Amazon Alexa is supposed to be smart. She’s supposed to know all the answers. She knows where I live because she provides weather updates to me for my city. An interesting exchange occurred directly after Alexa recited the local forecast at my request…
ALEXA: “By the way, are you looking for outdoor activities? Ask me to find nearby beaches.”
Heh… I thought I’d bite on that one knowing where I live and how far away the nearest beach can be found.
ME: Sure, Alexa, tell me all about nearby beaches.
ALEXA: “BEACH HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING, LLC is open today until 4:00 pm…” 🙄
On the heels of Amazon’s Devices & Services Event where they announced more “stuff” for the smart home’s convenience and intelligence, Alexa’s poor suggestion made me snicker. But it didn’t make me change my mind about wanting the wall-mounted Echo Show 15. For a mere $250 bucks, I think the central hub is close to a necessity if for no other reason than to replace this dinosaur:
The really cool thing about that older Echo Show (still available for $156 bucks) is that I got it FREE for being a developer that submitted a “skill.” If you have an Alexa, all you have to do is say, “Alexa, play the Project Distinct podcast,” and you’ll not only have my favorite brother’s voice and insights piped into your personal space — but you’ll be an insider because you already know who developed the skill for Amazon.