Amazon Echo can be customized for specific commands, devices with this free tool
Alexa, the voice-activated service that's part of Amazon's Echo interactive speaker, can order products, play music and wake you up in the morning. But can Alexa be taught to talk and control a wider range of smart devices with custom commands?
A new tool from Unified Computer Intelligence makes that possible. The tool can also train Alexa to automate home tasks via custom voice commands.
The tool involves creating a "skill" so a device can be registered for Alexa to recognize. The registered devices can be given names on UCI's portal, and Alexa can then control the device.
For example, an Internet-connected smart bulb called Snoopy can be turned on by saying "Alexa, tell portal to turn off Snoopy," which will turn off the lightbulb. In this case, "portal" refers to a UCI portal where the device names and commands are stored.
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