn't have the prospect of creating something bigger. The ability to combine data from multiple sources into a single SERP is unique, but it is not yet clear if developers will be able to realize the full potential they claim. In the meantime, Ozlo's business plan is limited only to the application, there may be problems with collecting the data necessary for training.

SpeakToIt Assistant.ai

What: One of many copies of Siri. In the app store, searching for Siri brings up a variety of similar programs, such as Voice Commands, Voice Secretary and Assistant.

Peculiarities: Not much different from Siri, but can learn custom commands to activate a list of functions.

Disadvantages: Not as useful as the built-in assistant in your smartphone, and not nearly as convenient.

Humanity Level: Sounds rather unnatural, but portrays himself as a human assistant whose gender and appearance can be changed.

Summary: Some of these Siri clones look like a relic of the past, when not all iPhone models could work with Apple's proprietary assistant and needed to be replaced. In any case, it seems that their creators are aware that this approach will not succeed. For example, SpeakToIt moved on to creating a set of tools that other developers could use to make their own chatbots.

Ever since Amazon first introduced its voice assistant in 2014,
Amazon has confidently become the most popular mention in the "smart home" section. And unexpectedly, almost every IT company decided to integrate its product with a virtual voice assistant from Amazon - Alexa.

This kind of integration is constantly going on at an accelerated pace, and sometimes it is very difficult to even imagine what kind of product will support Alex. Amazon's own website tries to showcase the top most popular products with Alexa support, but the information on all Alexa-enabled products is not well structured.
In addition, for obvious reasons, the fact is often overlooked that to work with such devices and to use all the capabilities of the Alex ecosystem, you don't even need to have the Echo device itself.

Thus, not only does Amazon embed Alexa into its new devices (Echo Plus, Echo Spot and Fire HD 10 tablets), but the company also allows third-party manufacturers to embed Alexa support into their products, for example, Ford began to embed a voice assistant from Amazon in its new car models.

In order to understand what Alexa has achieved, we decided to make a detailed guide.
Below is a list of products that in one way or another use the capabilities of the voice assistant from Amazon.

Devices with Alexa
Smart home hubs
Light control devices
Switches, dimmers, sockets
Locks, cameras, security
Heating and cooling devices
Cars
Services
Miscellaneous

Devices with Alexa

While the Alexa Echo remains a flagship, it hasn't been alone for a long time. New versions are constantly appearing, as well as devices from third-party manufacturers.

So, a little overview:

Amazon Echo (2nd Gen.)

Announced on September 27, 2017, the second generation Echo has the same capabilities, but has a smaller size and more convenient functionality.

In fact, this is a bluetooth speaker with sensitive microphones and an AlwaysOn function. It can control smart home devices, play music from your phone, Amazon Prime or Spotify, and order products from Amazon, all using voice commands.

With the Alexa app, you can customize the virtual assistant the way you like, and with hundreds of skills, you can do almost everything - from getting an accurate weather forecast to playing all sorts of obscene sounds.

The price of such a device starts at $ 99, which is almost half the price and less in terms of the dimensions of the first generation Echo and with a fabric cover. The coating of the device body can be selected from several options, thereby choosing the most suitable for each room.

Also, the second generation Echo claims the best sound reproduction thanks to the Dolby system, which was introduced last summer - the so-called. multi-room audio system.

This allows the Echo to compete with other similar audio reproduction systems such as Sonos.

The second generation Echo is available for pre-order for $ 99 and will start shipping on October 31, 2017.

Amazon Echo Plus

The Amazon Echo Plus looks like an upgrade to the Echo flagship. Same design but new color - silver. New features - Echo Plus can work as a hub for a smart home.

Just ask Alexa about the installed devices in your house and she will control them.
The Hue smart lamp from Phillips is a pre-order gift.

Amazon Echo Show

One of the most recent innovations in the Echo family is the Show. Added a touchscreen, camera and smart speaker, allowing you to make video calls, view video cameras, watch Amazon Prime Video, of course, buy things from Amazon and much more.

Price - $ 229.99

Amazon Echo Connect

The Echo Connect is a $ 35 device that turns any Alexa compatible device into a wired phone.

Allows you to connect your home phone to Alexa and makes it possible to make and receive calls through a smart speaker.

