What’s a skill? 

Within the Echo-Alexa world, an ability is like associate degree app. It’s a bit program you'll raise your Echo to alter a replacement ability. At the time of this writing, 

there have been quite twenty-five,000 abilities within the skill menu of the Alexa app, with additional launching each week. In early Apr, Amazon frees the Alexa ability Kit to the general public, creating it simple for anyone with basic programming chops to make skills and add them to Alexa. 

Once you add an ability to your Alexa account, it'll work with all the Alexa devices in your home. You oughtn't to add the ability to every device singly.

Like apps for phones, there are plenty of throwaway skills, however, there are lots of helpful ones still. the primary that any smart-home enthusiast can need to feature is that the IFTTT ability. 

IFTTT (If This Then That) could be a web site and app that enables you to link completely different devices and services within the cloud with what the app calls recipes Some skills allow you to purchase things or services outside of Amazon. for example, there are skills for Uber and Lyft to order rides, a Domino’s dish ability for ordering an oversized pie with further sausage, an ability for ordering flowers from 1-800-FLOWERS, and more.

Users will realize skills for a spread of hobbies and interests. There’s a tide guide for surfers, schoolwork helper skills, formula skills, traffic report skills, and innumerable skills for individual smart-home devices, like the SkyBell push camera and therefore the Scout smart-home security system.

Among the less sensible, however presumably fun, skills are DrinkBoy (for finding drink recipes), Cricket Facts (for facts regarding, well, cricket), Daily Affirmation (to cause you to feel higher regarding life’s nice struggle), imaginary being triviality, and a minimum of 2 skills to deliver “yo mama” jokes. 

There’s no limit to the number of skills you'll raise your account, however sorting through them on the app, and memory the voice commands to form them work, may be tough if you have got many.

Alexa’s limitations

Alexa will do plenty of things, however typically in follow, things may not work precisely however you'd expect them to. as an example, you'll produce a looking list by telling Alexa to feature firecrackers or brew to your list, however you need to add every item singly. 

That is, rather than oral communication “Alexa, add firecrackers and brew to my looking list,” you have got to mention “Alexa, add firecrackers to my looking list. Alexa setup, add brew to my looking list.” the method will get annoying if you’re making an oversized looking list, particularly for people within the space. 

Further, though Alexa nicely creates a looking list in its app (that you'll access once you’re within the grocery store), you would like to use associate degree IFTTT formula to make a version of the list for sharing or printing.

And though one in all the favorite uses of Echo speakers is to raise random queries, Alexa isn’t Google. The system is aware of plenty, however, what it will answer outweighs what it can. If your primary use for a wise speaker is to answer factual queries, we tend to advocate the Google Home instead.

Owners of multiple Alexa devices, like myself, have run into issues as a result of the restricted range of wake words. Again, you'll amendment the Echo’s wake word, however, you'll use solely “Alexa,” “Amazon,” “Echo,” or “Computer.” The far-field microphones on the initial Echo and Dot are thus sensitive that if I were to deal with the Dot in my basement theater, and have the basement door open, the Echo within the room would doubtless respond still. 

Homeowners will amendment the wake word for every Alexa device, however, it gets confusing to recollect that one responds to “Alexa” and that one responds to “Echo.” Amazon somewhat resolved this with the introduction of its new Echo spacial Perception technology, that activates voice commands from one Echo device—the one nearest to you—regardless of what percentage devices are within the space.

In addition to wake-word confusion, typically Alexa can’t hear your request because of background or as a result of it’s enjoying music too loudly. However, the second-generation Echo is way higher at hearing through music than the initial Echo. The new Echo will hear and perceive voice commands even with music enjoying at a moderately high volume.