8 Things You Didn't Know Alexa Could Do

As the festive season begins, Alexa is sure to be a guest in many homes. We're not referring to a friendly neighbour or relative here; but Alexa, Amazon's virtual assistant. Although playing music is the primary use of most smart speakers, Alexa has many more skills and is a lot smarter than you'd think. The next time you interact with Alexa, try asking her to do these. Not only will they surprise you, they'll make your life much easier.

1. She Sets A Timer

Leaving your dish cooking on the stove and need to turn it off just in time or else, it'll get burnt? Ask Alexa to keep a timer for the desired time and carry on doing your work. Whether single or multiple timers, she'll notify you in time.

2. She Controls The Lights

With a smart home hub or plug and lighting, Alexa can control the lights without you having to move an inch. Not only can the lights be turned off and on, she can dim them to your preference and change their hue completely.

3. She Wakes You

If you hate the sound of your alarm blaring in the morning, ask Alexa to set an alarm to wake you up with music. That can beat a noisy alarm and is the perfect way to start any day.

4. She Programs Services

With the help of taxi apps, food delivery apps or service apps, you can command Alexa to call you a cab, order food or even a job service. This takes accessibility one step further from the tip of your fingers.

5. She Controls Appliances

It isn't just the lights that Alexa can control. With a smart home hub and plug, Alexa can control the appliances in your house too. So if it's the air conditioner you want turned on or your coffee machine to start brewing, she's your girl.

6. She Shops

You don't even need to scroll through the app to shop for your kitchen staples or a new shirt. Alexa can do it for you, based on your order history and what you have in your shopping cart.

7. She Reminds

If you can't remember your friend's birthday or your doctor's appointment, ask Alexa to remind you about it. She can set continual reminders for a longer period of time and will notify you when the time comes.

8. She Searches

Want to know the name of the actor from the movie you saw yesterday? Or football scores from the morning match? Or do you want a quick cookie recipe to whip up? For all of it, you can turn to Alexa. She scours through the web to provide scores, trivia, news, information, recipes and so much more; all you have to do is ask.