Amazon Echo Spot

The Echo Spot is a hybrid of the Echo Show and Dot, priced at $ 129.99. Pre-order, sales will begin on December 19, 2017.

Echo Spot allows you to make video calls to other Alexa Show and Spot owners, view weather forecasts, alarms, timers, etc ...

The small device, which can be placed in any room, has a built-in bluetooth, an internal speaker and an audio output for connecting to an amplifier.

Amazon Echo Dot

Take an Echo, cut off the top and you have an Echo Dot. Dot ditched the high-quality speaker to keep the price down, but stayed smart.

The small built-in speaker will allow you to chat with Alexa, but not enough for high-quality streaming audio playback.

Instead, you can connect an external amplifier via both bluetooth and wired audio output.

Dot sells separately for $ 49, but Amazon is offering discounts on multiple purchases or when purchased with a Bose audio system or other smart home devices.

Amazon Tap

Amazon Tap took the basic functionality from the Echo and packed it into a portable bluetooth speaker. Because because it runs on batteries, Amazon Tap doesn't always listen to a keyword like Echo or Echo Dot. You need to press the microphone button in order to say the command. However, the new update will allow hands-free work for about an hour.

Although the Tap is portable, it requires a Wi-Fi connection (no 3G or LTE option), so if you're outdoors you need to use your smartphone as a hotspot.

Price $ 129.99

Amazon Echo Look

A recent addition to the Echo family, the Echo Look is a camera with built-in Alexa that allows your assistant to act as your stylist.

You can take photos and videos of your appearance and, using machine learning, Alexa will advise you on how to look better and, of course, recommend buying new clothes.
The Echo Look is not yet widely available, however you can apply to purchase from Amazon for $ 199.99.

Amazon Fire TV

New Fire TV, available from October 25, 2017, pre-order for $ 69.99, compatible with
4K ultra HD and HDR Tvs and 40% more powerful than Fire TV Stick.

The device does not have all the Alexa features like in Echo, but you can use it to control your smart home and use Alexa Skills. You can control CBS, NBC, Hulu and Netflix apps with your voice. The main difference is in control - you need a TV and you can talk to Alexa through the Fire TV Remote. There is no always-on listening feature, but it can be a plus when you want to keep your privacy.

The Fire TV Stick with Voice Remote also supports Alexa using the same remote interface. The same functionality as on Fire TV and at the same time the ability to buy a virtual assistant for only $ 50

Amazon Fire HD 8 Tablet

The popular $ 80 tablet from Amazon now comes with Alexa support. You can watch streaming TV and movies, use thousands of applications, read books in Kindle format and much more. It is very convenient to use Alexa to find the right application or TV show you want to watch, especially when your hands are full.

Amazon Fire HD 10 Tablet

The new Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet is an improved version of the popular Fire HD 8. In addition to a 10-inch screen and higher resolution (1080p), this tablet also has built-in Alexa. Pricing starts at $ 150 for the 32GB model and comes in 3 colors - black, red and blue.

Amazon Apps

Want to use Alexa anywhere, not just at home? Thanks to a recent update to the Amazon iPhone app, it's now a virtual assistant in this popular shopping app too. It doesn't support all of Alexa's features compared to Echo, but it will allow you to use Alexa to find products on Amazon, for example.

Unfortunately, nothing is said about when the Android version of the application will be released.

Alexa Gadgets

Amazon has announced a whole line of Alexa-enabled gadgets designed specifically to work with Echo devices.

So far, we only know about the $ 20 Echo Button, which is used for games with friends, such as trivia.

The start of sales is not yet known.

Huawei Mate 9

When Huawei first announced that the Mate 9 would be the first smartphone with built-in Alexa, it made a lot of noise.

The phone runs Android, but instead of using Google Assistant, the company has moved away from Google, preferring Amazon's virtual assistant.

The price is $ 464, it claims 2 days of battery life and a Leica camera (64GB).

Ecobee4 smart thermostat

If you decide to use Alexa everywhere in your home, then the smart Ecobee4 thermostat is a must for you. If you replace all the thermostats in your home with the Ecobee4, then you not only get a smart thermostat, but also constant access to Alexa, thanks to the microphone and speaker built into the thermostat. Available for pre-order at $ 249, sales start on May 15, 2018.

