Just received:

 

Now Anyone Can Create Their Own Personalized Alexa Skill in Just Minutes

 

Amazon today introduced Alexa Skill Blueprints, a new way to create your own personalized skills and responses for Alexa. Using a set of easy-to-use templates anyone can create customized experiences for Alexa within minutes just by filling in the blanks. Whether it’s your own answer to the question “Alexa, who is the best mom in the world?” or a skill that offers helpful information for the babysitter, “Alexa, open My Sitter,” Alexa Skill Blueprints allow you to build experiences into Alexa that are personalized to you and help make Alexa even more useful around your home. The skills you create are specially designed for you and your family, and will only appear on the devices registered to your Amazon account.

 

“Alexa Skill Blueprints is an entirely new way for you to teach Alexa personalized skills just for you and your family,” said Steve Rabuchin, Vice President, Amazon Alexa. “You don’t need experience building skills or coding to get started—my family created our own jokes skill in a matter of minutes, and it’s been a blast to interact with Alexa in a totally new and personal way.”

 

Using Alexa Skill Blueprints is as easy as filling in the blanks. You can have fun customizing responses to questions like “Alexa, what is the best city?” or “Alexa, who has the best sense of humor?” You can also use Skill Blueprints to create an interactive adventure story with your child as the lead character, “Alexa, start Anna’s Story,” or create a skill to poke fun at Dad’s corny one liners, “Alexa, open Dad’s Jokes.” The skills and responses you create with Alexa Skill Blueprints will be available instantly on the devices associated with your account.

 

Creating your own Alexa skill and responses is simple. Just follow three easy steps:

 

1. Select your blueprint template by visiting the Alexa Skill Blueprints website: blueprints.amazon.com. There you can browse more than 20 Skill Blueprints across four categories including Fun & Games, At Home, Storyteller, and Learning & Knowledge.

 

2. Unleash your creativity. Each blueprint comes with pre-filled content that can be used as-is or customized as you like.

 

3. With just one click your skill will be available on all Alexa-enabled devices associated with your Amazon account.

 

There is no limit to the number of skills you can create. Need to add even more hilarious jokes to the “Dad’s Jokes” skill? No problem, editing is just as simple using the Alexa Skill Blueprints website.

 

Alexa Skill Blueprints available at launch include:

 

At Home

 

Custom Q&A: Customize responses to your questions
Houseguest: Make your guests feel at home with quick access to important info
Babysitter: Help your sitter find things, remember steps and get important info
Pet Sitter: Help your pet sitter care for your favorite animal

 

Fun & Games

 

Family Jokes: Create a list of your favorite jokes for when you need a laugh
Trivia: Create your own multiple choice trivia game on any topic
Inspirations: Curate a list of your favorite inspirational quotes
Family Trivia: Play together and brush up on family history
Bachelorette Party: Play to find out how well the bride’s friends know her
Birthday Trivia: Play to see who knows the birthday girl or boy best
Burns: Roast your friends and family with lighthearted burns
Compliments: Flatter your favorites with a list of custom compliments
Double Trouble: Find out which couple knows each other best with this customizable game
First Letter: Play a game of categories starting with a certain letter

 

Storyteller

 

Adventure: Write an adventure story where your child is the hero
Fairy Tale: Customize an interactive prince and princess-themed tale
Sci-Fi: Create an interactive story with a far-out theme
Fable: Create a short narrative with a moral of the story

 

Learning & Knowledge

 

Flash Cards: Study, test yourself, and master any subject by voice
Facts: Keep a list of facts on your favorite topic, all in one place
Quiz: Challenge yourself and others with a customizable quiz

 

Alexa Skill Blueprints is available now for customers in the US. To get started with Alexa Skill Blueprints visit: blueprints.amazon.com.

 

Note it says US only but it seems to be English only - the portal works outside the USA.

I've had success calling out the entire name inc the frequency (e.g. Alexa Play More FM 91.8). a PITA though as I don't know the frequency for each station, only the station name (More FM, the Rock, etc).

I've just found,  by simply saying  Alexa Tunein,  Amazon will play the last station you were listening to.   

Anyone bought Echo Dots from USA recently ? Would you happen to know if the power supply is universal i.e. 100-240V. Thanks.

rb99:

 

Anyone bought Echo Dots from USA recently ? Would you happen to know if the power supply is universal i.e. 100-240V. Thanks.

 

Sorry I've just noticed you said Dot. My Spot adapter works fine.

Cool. Thanks.

rb99:

Anyone bought Echo Dots from USA recently ? Would you happen to know if the power supply is universal i.e. 100-240V. Thanks.

Ta. Still trying to decide whether to go for the 2 for US$60 offer in the US. Its in the want not need category at the moment.

Just bought an Amazon Echo + Echo Dot for 105USD shipping via YouShop. How much did YouShop charge you guys?

I'm still not really happy how the flash breifing is being implemented here in NZ on my Echo Plus. I switch it over to Stuff and it works for a few days and then it starts repeating the same day for three days in a row, so I switch to 1 News and it works for a bit, then it starts cutting off after the news teaser from Jack Tame without the actual news being read. Haven't found a reliable source yet.

rb99:

 

Anyone bought Echo Dots from USA recently ? Would you happen to know if the power supply is universal i.e. 100-240V. Thanks.

 

Dot is MicroUSB. Just plug it into a standard phone charger.

da5id:

 

I'm still not really happy how the flash breifing is being implemented here in NZ on my Echo Plus. I switch it over to Stuff and it works for a few days and then it starts repeating the same day for three days in a row, so I switch to 1 News and it works for a bit, then it starts cutting off after the news teaser from Jack Tame without the actual news being read. Haven't found a reliable source yet.

 

Have you tried Radio NZ news? That seems to work well for me.

I suspect the problems could be feed problems from the podcast creators.

Thanks, I will try Radio NZ.

sonyxperiageek:

 

Just bought an Amazon Echo + Echo Dot for 105USD shipping via YouShop. How much did YouShop charge you guys?

 

I guess you've found out by now. Sorry, feel guilty about not replying but never bought that particular combination.

da5id:

Thanks, I will try Radio NZ.