Your Amazon Echo has an incredible trick, here's what you need to ask Alexa today
AMAZON ECHO owners have some amazing festive tricks to use on AI assistant Alexa today. Here's everything you need to ask.
Amazon Echo owners will be able to listen to Her Majesty The Queen’s Christmas Day message via the smart speaker for the second consecutive year. Millions tuned into the broadcast of the annual festive address via television, radio and using AI assistant Alexa last year. Amazon has ensured that its chatty voice-activated assistant will be able to stream the message from Her Majesty The Queen again at 3pm GMT on Christmas Day.
The feature will be available to Amazon Echo owners in the UK as well as across the Commonwealth. To listen, you'll need to say “Alexa, play The Queen’s Christmas Day Message” or “Alexa, play Queen Elizabeth’s Christmas Day Message”. The message will be available to anyone with an Echo, Echo Plus, Echo Dot and Echo Show.
If you own a Fire TV Cube or Fire TV Stick, which also includes access to smart assistant Alexa for a number of features, Amazon has confirmed that you'll also be able to use the same voice commands above to watch The Queen’s Christmas Day Message.
Support for the Her Majesty's annual address is only one of a handful of festive updates that have rolled out in recent days for the Amazon Echo. Earlier this week, the online retailer has added a very festive new voice option to the AI-powered speaker – Santa Claus himself!
Yes, by using the voice command "Alexa, enable 'Hey Santa'" you'll be able to switch from the usual voice that emits from your device to jolly St Nick. Aside from the dulcet tones of the Father Christmas, there's little difference between using this newly-programmed festive voice and the default Alexa speaking voice (other than the fact that you have to say "Hey Santa" instead of "Alexa" to wake up the speaker). You'll be able to ask for directions, traffic conditions, timers and reminders, order taxis and takeaway, and more.
As well as the usual Alexa voice commands you'd expect from this immensely-popular smart speaker, Amazon has added a number of Christmas-themed questions to ask Santa. Asking things like “Hey Santa, am I naughty or nice?” will prompt a series of additional questions designed to work out whether you’re going to open presents ...or disappointment on the big day. Santa can also tell you about his reindeer and favourite food.
Amazon Echo: Here's the full list of festive commands...
- “Hey Santa, sing We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”
- “Hey Santa, sing the 12 Days of Christmas.”
- “Hey Santa, sing Deck the Halls.”
- “Hey Santa, tell me a story.”
- “Hey Santa, tell me the North Pole news.”
- “Hey Santa, tell me about your reindeer.”
- “Hey Santa, can you laugh?”
- “Hey Santa, what is your favourite food?”
- “Hey Santa, merry Christmas”
- “Hey Santa, let’s dance.”
- “Hey Santa, tell me a joke.”
- “Hey Santa, let’s play a game.”
- “Hey Santa, give me advice.”
If you're looking to expand the number of Amazon Echo smart speakers in your home to synchronise music playback across multiple rooms, to set timers and control smart lighting without shouting to an Echo on the other side of your house... you'll be pleased to know that Amazon has slashed the price of a number of its most popular Alexa-enabled gadgets, including the Echo Dot and Fire TV.