Ecobee smart switch

Ecobee Smart Light Switch is the first switch that will allow you to use Alexa in every room. It also has light sensors, but that's all we know. More detailed information about the price will probably be available in the next release of the company.

Invoxia Triby

If you want to make your refrigerator smarter without spending thousands of dollars, check out Invoxia Triby. This is the first device from a third-party developer to offer integration with Alexa. Has a built-in speaker for playing music, a screen and the ability to make phone calls.

Price - 120 $

Ford Sync

Ford vehicles with the latest version of the Ford Sync system will receive integration with Alexa, including both basic Echo functions and a dedicated in-car assistant functionality.
This integration won the CES Editors' Choice Awards last year.

BMW and MINI

Ford's status as the only company to offer Alexa functionality in the car is coming to an end.

BMW and MINI will be producing cars with built-in Alexa in the on-board computer as early as mid-2018.

You can ask Alexa for the nearest gas stations, weather forecast, flip through music tracks and much more without distracting your attention from the road.

Plus, if you have other smart home devices, you can access them while you're on the go. Now you won't forget to close your garage door or front door.

Smart Home Hubs

Although Alexa can control a large number of smart home devices, many smart home integrations require using a hub as a linking device. Inconvenient? Yes. But since devices with Alexa need a wireless connection to communicate directly with each other, this kind of interaction is necessary so that we can do this more efficiently for the foreseeable future.

Samsung SmartThings Hub

SmartThings from Samsung is one of the most advanced smart home systems on the market.
Integration with Alexa allows you to control almost all SmartThings compatible devices that can be turned on and off.

Also, the list of compatible devices can include smart lamps, fans, sockets and switches, locks and thermostats.

Wink hubs

Wink is arguably the main competitor to SmartThings, although it has fewer supported devices. Using a hub from Wink, Alexa gets access to control smart lamps, switches and sockets, thermostats. The company offers second-generation hubs for $ 99 and first-generation hubs for $ 69 - the main difference is that the second generation has bluetooth and a more powerful processor.

Insteon Hub

Insteon may not be as well-known as SmartThings and Wink, but support for old smart home ecosystems remains a very interesting option for them. Alexa can control devices using a hub from Insteon. It won't work with all hubs, but with the Insteon Hub (2245-222) you can control outlets, switches, and wired thermostats.

Alarm.com Hub

At CES 2016, the company announced an integration with Amazon Echo, which allows you to control devices for controlling lights and thermostats. You can also control the security system with your voice.

Vivint hub

Vivint is a system installed by authorized representatives and also announced the integration with Alexa at CES 2016. Here Alexa can be used to turn on smart home security, control lamps, thermostats, garage doors and even smart locks.

Even though Vivint is a dealer-installed system, it is considered the best voice-activated smart home system, although competition in this segment is growing rapidly.

Nexia Home Intelligence Bridge

Nexia is not a very well-known brand yet, but it knows how to work with a large number of Z-Wave compatible devices for a smart home. Like Alarm.com and Vivint, Nexia announced integration with Alexa, but has yet to provide the general public with details on which devices will be compatible with Alexa.

Universal Devices ISY Hubs

You may have never heard of Universal Devices, but the home automation geeks know this company for their Insteon compatible ISY hubs ("izzy"). The company offers 2 hubs - ISY-994i Series and ISY-994iZw Series. Both are compatible with Insteon, but Z-Wave support has also been added. You can separately enable integration with Alexa and you can control lights, door locks, thermostats, etc.

HomeSeer Home Controllers

HomeSeer offers 6 different controllers (hubs) for the smart home, the functionality of which is more suitable for geeks than for the average user. With Alexa integration, HomeSeer allows voice control of lights, locks, thermostats, garage doors and security systems.

Simple Control Simple Hub

Simple Control initially focused on controlling audio / video devices and home theater, but the company's powerful controller allows you to control many other devices, including SmartThings systems from Samsung and Insteon.

This system is quite complicated and not cheap, but it allows for many customized settings. Alexa, paired with such a system, can control TVs and even change channels.

Almond Smart Home WiFi Routers

Instead of buying a separate hub and a separate Wi-Fi router, Securifi's Almond has combined these devices in one piece of hardware. Two routers from the Almond line - Almond + and Almond 2015 can also work with Alexa and Echo. With this integration, you can activate various scenarios and modes of controller operation (Dinner scene, Evening scene, etc.)

