Alexa for Seniors in easy steps

by Nick Vandome

Overview

Smart speakers are becoming more and more common in the home. These are devices that use a voice-controlled digital personal assistant to perform a range of everyday tasks. One of the most popular of these is Alexa, which operates on the Amazon Echo smart speaker.

Alexa for Seniors in easy steps shows the Senior reader how to use Alexa to help with everyday tasks, and to give you peace of mind and keep you safe, including:

• Setting reminders and alerts for:
• taking medication
• upcoming appointments
• paying bills
• daily/weekly/monthly household tasks
• calling relatives and friends
• birthdays and anniversaries – get Alexa to remind you to send cards and presents in time
• ...and anything else you need reminding about
• Making hands-free phone calls if you can't reach the phone
• Setting and controlling smart home devices like smart heating and smart lighting
• Getting the weather forecast, latest news, and sports results
• Playing music and listening to the radio
• Playing games
• Doing shopping online

And much, much more!

Alexa for Seniors in easy steps guides you through setting up your Alexa-enabled device, so you don't have to ask the kids!

Presented in larger font for easy reading – in the familiar In Easy Steps style.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781840789072
Publisher:	In Easy Steps Limited
Publication date:	08/25/2020
Series:	In Easy Steps
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	639,048
Product dimensions:	7.20(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Nick Vandome is an IT writer and trainer who specializes in digital imaging and web authoring subjects. In addition to his writing, he also works designing websites and runs training courses. Before he started working with computers he wrote books about working and traveling abroad.

Table of Contents

1 Introducing Alexa 7

About Alexa and the Echo 8

Models of Echo 10

Giving Alexa a Voice 14

Setting Up an Echo Device 16

Echo Lights 20

Changing the Volume 22

Adding More Devices 24

2 Uses for Alexa 25

Alexa's Built-in Skills 26

Being Reminded 30

Getting Organized 31

Music to your Ears 32

Game Time 33

Catching Up 34

Keeping in Touch 35

Controlling a Smart Home 36

3 Using the Alexa App 37

Around the Alexa App 38

Around the Homepage 40

Alexa App Settings 42

Setting your Location 48

Changing the Wake Word 49

Checking Voice Commands 50

Alexa Preferences 52

4 Adding Alexa Skills 53

Accessing Skills 54

Adding Skills 58

Managing your Skills 60

Creating Skills with Blueprints 62

Using Skills 70

Disabling Skills 72

5 Questioning Alexa 73

Questions to Ask 74

Getting the News 76

Beating the Traffic 80

Being a Good Sport 82

One-command Routines 84

Asking Alexa's Opinion 94

6 Setting Useful Reminders and Alerts 95

About Alexa Reminders 96

Useful Regular Reminders 100

Editing Reminders 104

Deleting Reminders 105

Completing Reminders 106

Adding Alarms 107

Alarm Settings 111

Setting a Timer 112

7 Listening to Music 113

Options for Playing Music 114

Music on the Alexa App 115

Music from the Amazon Website 118

Music from the Music App 120

Music on the Music App 124

From Music App to Echo 126

Music App Settings 127

Music on the Radio 130

More Music Services 132

Using Bluetooth Speakers 134

8 Communicating 135

Adding Contacts to Alexa 136

Communication Settings 138

Calling from Alexa 140

Dropping In 142

Messaging with Alexa 144

9 Online Shopping 147

About Voice Shopping 148

Setting Up Voice Shopping 149

Using Voice Shopping 152

10 Alexa and the Smart Home 153

About the Alexa Smart Home 154

Adding Smart Home Skills 156

About Smart Lighting 158

Setting Up Smart Lighting 160

Setting Up a Room 162

Using Lights 164

About Smart Heating 166

Elements of Smart Heating 167

Smart Heating App 168

Smart Security 170

Smart Plugs 172

11 Entertainment 173

Using the Fire TV Stick 174

Alexa and the Fire TV Stick 175

Linking Devices 176

12 Help and Security 179

Always Listening 180

Looking for Help 182

More Help Options 183

Troubleshooting 185

Index 187