Computer Shopper - UK (2019-08)

ISSUE 378|COMPUTER SHOPPER|AUGUST 2019 8383

the stories areguaranteed to be safefor
your kids to listen to,sothere’s no danger of
50 Shadesbeing read out.
Test commands:
Alexa,ask Amazon Storytime to tell me a
LEGO story.
Alexa,ask Amazon Storytime to tell me
silly stories.
Alexa,next.
Alexa,start over.

6 AnimalSounds
Want to knowwhat an animal sounds like?
Animal Sounds is the Skill foryou. Just ask
it to play youthe sound of an animal and
it will come out of your Echo speaker.
There’s ahuge number of animals to
choose from, and the list is being added
to all the time; it nowincludes everything
from elephants to ants.

Test commands:
Alexa,ask Animal Sounds forapig sound.
Alexa,ask Animal Sounds foranant
sound.

7 MeatThermometer
If you’recooking but can’tremember what
the internal temperatureofmeat should be

when it’scooked, the Meat Thermometer

Skill is foryou. Once enabled, just say,

‘Alexa,launch Meat Thermometer’.You’ll

then be asked which type of meat you’re

cooking, and youcan reply to getthe final

temperaturethat you’reaiming for.

8 BigSky

Alexa’s weather forecasting is rather basic,

but BigSky is farmoredetailed. It uses the

datafromthe excellentDark Skyapp, which

provides hyper-local weather forecasts,

including predictions forwhen it will start or

stop raining. Check out the Alexa app for

moreinformation on the Skill and

configuring it foryour address.

Test commands:

Alexa,what’sthe high temperature

today?

Alexa,will it rain in the next three hours?

Alexa,what wasthe weather on 1st June

1980?

9 TEDTalks

TED Talksnow has ahuge library of

interesting and insightful talks, delivering

newideas from some of the planet’smost

engaging talkers. With the TED TalksSkill,

youcan listen to the catalogue from the

comfort of your ownliving room.

Test commands:

Alexa,ask TED Ta lkstoplay the latest

talk.

Alexa,ask TED Ta lksfor something funny.

Alexa,ask TED Ta lkstofind talksabout

nature.

10 TheBartender

Looking to makesome impressivecocktails

to impress your guests, or just want amore

interesting drink yourself? The Bartender is

your complete guide to cocktail making,

containing recipes forclassics such as an

OldFashioned through to moreunusual fare.

Test commands:

Alexa,open the Bartender.

Alexa,ask the Bartender to pick adrink.

Alexa,tell the Bartender to surprise me.

With Blueprints (blueprints.amazon.co.uk),

you can create your veryown Skills, using the

templates thatAmazon provides. The Skills

are largelybuilt around the same format–you

providethe question thatwill be asked and

the answer you wanttogive -but are split

into useful categories and sub-sections with

example rules.

For example, the Houseguest template lets

you create simple answers forpeople staying

in your home, such as ‘What’s the Wi-Fi

password’ or ‘Where is the tea kept?’. Likewise, the Pet Sitter template has questions and

answers to do with looking after your pet.

There are other templates to dish out favourite jokes or even insults. And you can create

simple quiz games, too, either to entertain or to help with revision. Building your own

BlueprintSkill is straightforward and easy, so give it ago.

With Blueprints (blueprints.amazon.co.ukukuk),),

MakeyourownSkills

withAlexa Blueprints

THEULTIMATEGUIDE TOAMAZONALEXA