Smart lighting

Light control was the very first mode of operation in a smart home, which Alexa began to do, and today's huge number of smart lamps (as well as switches, dimmers and sockets) that can work with Echo clearly show how far Alexa has come.
Most of these devices are smart lamps, which, on the one hand, are quite complex devices, and on the other hand, they are quite easy to configure by ordinary users, which allows them to immediately feel what a smart home is.

Philips Hue White Starter Kit

Philips makes the best value for money smart bulbs, which is why they are our favorites. The lamps work with Siri and can work with Alexa, which gives you additional options and choices for voice control. The $ 69 set comes with 2 lamps at once, but you can also purchase them separately.

Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance Starter Kit

A very good set and here's why - they not only have good characteristics, but can also work in third-party ecosystems. Just like a regular set, it can work with Siri and Alexa out of the box.

Philips Hue Go (via Hue Bridge)

Philips Hue Go is a rechargeable color light with 300 lumens aperture and up to 3 hours of runtime. Requires Philips Hue Bridge (included in the set above) and can be controlled by a dedicated app or Alexa.

Philips Friends of Hue Lightstrip (requires Hue Bridge)

Another device from the Hue line is the Lightstrip, a multicolor, glowing tape that can be cut. You also need a Hue Bridge to work with Alexa.

LIFX Smart Bulbs and Light Strip

LIFX has a small product line - LIFX 19 - multicolor lamps, LIFX + A19 - multicolor infrared lamps for night vision cameras and LIFX Z - glowing tape. A notable alternative to Philips Hue, as these lamps are directly controlled via Wi-Fi and do not require a hub. And since they work via Wi-Fi, they can be easily integrated with Alexa.

TP-Link WiFi Smart Bulbs

When you hear the name TP-Link, then you probably think about Wi-Fi routers, but the company also produces very interesting devices for the smart home, including 4 types of different smart lamps that work with Alexa. The lamps also don't need a hub, making them affordable ($ 18).

Cree Connected LED (requires SmartThings Hub or Wink Hub)

Cree Connected LED lamps are among the most attractive in terms of price and functionality. Prices compete with Philips Hue White bulbs and can work with almost any smart home hub. This makes them the best in the long run if you decide to use Cree Connected LED to build your own smart home ecosystem. With hubs from SmartThings or Wink hub, you can control these lamps with Alexa. The range includes 5000K lamps.

Price - from $ 15.

GE Link Bulb (work with Wink Hub)

GE Link lamps from General Electric try to compete with Cree Connected LED in price, functionality and color temperature, but fall short on other characteristics. They can also work with Alexa through the Wink hub.

Osram Lightify Smart Bulb (requires SmartThings Hub or Wink Hub)

Osram's Lightify range of lamps cannot change color, but they do allow for slightly lower color temperature changes than LIFX White 800. Work with Alexa via SmartThings Hub or Wink Hub.

TCP Connected Smart Bulbs (requires SmartThings Hub or Wink Hub)

TCP Connected lamps are not the best solution. They need their own controller and don't impress with their performance. But they can also work with Alexa through the SmartThings Hub or Wink Hub.

Switches, dimmers and sockets

In a sense, this is an addition to light control, but here you can control smart switches, sockets and plugs. From ceiling fans to trash shredders, there are many things you can do smart with an outlet or a switch. And of course, if you use the devices described below, we can control them with Alexa.

Belkin WeMo Light Switch

If you just want to turn something on and off and want it to work with Alexa, then the Belkin WeMo Light Switch is the best choice. Unlike competitors, this switch works directly with Wi-Fi, which means that you can control through Alexa without a hub.

Belkin WeMo Switch

The WeMo Switch name is a little deceiving - it's a smart plug, not a switch. It is called a switch only because it can be turned on / off using a button on the case or using an application. Also works with Wi-Fi, and integrates easily with Alexa.

Belkin WeMo Insight Switch

Insight Switch - the same functionality as in WeMo Switch, but added it is possible to monitor the energy use of any device connected through this outlet. A trendy feature for only $ 10 compared to WeMo Switch, but it's unlikely that you will ask Alexa how much energy your coffee machine used up in a month.

iHome Smart Plug (via Wink Hub)

Just like Belkin's Wemo switches, the iHome Smart Plug lets you turn lights or devices on / off. Works with Apple HomeKit (Siri support), Nest and Wink. Although works directly with Wi-Fi, Alexa only works through a Wink hub.

