Alexa...how did we live without her!

Three years ago could you have even imagined that a sentence beginning with ‘Alexa…’ would be a sentence you would utter dozens of times through the day? But three years later here we are, with Indians saying ‘Alexa tell me…,’ to ask the voice service as many as 86,000 factual questions a day! But that’s not all. In 2020 the words ‘Alexa, I love you,’ were uttered around 19,000 times a day across India. Some even proposed to her 6000 times!

And while not all of us may be head over heels in love with the smartest voice service, we cannot deny that Alexa has surely made life easier, more convenient, and a lot more amusing for us all. Alexa changed the technology evolution altogether. It breathed life to humanize the inanimate technology and devices. And with that, it opened gates for a bunch of other innovations that we could have only dreamed of before the Alexa era.

So as Alexa turns three in India, here’s a sneak peek into what makes Alexa-powered devices so special and an integral part of our lives today.

Are you one of those people who creates a shopping list to save time but forgets to actually go and buy the items on it? Or one of those that spends more time looking for the list that you created to save time in the first place? If yes, then Alexa was just what you needed. With Alexa you can create your own shopping lists in a jiffy, add specific items to them and even make instant purchases when required. Based on your previous purchases reordering has become extremely easy. With Alexa, everyone has their own personal shopper right at home now.

When trying your hands at a new recipe, watching instructions on a video in your smart phone was the most obvious go-to option. But it also meant shuffling between the video (with all that annoying, innumerable back and forth clicking) when trying to put together that perfect dish. What we needed was a guide to take us, step-by-step, through the entire recipe and wait patiently by our side. Alexa stepped in to fill that gap. We now ask Alexa for just about any recipe or dish from across the globe, knowing that it will take us through the stepwise process of creating that dish from scratch. And if you haven’t already, we also recommend trying Sanjeev Kapoor Recipes Alexa Skill which helps you to prepare a great dish from a selection of thousands of recipes across Indian and international cuisines.

Shuffle, find, tap to select, and then play your music. Alexa thought that was one step too many and decided to make life easier for us. Now we simply tell Alexa the name of the song we want to play and Alexa finds the right song for us, browsing through our unlimited song collection, various streaming services in a matter of seconds! Alexa has the ability to find songs from your favorite singers, albums, movies, or even by mood, genres, and themes so that you’re never at a loss of words when it comes to demanding the music that you love. Having a house party or a romantic evening with your partner just became effortless with Alexa.

Watching a movie? “Alexa, dim the living room lights.”
Someone’s at the door? “Alexa, show the main door camera.”
Forgot to switch off the AC? “Alexa, turn the bedroom AC off.”

To say that Alexa allowed you to seamlessly control and manage your home without even breaking into a sweat would be no exaggeration. In the last three years, Alexa has converted the Indian home into a smart world, covering all your smart devices so that you never have to worry about your home, whether you’re inside or out. Let’s just call it magic minus a wand.

Typing on the internet to find or learn something new has become so passé. ‘Have a question? ‘Ask Alexa’ is the way now. Alexa has allowed you to give your mind and fingers a much-needed break. Now you merely ask a question and then wait as Alexa presents the right answer to you in a matter of seconds. Alexa has been a game-changer when it comes to learning for kids as well. Children find it amusing to talk to Alexa, making studying interesting and fun. Alexa has become their buddy, helping them complete their homework, learn something every day, telling them stories, and even playing their favorite songs!

One of the several things that Alexa has changed radically is the way you get the latest news and updates from across the globe now. However busy you may be or however rushed your day is, Alexa was around to keep you updated on everything you wanted or needed to know. It read out your news for you, shrinking your hour-long reading time to a 5-minute update, sifting and sharing only the news that was relevant to you. Weather, traffic, or travel updates also became super accessible with Alexa, making life hassle-free for us all.

Remembering important tasks and maintaining a routine were both difficult jobs before Alexa came into our lives, isn’t it? From that all-important meeting to time for your medicines or a reminder to book your next appointment at the salon - Alexa allowed you to manage life in the most convenient possible way.

And as Alexa is three now, its quest for change and improvement is still going strong. The voice service can now converse fluently in Hindi and Hinglish.

How about celebrating Alexa’s three-year anniversary and wishing it a long life with us? After all, like we say ‘Bade bade shehron mein aisi chhoti chhoti baatein hoti rehti hai….Senorita,’ but baat badi ho ya chhoti, party to banti hai. So let’s all get together and say ‘Alexa...happy 3rd anniversary to you. Love from India!’