10 Things You Can Do with Amazon Echo

If you want to get full use out of your brand new Amazon Echo, then our list of 10 things you can do with Amazon Echo will be of immense help.

The structure of Amazon Echo resembles that of a regular speaker, but it is capable of much more than that. As the name suggests, this futuristic device was developed by Amazon and its interactive ability responds to the wake word or “name” of Alexa. When the product was first brought into the public eye, it was limited to members of Amazon Prime or people who were invited by members, but in June 2015, it was made available to the public at large. Now, anyone can purchase this smart speaker and utilize the innumerable amenities that it offers.

Amazon Echo is quite exorbitantly priced at $179.99, which is why it could not make it on our list of 10 cool tech gifts and gadgets to buy on Amazon under 100 dollars. However, most users would agree that its utility exceeds the price by a large margin. Not to say that there are no complaints about the state-of-the-art product. Some reviewers state that the sound quality is not as smooth as one would like while others are concerned about the fact that their privacy might be at risk, what with the speaker listening in to everything that goes on in its vicinity. These issues, however, did not diminish the popularity of Amazon Echo as the features it contains within itself are unparalleled in the opinion of its fans.

Without further ado, let’s list some of the things you can do with Amazon Echo.

10. Set a Timer

Egg timers are a thing of the past. With Amazon Echo, you don’t have to worry that you will burn the delicious cake you just placed in the oven. All you have to do is tell Alexa to set a timer for say, twenty minutes and after a peaceful twenty minutes, Alexa’s alarm will remind you of your task. Amazingly, you can even set multiple timers at once.

9. Order Pizza

We are continuing our list of things you can do with Amazon Echo with number 9 – not in the mood to cook at home? Craving for the perfect pizza? No problem at all for the ever helpful Alexa. With Domino’s now conveniently integrated with Amazon Echo, you don’t have to make any awkward calls to the pizza place. Just ask Alexa and get a delicious pizza at your doorstep in no time at all.

8. Call an Uber

Once you have set the location of your device in the Alexa app and signed into your Uber account, you can request your Amazon Echo to hail an Uber car for you anytime you desire. It is especially advantageous when you are running late: you just have to scream out a command to the speaker while you are pulling on your pants and voila! Alexa will tell you the expected time of arrival of your ride.

7. Play Music

This one is pretty much expected on our list of things you can do with Amazon Echo. What use is a speaker if it does not have the ability to play you some tunes? Alexa can not only connect to Amazon Prime Music but also to other music applications like Spotify, Pandora, and TuneIn. You can order the smart speaker to play you a song from the connected libraries, change songs or just pause if someone is at the door.

6. Listen to Kindle or Audio Books

Whether they are books on your Amazon Kindle or audio books that you purchased from Audible, Amazon Echo has the ability to read both of them. You want to be read to sleep? That is not an issue either. Just tell Alexa to go to sleep after reading for half an hour and both of you will be sound asleep in the desired time!

5. Get a Seven Minute Workout

You will have to add this as one of the Skills on your Alexa app, but once you are done, you can ask Alexa to begin a 7-minute workout whenever you get the time (or are in the mood) to work off some fat. Her instructions will definitely show some positive results for your body in a few days.

4. Set the Temperature

Amazon Echo has the ability to adjust the temperature but only on certain thermostats which include Nest, Ecobee and Honeywell Lyric. If you have one of these thermostats installed, you can simply ask Alexa to set the temperature to a certain degree without even having to get up from your comfy couch.

3. Create Your Shopping List

With Amazon Echo, you no longer have to make mental notes to purchase an item that is missing from your fridge. With Alexa right by your side, just say “Alexa, add milk to my shopping list” and you will be sure to buy it later without having it escape your mind. You can even use the same principle for a to-do list.

2. Maintain Your Calendar

Your smart speaker is capable of connecting itself to your Google Calendar, so you do not even have to scroll through your phone to check out your schedule for the day. While you are having breakfast in the morning, simply ask Alexa to narrate the specifics of your appointments.

1. Check the Traffic and the Weather

All of us know the feeling of getting stuck in traffic and wishing we had taken an alternate route. Alexa will inform you of the traffic situation if you just question her before leaving your house. We suggest that you ask her the weather too so that you can decide whether you should call in sick for work. After all, who wants to be sitting in a boring office on a bright sunny day?

With that, we conclude our list of 10 things you can do with Amazon Echo, but be mindful of the fact that this list is far from exhaustive. Amazon Echo has many features, and no list is long enough to incorporate all of them!