Samsung SmartThings Outlet (via SmartThings Hub)

SmartThings launched this outlet long before Samsung acquired the startup and is still releasing it to this day. It works over ZigBee instead of Wi-Fi, which means you need a SmartThings hub if you want to control an outlet with Alex.

D-Link WiFi Smart Plugs

Just like TP-Link, D-Link offers 2 types of smart plugs that work with Alexa -
ordinary DSP-W110 smart plug and with power monitoring function - DSP-W215 smart plug.

Insteon Switches, Dimmers, and Outlets (via Insteon Hub)

Insteon, unlike other manufacturers of smart home systems, independently produces dimmers, switches and sockets. Thanks to the integration with Echo, all devices can work with Alexa.

GE Z-Wave Switches, Dimmers, and Outlets (via SmartThings Hub)

General Electric may be moving away from device manufacturing, but the company sells a large number of smart switches, dimmers, and outlets. Amazon does not mention that these devices work with Alexa, but since they are all compatible with the SmartThings controller, this means they should work with Alexa too.

Leviton Switches, Dimmers, and Outlets (via SmartThings Hub or Wink Hub)

Just like GE, Leviton makes smart switches, dimmers and sockets that can be controlled by Alexa via hubs from SmartThings or Wink.

Lutron Caséta Wireless Switches, Dimmers, and Remotes

Lutron is arguably the largest brand for switches and dimmers. The company uses its proprietary wireless protocol called Lutron ClearConnect, which means these devices can only work with Caséta Wireless Smart Bridge or Wink controllers.

If you decide to purchase Lutron products, you can only link the Wink hub with HomeKit support through the smart bridge, so this depends on whether you want to work with the Apple or Wink ecosystem. But you won't have any problems integrating Alexa through Wink or Lutron bridge.

Enerwave Switches, Dimmers and Outlets (via SmartThings Hub)

Enerwave is not as famous as Lutron, GE or Leviton, but Z-Wave devices from this company work with the SmartThings hub. So the whole line should work with Alexa too.

Evolve Switches, Dimmers and Outlets (via SmartThings Hub)

Like Enerwave, Evolve is not very well known, but the entire line of the company works with SmartThings, which automatically means that all devices can work with Alexa.

Locks, cameras and security systems

Surely the safety of your front door is not criticized unless lazy, but know that locks become smart too. Almost all of the major lock-making companies - plus a few start-ups - have already started making them.

Smart locks can not only recognize that you are nearby (using a smartphone) and open doors. They also allow you to temporarily grant access to your home to whoever you want.

August Smart Lock (second generation)

The second generation of smart locks, August Smart Lock, integrated with Alexa in a rather unusual way. This is the only lock that you can lock using Alexa (unlocking is available in all Alexa compatible locks) - you need to say a specific pincode. You can also ask Alexa if the door is open or not if you are out of the house.

Scout Alarm

Scout Alarm is a very simple security system that works with Alexa. The company offers a wide range of commands for interacting with Alexa, including the ability to arm / disarm and call for help.

Netgear Arlo Security Cameras

Thanks to the Echo Show device, you can see live feeds from CCTV cameras. Netgear is one of the first vendors to offer this integration and our tests have shown the Netgear Arlo Pro to be one of the best video surveillance systems around.

Ring - doorbell with camera

Like Netgear Arlo cameras, footage from doorbell and other cameras can be viewed on the Echo Show.

Climate control

Amazon recently expanded Alexa's capabilities by adding thermostat controls. Thanks to the Alexa Skills Kit, you can now control the temperature in your home, as well as use some third-party climate devices for this purpose.

Nest Learning Thermostat

Until recently, this was, without a doubt, the most demanded integration with Alexa, judging by the huge number of all kinds of integrations through IFTTT. And lately, you could only control the thermostat through crutches from IFTTT or through the Wink hub, but now Nest works directly with Alexa.

Honeywell Lyric Thermostat (via SmartThings Hub)

No one wants to see startups bypass them, and so longtime thermostat maker Honeywell created his own, similar to Nest, and called it Honeywell Lyric Thermostat. The latest version works with Apple HomeKit and Alexa, thanks to the SmartThings integration.

