Bengaluru, NFAPost: Over the past month, there have been some exciting developments across Amazon Devices and Alexa. With the holiday season just around the corner, Amazon has added new features to Alexa and Fire TV devices to double your entertainment. Along with Fire TV’s latest Hindi language support, the e-commerce giant has also introduced features like Christmas carols and Call Santa to Alexa to bring in the Christmas cheer!
Here’s a roundup of everything new from November.
Hindi Support for Alexa and Alexa Routines on Fire TV
Customers in India can now converse with Alexa in Hindi on their Fire TV devices. The experience includes Hindi interactions for Alexa on Fire TV, local knowledge & information, hundreds of skills, and more in Hindi. New Fire TV customers can select Hindi while setting up their device right out of the box. Simply say, “दस सेकंड आगे जाओ.” “Comicstaan’ ढूंढो.” There is also an update of Alexa Routines to Fire TV devices. This allows users to execute multiple actions such as powering a Fire TV device at a particular time or controlling a smart home device alongside playing music on a Fire TV device.
Alexa Responses While Watching TV
Customers will be able to ask Alexa on Fire TV devices about the weather or for general information without interrupting the TV viewing or browsing experience. Responses will be answered by Alexa on a partial screen overlay on top of full-screen video playback or the Fire TV browse screen background. To get started, simply ask, “Alexa, how is the weather?” or “Alexa, how far is planet Mars?” This feature will be available on all Fire TV devices.
Authentication using Code-Based Linking on Fire TV
With the help of Authentication using Code-Based Linking, Fire TV users can sign in without the need of entering Amazon credentials with the on-screen keyboard using a remote. Users will see an URL that could be opened on a secondary device (mobile phone/laptop) along with a code on the TV. Users can open this URL on a secondary device signing in with Amazon credentials. Once the code shown on TV is entered into this web page, Fire TV gets registered to the account used while opening the URL.
“Alexa, Bhoot Kaal Sunao”
Bhoot Kaal, a goose-bump inducing, horror delight from the veteran storyteller has been an audience favorite and one of the most popular audio shows on Audible Suno. Listeners can now simply say “Alexa, Play Bhoot Kaal” or “Alexa, Bhoot Kaal Sunao” to their Amazon Echo or any Alexa-enabled devices and get on the ‘spooktacular’ ride. From a little girl strangely growling at her grandmother, a group of children entering a haunted house they shouldn’t have, to a horrifying encounter with a centuries-old Jinn, Bhoot Kaal is one of the top 3 shows on Audible Suno and has 30 short episodes which are sure to enthrall listeners and give them a few unnerving nights too.
Clock in the festive cheer with Christmas music
What’s better than bringing in the spirit of Christmas through music? Some heart-warming, melodious carols playing softly in the background add on to the overall Christmas fervor. Groove to the tunes of Christmas songs and carols while you decorate the Christmas tree or bake a cake for your loved ones. Just say, “Alexa, play Christmas carols”, “Alexa, play the playlist Christmas music on hungama music” or “Alexa, play jingle bells.”
“Alexa, call Santa”
While the holidays may be different in a lot of ways, you can count on Alexa to deliver some extra holiday cheer for the kids! With Amazon Kids, children and families can call Santa and his friends just by saying, “Alexa, call Santa.” If not in Amazon Kids mode, parents can enable the Call Santa skill to dial up the North Pole on any compatible Echo device.
