Amazon’s Echo Devices can do a lot of cool things out of the box, but if you want to add extra features, you can go to the Alexa Skills library. With these mini-apps, you can add new voice commands, connect with third-party apps, and even play games. There is only one problem: many of them are not great. To cut through the chaff, we have a list of the best skills worth pursuing on your Echo.
7-minute workout
Getting time to exercise during the day is one of those tasks that can feel more overwhelming than it really is. 7-minute workout helps solve this problem by starting a short, guided workout with a single voice command. Tell Alexa ‘Start a 7-minute workout’ and it will guide you through some simple workouts that take no time to complete.
Headspace: Guided Meditation
Meditation can have a huge impact on your health, but it is not easy for most people to do on their own. This is where guided meditation programs like Headspace come in handy. Tell Alexa that you are ready to meditate, and the service will help you relax, focus and center. You should have a Headspace account in the regular app, but once set up, you can start a meditation session without touching your phone.
AllResipes
Smart speakers and displays are excellent cooking companions because they can help you cook a recipe. This makes AllRecipes one of the most useful skills you can activate. This skill guides you through recipes you find online or recipes you have stored in your personal cookbook.
Our groceries
With OurGroceries Skill, a useful companion app for AllRecipes, you can keep track of the groceries you currently have in your pantry, add items to your shopping list, and remove items as you use them. If you’re already using Alexa to keep track of your recipes and cuisine, this is not too far from your way of finding your groceries as well, and then you never have to wonder if you have milk in the fridge.
Mixologist
Mixologist can help you if you want to put together a cocktail, but are not sure what you can do with what you have in stock. It can find cocktails by name, look for drinks that use a specific ingredient you have (like rum or tequila), or find a random drink that you may not have tried before. This is a convenient way to branch out with your beverage menu without too much effort.
Uber / Lift
If you are getting ready to leave home and need to take a ride, Alexa can get you an Uber or Lyft with a single command. Both programs allow users to request different types of rides (including budget or premium rides) or to check your ride status. With Lyft you can even rate your driver after they have dropped you off. Just make sure Alexa hears the five star rating correctly.
Ask my partner
Alexa is equipped with commands that allow you to send a message or call people, but it can be tricky. It’s good for everyday communication, but Ask My Buddy is designed to simplify things for one simple purpose: emergency messaging. You can set this skill to send an SMS or call a specific person when you say, ‘Alexa, ask my partner to send help.’ This is useful if you have someone who is having trouble getting around the house and may only be able to call for help but cannot reach a phone.
Tint / LIFX
One of the most convenient use cases for a smart speaker is to control your lights with your voice. With smart lighting skills like Philips Hue or LIFX, you can set the brightness levels of light, change colors and turn lights on and off with voice commands. Once you turn off your room lights from comfortably under the lids, it’s hard to return to something else.
Sleep and relaxation sounds
If you have a Spotify or Amazon Music account, you may already have access to a library of white noise sounds that you can play in the background or while trying to sleep. However, you do not have to pay for a separate service. Sleep and relaxation sounds contain a library of ambient sounds such as rainfall, cicadas, train rides or a variety of other soundscapes that you can create with a command.
Danger!
One of the most popular games in the history of television, Danger has its own Alexa skill that you can use to play along with the episode currently airing. The skill offers companions questions every weekday that match the categories in the episode so you can play along.
Skyrim Very Special Edition
In a similar category of fun Alexa skills, Skyrim Very Special Edition is a version of the popular fantasy RPG game that everyone thought was a joke, until it was not. You can activate the skill and follow quests, fight, and explore the land of Skyrim, all using voice commands and verbal descriptions. It has a feel of one of the old-school text adventure games, with a modern twist.
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