Honeywell Total Connect Comfort Thermostats (via SmartThings Hub)

Not as cute as its Lyric thermostat sibling, the Honeywell Total Connect Comfort has a lot of functionality, but its main focus is on working on a schedule. Thanks to the official integration with SmartThings, it can also be controlled by Alexa.

Ecobee3 was the first thermostat to work directly with Alexa without a hub. It is also the first thermostat to support Apple HomeKit.

Sensi WiFi Programmable Thermostat

Sensi is a lesser known smart thermostat from Emerson, the second thermostat to work directly with Alexa. It has no fancy design and no funky color display, but it does have scheduled work, direct internet, and an attractive price tag.

Ceiling Fans Haiku Home

In April 2018, Alexa will be working with Haiku Home ceiling fans, which allow you to control the light and fan speed. All Haiku fans from SenseMe technology including the H, I and L series will work with Alexa.

Keen Home Smart Vents (via SmartThings Hub)

If you are having trouble adjusting the climate in different rooms of your home, then Keen Home Smart Vents offers a great solution. They can integrate your thermostat through Nest, SmartThings and Lowes' Iris to distribute airflow to different rooms without making it too cold or hot. And since this works through the SmartThings hub, you can also control the system from Alexa.

Cars

The Echo and Alexa took over the home pretty quickly, and with new integrations like Ford Sync, they also suddenly appeared in cars and garages. There are not many compatible devices on the market yet, but it's only a matter of time.

Automatic

Automatic is a small device that connects to the diagnostic port and collects various data - for example, fuel level, fault codes and much more and sends them to your smartphone via bluetooth.

With Alexa integration, you can ask how much fuel you have left, where you last parked, and how long you drove in a certain period of time.

Garageio

Garageio is a small Wi-Fi device that you can place on your garage doors and open and close them remotely (you can control up to 3 different gates) from your phone.
With Echo and similar devices, you can do this with your voice, through Alexa.

Various services

In addition to the various devices that you can control through Alexa, there are many services that you can work with.

You can order Domino's pizza, call an Uber, check your bank account with Capital One, and more.

IFTTT (abbreviation for If This, Then That) is possibly the most sophisticated service you can connect to Echo. It's an almost infinitely flexible middle man that helps connect Alexa to thousands of other devices and services that don't have official integration with Alexa.

With Spotify and Echo integration, you can listen to and control tracks with your voice.

Capital one bank

The first banking service integrated with Alexa, Capital One Bank allows you to make ongoing payments, check your balances and listen to your transactions.

With Alexa integration, you can call Uber using your voice. You can also find out how far the nearest car is from you and even cancel the trip.

Google calendar

Amazon and Google do not always get along with each other, but since Alexa is declared open, Amazon added support for Google Calendar. This allows you to check the calendar with Alexa and add new events.

Domino "s

The fast pizza delivery network is always introducing new technologies, from tracking pizza delivery to ordering pizza using emojis. With Alexa integration, you can only order with your voice.

USA TODAY Network

Our colleagues from USA TODAY are always looking for new ways for their news and now they started using Alexa. USA TODAY offers a skill in which you have to select news from a specific section, as well as Flash Briefing from 7 different podcasts.

1-800-Flowers.com

Do you urgently need to order flower delivery? Thanks to the new integration, Alexa will take care of that. Just tell me what you want to order and she will arrange everything.

Popular travel search engine Kayak is the first site to integrate with Alex and it adds some interesting features to the assistant's repertoire. You can track departures, check flight schedules, check hotel and car rental information, and even find travel on a specific budget.

HomeAdvisor

Just like Angie's List and Pro.com, HomeAdvisor will help you find a plumber, electrician, etc. Recently, the service announced the integration with Alexa, which will allow you to choose the right service and make a call to a specialist.

Probably one of Alex's coolest integrations, KidsMD is a skill created by Boston Children 's Hospital. It allows you to describe your child's symptoms and see if a doctor needs to be called and also find out the exact dose of a particular medication based on the child's age and weight. , you should not use this skill as a substitute for the doctor, but this service can help in case of a child's cold and even if something more serious has happened.

OurGroceries

A popular shopping app, OurGroceries lets you add products to your list through Alexa. If you notice that you have run out of milk, just tell Alex about it and then the application will remind you about it when you are in the store.

