Boosting your Echo's Intelligence: 3 Practical Strategies for Those Anticipating Alexa Update
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Savvy up your home's tech game by snagging a top-notch Alexa-powered smart speaker, like the pint-sized Amazon Echo Pop (my personal fave). These bad boys are perfect for tying together all your tech, making them havin's in any smart home ecosystem.
But don't let its small stature fool ya, folks. My trusty Echo Pop cranks out tunes everyday without a hiccup, and I can't wait to see how the upcoming Alexa+ voice enhances my Pop and other smart speakers. Though it ain't every audiophile's cup of tea, this little powerhouse works wonders for filling smaller spaces with sound. Here are three tricks I use to push my Echo Pop's potential even further:
1. Listen to BBC Sounds for radio and podcasts
Alexa's integration with big-name music streaming services is one of the voice assistant's coolest features. But sometimes, a change of pace from Spotify playlists is nice, and that's where BBC Sounds comes in handy.
The BBC Sounds skill lets you tap into the BBC's collection of radio stations and podcasts, just by using your voice. It's the perfect skill to enable if you're a music buff like myself, wanting to check out more radio stations without having to hop in the car. And setting it up is a breeze.
Just head to the 'Skills & Games' section in the Alexa app, search for 'BBC Sounds', and you'll be prompted to sign into your BBC account. From there, you'll be able to use the BBC Sounds skill to fill even the quietest room with the sounds of BBC's radio stations and podcasts.
For instance, saying 'Alexa, play 6 Music' will fire up BBC Radio 6 Music, a station I'd recommend if you're into your music. Or you can pick up where you left off on podcast episodes by saying 'Alexa, launch BBC Sounds', and it'll respond with 'Hello, what would you like to hear?'.
2. Control Your Smart TV Hands-Free
While this ain't exactly mind-blowing for seasoned smart speaker users, it can be a lifesaver if you're a first-timer like many of us. Since I got myself a Hisense 6 Series smart TV, pairing it with my Echo Pop speaker has amped up my smart home to the next level. Plus, giving your smart TV a snazzy new name to use in commands is a bonus!
To get started, fire up the Alexa app and add a new device by tapping the '+' sign at the top-right corner and then selecting the 'TV' option. Once you've picked your TV brand, follow the prompts displayed on your TV screen to complete the setup—this'll involve enabling a specific Alexa skill for your TV brand (for example, Hisense TVs will need the VIDAA Alexa skill).
Once your smart TV and Echo speaker are connected and you've given your device a catchy name, using the command 'Alexa, turn on (device name)' will boot up your smart TV home page. When it's all lit up, you can use commands to open specific streaming platforms, like 'Alexa, open Netflix on (device name)'.
3. Customize Your Flash Briefing
Keep up with the latest news headlines quickly by setting up your Flash Briefing. You can ask your Echo speaker 'Alexa, what's my Flash Briefing?' and it'll respond with news based on the source you've set in the Alexa app.
To tweak your news preferences, go to 'Settings' in the Alexa app, scroll down to 'News' under the 'Alexa Preferences' header, and tap 'My News Channel'. From there, you can switch to another news source if the default setting ain't your cup of tea—I'm a big fan of BBC News, myself.
Extras You Might Enjoy:
- Alexa+ Rollout: Here's What Testers Love and Hate About It
- Alexa+ Explained: 9 Things You Need to Know About Amazon's New AI-Powered Assistant
- Early Adopter's Thoughts: "Old Alexa Was a Pile of Junk, but This New Version Was a Pleasant Surprise"
- To enhance your audio experience beyond music streaming, consider enabling the 'BBC Sounds' skill on your Alexa-powered smart speaker. This provides access to a wide range of BBC radio stations and podcasts, offering diverse content to cater to various preferences.
- In addition to controlling your smart home devices, you can also use your smart speaker like the Amazon Echo Pop with your smart TV, such as the Hisense 6 Series. Following the simple setup process in the Alexa app, you'll gain hands-free control over your TV, allowing you to enjoy your favorite streaming platforms without the need for a remote.
