Skip to main content

10 neat tricks for your Amazon Alexa Device

    As the saying goes, with April Showers brings Home Automation, or something like that. Below are ten neat tricks to help get you the most of your Alexa devices. As always if you need help with anything streaming or smart home related you can contact us at 309-778-8611 or by emailing us at OneSource@midcentury.com





  1. Multiple Profiles: If you have multiple people in your household with Amazon accounts, you can add them to your Alexa household profile. While this won’t give separate shopping or to-do lists, it allows you to share content libraries. To switch profiles, just say, "Alexa, switch profiles".
  2. Voice Profiles: Set up voice profiles to personalize results. For instance, if you ask, “Alexa, what’s on my calendar?” it will read events from your calendar. If someone else asks Alexa to play music, it will select music based on their personal preferences.
  3. Change the Wake Word: If you’re tired of saying “Alexa” or have someone named Alexa in your house, you can change the wake word. Choose between “Alexa,” “Amazon,” or “Echo” in the Alexa app settings. As a big Star Trek fan, I naturally went with “Computer.”.
  4. “Can You Say That Again?”: If you miss Alexa’s response or need her to repeat something, simply ask, “Alexa, can you repeat that?”. You can also review recent responses in the Alexa app.
  5. Funny Easter Eggs: Try saying, “Alexa, tell me a joke” or “Alexa, sing a song.”
  6. Cooking Assistance: Alexa can help you in the kitchen. Ask for recipe conversions, cooking timers, or even set up hands-free timers while your hands are messy.
  7. Morning Routine: Set up a morning routine. For example, when you say, “Alexa, good morning,” it can turn on lights, read the news, and provide weather updates.
  8. Smart Home Control: Use Alexa to control smart home devices. Turn off lights, adjust thermostats, or lock doors with voice commands.
  9. Trivia and Quizzes: Challenge Alexa with trivia questions or ask her to quiz you on various topics. My personal favorite is “Song Quiz.”
  10. Custom Skills: Explore third-party skills. Enable skills like “Jeopardy!” or “Escape the Room” for interactive experiences. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Stay connected with friends and family

  Three apps to help keep you connected The Covid-19 virus has us all spending a lot of time at home.   If you are doing it on your own, it can start to feel lonely.   Even for those who do have someone to pass the time with, we still miss our friends and family. Here are 3 free apps you can download today to help keep in touch with the ones you love. Skype Skype has been around a long time and is available on several devices, such as phones, tablets, PCs, and Macs.   Skype allows you to make video calls, chat by sending instant messages, share photos and videos, and even make voice calls.   Skype is great for large groups as you can have anywhere from 1 to 24 people in a video call. Facebook Messenger Messenger is a popular app for good reason. It is available on IOS, Android, Windows, and Mac.   The app will work well for pretty much every digital communication you may want to have with your friends and family. You can make video calls with up

Don't let Summer vacation get in the way of education, with CuriosityStream.

  What is CuriosityStream? CuriosityStream is an American media company and subscription video streaming service that offers a vast library of documentary programming. Whether you’re curious about science, history, nature, or technology, this platform has something for everyone. Perfect for kids and teens during summer break to continue learning. Key Features: Extensive Library: CuriosityStream boasts thousands of documentaries covering a wide range of topics. From Emmy-winning shows to exclusive originals, there’s always something new to explore. The Standard Monthly plan costs $4.99 per month, while the Standard Annual plan (most popular) is billed at $3.34 per month annually. For the best value, consider the Smart Bundle Annual plan at $5.84 per month billed annually or $9.99 monthly. Watch Anytime, Anywhere: Stream on different screens simultaneously. Download documentaries to watch offline. Award-Winning Content: Enjoy CuriosityStream originals like Stephen

Mid Century Fiber App Tour

 Do you take full advantage of all the things your Mid Century Fiber App can do? Here is a short rundown going over all the features it  offers, and as always if you need help with anything streaming or smart home related you can contact us at 309-778-8611 or by emailing us at   OneSource@midcentury.com Did a family member gift you a smart home device that requires a 2.4Ghz network? Have you forgotten your wireless password, or have company over and want to create a guest network? "My Network" has got you covered, simply select "My Network" and all these options and more are available to you.  The Mid Century Fiber app notifies you whenever a new device connects to your home network, but maybe you want some more information than that. "Things" allows you to not only see what devices are connected but see how much data usage individual devices have used, pause the internet, and see their IP address.  "People" allows you to create profiles for peop