Because Echo has a built-in speaker, integration with a music service is a must. With Pandora Alexa can play your favorite internet radio stations.

IheartRadio

Want to listen to your favorite local radio stations on your Echo? All you need is to activate the iHeartRadio integration.

TuneIn is similar to iHeartRadio, allowing you to listen to stations from all over the country. The difference is that TuneIn also offers news, sports and talk radio. This means you can listen to CNN, NPR, ESPN Radio and more.

Amazon Prime Music

If you have an Amazon Prime account, Prime Music gives you free access to thousands of old songs. And since this is an Amazon product, it makes sense to use a virtual assistant.

Miscellaneous

There are several products that might work with Alexa, but that don't fit into any of the above categories. The more integrated products there are, the faster we can categorize them.

Want Alexa to help you stay healthy? With Fitbit integration, you can ask your virtual assistant how many steps you walked, how many calories you burned, how long you slept, and more. Do you think it's easier to press the button on the bracelet or see it in the app? No, it won't be that cool.

The first irrigation system to integrate with Alex, Rachio allows an assistant to control the irrigation of various zones and control the weather, without including irrigation if it rains suddenly.

GreenIQ Smart Garden Hub

GreenIQ Smart Garden Hub is another irrigation controller, but it is also integrated with plant growth sensors and a weather station, allowing you to better manage your backyard garden. With Alexa integration, you can turn on / off irrigation, control street lights and get information about water consumption.

Ooma telo

Perhaps one of Alexa's most innovative integrations is you can make calls through Ooma Telo, an IP telephony system. You might laugh at the idea of ​​using a home phone, but Telo is not really a home phone. It uses an internet connection and offers free calls within the country, which makes this offer quite attractive if you want to continue using your home phone.

Amazon is developing a new feature that will help its voice assistant Alexa distinguish the voices of individual users, Time reports, citing people familiar with the company's plans. An Amazon spokesman declined to comment in any way on the information the site received.

Alexa, like Siri and Cortana, can interpret and respond to various voice commands such as "What's the weather like?" or "What is shown in the cinema today?" However, none of the "smart" speakers are able to distinguish the voices of people.

Amazon's innovation will allow you to link sample votes to specific users to verify their identity.

The owner of the main Amazon Echo account will be able to restrict access to certain commands to such patterns. For example, it will be possible to make it so that only with the help of the voice of one of the adults living in the house, you can tell Alexa to pay with a credit card or turn on the coffee machine.

This feature, called Voice ID internally, has been developed by Amazon since the summer of 2015. Last summer, the function was on Amazon's plans, but it is not yet clear when it will be launched or if it will take place at all. The development of the technology itself has already been completed, and now the only question is the integration of the function into the Echo series products.

A number of factors can cause the release to be delayed, including security issues that have recently been of particular concern to the company. In particular, Amazon recently refused to transfer the recordings of one of the Echo users to the Arkansas State Police investigating a murder that occurred last November. According to the company, such records must be protected by the First Amendment to the US Constitution.

The innovation could be useful for those families who use multiple Amazon accounts or want separate task lists, said Jan Dawson, chief analyst at Jackdaw Research.

Also thanks to Voice ID, the company could become a more legitimate competitor to Google with its Google Assistant-powered Home speakers. On Pixel smartphones, the latter is able to distinguish the voices of people saying the command "Okay Google", while Google Home cannot boast of such an opportunity.

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Using just your own voice, you can play music, search the web, create to-do and shopping lists, shop online, receive instant weather reports, and control popular smart home products. But so far, unfortunately, only in English.

Amazon Alexa - what is it?

Amazon Alexa, named after the ancient Greek Library of Alexandria, is Amazon's voice control system (virtual assistant) that Lab 126 developed to compete with other well-known voice assistants like Google and others.

What devices does Alexa Amazon work on?

Alexa Amazon can be downloaded not only on Amazon Echo, but also on other gadgets and even some smartwatches. Installation of the virtual assistant is possible on Amazon Echo Dot, LG SmartThingQ, Tap and others.

Amazon Echo

This device is a smart speaker with Alex Amazon connection, which is activated using its own voice. The voice assistant is located inside the speaker. Amazon Echo - the first artificial intelligence in history, to which the developers have given a hotel "body".

