Amazon added some skills to Alexa last month by introducing different Super Bowl skills and the ability to do home automation on its own, but today the company tells us about some new alarm and COVID skills that are below the radar has crept.
You’re been able to set up custom alarms and alarm sounds for some time using Alexa devices, but now you can do that with Minion sounds if you just have not woken up angry enough. The sounds contain classic classics like ‘Peep Peep Peep’, ‘Banana’ or ‘Boing Boing Boing!’ Lovely.
There are now a variety of alarms available for Alexa, including sounds from Disney, Spongebob, Jurassic World and Harry Potter. They can be set up by saying, “Alexa, wake me up with Minions / Jurassic World / Spongebob / etc. Alarm tone.” Some alarm tones are free, others can be extended with skill purchases, and some cost money, starting at $ 1.99.
The alarm sounds can be added by asking your Alexa device for it, and you can also browse and add them in the Android version of the Alexa app. If you are using the iOS version of the app, read the list and ask your smart speaker to install it. It looks like Amazon was able to work out an agreement with Apple to make Prime rental of videos work, but not the processing of Alexa skills.
In terms of skills that may be slightly more useful, Alexa can now help you find the nearest COVID test site, or help you try vaccinations. If you ask Alexa “where can I be tested for COVID”, it will read out a list of nearby places where you can test. You can then call Alexa if you want more information.
If you are looking for vaccine trials, you can also request ‘Alexa find a COVID trial’, and it will search within 30km of you. Use the research organization IQVIA to search for trials. This is of course information that you can find yourself on the internet, but it can be an easy option if you do not like to know Amazon.