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Alexa - what do you ask yours?

53 replies

LookItsMeAgain · 06/02/2023 13:54

Just wondering what do you ask your Alexa to do or play or whatever for you?

I was given one as a Christmas present and I use it to play radio stations that my FM radio can't play.

I don't have smart plugs so I can't get it to turn on lights or anything yet.

What else can I get mine to do?

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HairyToity · 06/02/2023 13:56

Weather forecast
BBC news
Timers when cooking
Reminders

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Bumble84 · 06/02/2023 13:57

I ask for the weather, news headlines and music mainly.

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MuggleMe · 06/02/2023 13:59

News, songs (e.g. energetic playlist), shopping list (which it can send me), podcasts, timers and reminders, wake up to radio, knock knock jokes for the kids, tell me a story for a 5 min story for the kids.

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Xanadu58 · 06/02/2023 14:01

We love our Alexa. We ask it the time, use it to set reminders/timers.
Spellings , use it as a calculator. We set it to wake us up. Ask it general knowledge questions. Recipes . Radio, music . Children's songs for my grandson . There are probably loads more but that's mostly what we use it for .

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LookItsMeAgain · 06/02/2023 14:04

All great suggestions. Is there any particular way to actually ask Alexa to do these things? I mean is there a syntax (I'm thinking with my IT Programmer hat on now) that I should use or do I just say "Alexa, wake me up at 7am" type thing?

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PuttingDownRoots · 06/02/2023 14:06

Alarms and timers
Weather
Intercom with kids bedrooms (announcing dinner, if they need us etc)
Checking on with DD when I'm out and shes home by herself from the app on my phone
Music
Quizzes
Checking on amazon parcels

Thanks

MsMarch · 06/02/2023 14:08

LookItsMeAgain · 06/02/2023 14:04

All great suggestions. Is there any particular way to actually ask Alexa to do these things? I mean is there a syntax (I'm thinking with my IT Programmer hat on now) that I should use or do I just say "Alexa, wake me up at 7am" type thing?

No, what's brilliant is that she's learning and getting better at understanding different styles all the time. I assume that has to do with the whole AI thing - and the learnings she's getting is all being incorporated for the benefit of all users.

We mostly use ours for the shopping list, timers / reminders, music/podcasts/radio. We do ask weather or traffic and the kids definitely get her help sometimes with homework although I mostly try to discourage that!

I am considering getting a small show simply so that I can have recipes up on the screen.

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Moxysright · 06/02/2023 14:09

The weather forecast, to play radio station while doing chores in kitchen or children’s songs if we are in the kitchen painting / playdoh etc. Don’t really utilise it that much tbh!

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GroggyLegs · 06/02/2023 14:10

Oh gosh, she runs my life.

Cooking timers
Constant reminders: kit/instruments AM & clubs PM
Shopping list (one for big shop, one for Lidl) that copies into the alexa app on my phone - v handy.
Opening times
Music
podcasts
Weather
Random football facts for sporty child
Fart noises for unsavoury child

DH says I have a special voice for Alexa 🤷‍♀️

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OldTinHat · 06/02/2023 14:11

Ask the time
Weather forecast
Turn lights on and off
Set timers
Play music
Ask questions instead of using Google
Order shopping
View the doorbell cam (on the Alexa with a screen - I have four different types of Alexa around the house!)
Phone people and chat hands free
Set reminders
Find my phone when I've lost it

So many things, these are just for starters.

I'd be lost without Alexa!

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CosyCoffee · 06/02/2023 14:12

I only ask her to set timers and she can barely manage that. Asking anything else leads to immense frustration!

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MsMarch · 06/02/2023 14:15

CosyCoffee · 06/02/2023 14:12

I only ask her to set timers and she can barely manage that. Asking anything else leads to immense frustration!

I would get rid of her then. If she can't understand your voice/accent, then frankly, what is the point?

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ShinyPikachu · 06/02/2023 14:15

We just tend to use ours for music. DD has alarms and a whole good morning routine set for her one though and has LED lights linked to it too.

I sometimes use the one in our bedroom for white noise and I set a sleep timer on it so it's not playing all night.

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LynneBenfield · 06/02/2023 14:17

Cooking timers. That’s it, I don’t really like it, it’s DH’s gadget

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TeapotCollection · 06/02/2023 14:17

Will she tell you a joke? Just curious, never actually seen or heard one

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IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 06/02/2023 14:20

Radio alarm
Digital radio
Play music and podcasts
Timers for cooking
Weather forecasts
Reminders for pe kits, instruments, packed lunches ......
The dc (11, 14) each have one in their bedrooms and I have one in the garden office, main bedroom and kitchen. We use them as intercoms (dd, how many fish gingers do you want?) or to make announcements (Tea's ready).
The dc each have reminders to go to school at the right time

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Lorrymum · 06/02/2023 14:20

Music, although it does have a habit of switching itself off. We leave it on at night for the dog and most mornings it has switched off by the time we come down. It also has difficulty with my DH's Hampshire accent.

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Darthwazette · 06/02/2023 14:21

Mostly to make fart noises courtesy of my children.

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IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 06/02/2023 14:21

Also, the daily Harry Potter quiz.

She will tell jokes, yes.

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DogInATent · 06/02/2023 14:22

I ask her to stay outside the house.
The new BT phones have Alexa built-in, and the first thing we did was to check the manual to find out how to make sure it was completely off. Nothing against AI personal assistants in general, just rather wouldn't have one that's always on and listening for a prompt.

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FinallyHere · 06/02/2023 14:24

As a fellow programme interested in the syntax, I'd encourage you to 'speak' to Alexa via your mobile phone so you can see what commands she knows about.

I find building up the shopping list as I go along each week and notice things that are low

'Alexa, add cling film to shopping list'

You can maintain different lists.

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WFHbore2023 · 06/02/2023 14:25

Timers for cooking
Dropping in to the kids rooms when they shout out after I've just sat down 🙃
Listening to the radio
Listening to music
Tracking santa at Xmas
Notifying me of when my Amazon deliveries will be turning up
Turning on the lounge lamp/Xmas tree lights

Whisper to her, she'll whisper back 🤣

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Meecrowavay · 06/02/2023 14:26

Timers for cooking, weather, add items to shopping list (this is actually very handy as I can shout at it when something runs out/comes to mind, rather than try to remember later), play music/podcasts/radio.

The children like to ask her to fart which she gladly obliges with and encourages 🙃

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ThreeFeetTall · 06/02/2023 14:27

Jokes 6/10
Timing and delivery 0/10

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Oblomov23 · 06/02/2023 14:28

Hate Alexa. Only cooking times.

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