The difference between such a speaker is that the Echo constantly "hears" you. Here it is not necessary, as with Siri, to include a button and something else in order to set a command to execute. With Amazon Echo, everything is much simpler: just say a command out loud, and she will execute it.

Amazon Alexa features?

She can plan your affairs for a short and long term, exercise control over home furnishings (lamps, for example). At any time, upon your request, Alexa is able to turn on music. if you are a fan of a sports team, the virtual assistant can always answer with what score this or that sports game ended.

If necessary, you can develop your own skill for Alexa or use one of the ready-made skills from the catalog (more than 15,000 skills from all areas of life).

How do I download and install the Alexa app?

You can download Alexa Amazon in the familiar Google Play and App Store. However, only not in Russian versions, but in American ones. If you want to download and install this virtual assistant through play stores, then nothing will come of it.

You can download applications through third-party Internet resources, but there is no guarantee that the file will be virus-free.

Amazon has its own store: Amazon Underground. In it, you can download a virtual assistant only for Android.

How to enable and how to disable?

Alexa hears you all the time, so for the team you only need to name the word "Alexa, (team)". The default activation word is Alexa, but you can change it to Echo, Amazon, or whatever.

At the moment, the second generation of Alexa and Echo has already been released, which are distinguished from the first generation of voice assistants by their responsiveness. There is no activation button for manual activation. Just say the activation phrase ("Alexa", "Echo", "Amazon" or "computer") and then what you want and it will be done (if you set everything up correctly and use the correct command).

Once you get used to the assistant's quirks, using Alexa is much more natural and intuitive than talking to a phone voice assistant like Siri or Google Assistent. As a result, you are likely to use your phone less often when you are at home.

Application setting.

We go to "Alex". Settings → Echo Dot.

We connect sound confirmation so that the speaker always hears you and is waiting for various commands.

Find the General section and click Edit. Here you are asked to enter the address of the place of residence. We enter it and then save it.

Then we translate the temperature into the usual degrees Celsius, and the length into meters.

The setup is complete.

Amazon Alexa release in Russian

As a reminder, Alexa works in three languages: English, German and Japanese.

Now and others. Alexa was created in Lab126. She can listen to your voice commands and respond to them with her messages when the task is completed. Alexa is ready to help you listen to music on Spotify, create a to-do list, and control your home items like Hue lights or Google's thermostat.

Initially, Alexa was popularized when working with the Amazon Echo speaker, which serves not only as a speaker, but also as a hub for smart home devices. Today it can work on many other devices as well. This virtual assistant is constantly evolving and updating. Of course, she may have some problems with command recognition, like any other similar assistant. But thanks to the connection to Amazon, it is automatically updated. And machine learning technology makes it more useful to the owner as he works.

What devices does Amazon Alexa work on?

Amazon now allows Alexa to be installed not only on the Echo hub, but also on other hubs. Alexa is also being added to their smart home devices by third-party developers. Integration of the virtual assistant is also possible on some smartwatches. Amazon Alexa support has already been received by:

• Fire TV.
• SmartThingQ.
• Pebble Core.
• Nucleus Anywhere.
• CoWatch.
• Many other hubs and devices.

The Alexa virtual assistant can be controlled using the central one. You can download it from the AppStore, Google Play, or directly from the Amazon Appstore. The application allows you to set tasks for the virtual assistant and customize the system completely for yourself. The application also allows you to expand the capabilities of Alexa by adding new Skills to it. Alexa Skills are optional extensions directly from Amazon or third-party developers. It is very easy to manage these extensions through the virtual assistant application. Currently available over 3,000 different Skills.

What Amazon Alexa is capable of

With Amazon Alexa, you can:

• Make a to-do list for the day or a whole week in advance via Google Calendar.
• Combine control of smart home devices and assign tasks to Alexa related to them.
• Access music streaming services and listen to your favorite music.
• Access other third-party entertainment services using Skills extensions.
• Use different Skills to check out sports scores, call a taxi via Lyft, or compose an original cocktail using The Bartender extension.

The main capabilities of the virtual assistant are limited to a fairly standard set: controlling the Internet of things of your smart home, launching streaming services, searching for information on the Internet and working with some Google services. But thanks to the Skills extensions, you will be able to experience absolutely all the capabilities of the system, to fully appreciate its benefits. You can improve and "get to know better" your Alex almost indefinitely. However, so far only in English.