In the United States, in addition to being integrated with Amazon-connected speakers, Alexa is also integrated with Windows 10. Conversely, in France it is not. In fact, Microsoft doesn’t offer Alexa in Windows 10 or in its Microsoft Store.
Alexa is an intelligent personal assistant developed by Amazon. Alexa is built into the Amazon Echo family of devices and the app can be downloaded to any Android phone or tablet.
The service works with many smart home devices, like lights and thermostats, as well as apps like Spotify and Pandora.
We’ll show you how to set up Alexa on your PC using two different methods: through the Alexa app or through the Microsoft Edge browser.
Fortunately, there is a trick that allows you to install it on your PC anyway. Then you can ask all the questions you want, check your calendar, set your alarms, find out all about the news or weather, create to-do lists, and more.
Then follow our tutorial to find out how to install Alexa on Windows 10 in just 7 steps.
Libraries many libraries
Alexa’s library of third-party skills includes everything from ordering food from Pizza Hut to calling an Uber. Plus, you can also use Alexa to control a wide variety of smart appliances and gadgets, like connected thermostats, smart light bulbs, and other home devices.
You’ve been in the news lately, and for good reason! For those of us living in this age where our smartphones are glued to the palm of our hands 24 hours a day (and sometimes even when they’re not).
Having a smart digital assistant at hand is a dream come true. And if you don’t already have one, then Amazon’s Echo devices—especially the new 3rd-gen Echo Dot and 5th-gen Echo Show—make it easier than ever to get started with Alexa.
The first is the first
Alexa is an intelligent personal assistant that works on Amazon products like the Echo and Dot, but it also has its own app. Alexa has a female voice, while other assistants have a male voice (Google Assistant) or no voice at all (Siri).
When you use Alexa through your home speaker, it will answer your questions and give you up-to-date news. You can ask about the weather and sports results, play music on demand using the Spotify or Pandora accounts that you have linked to your Amazon account.
You can even get recipes from Allrecipes; if you want a recipe for Chicken Parmigiana Casserole with penne pasta in tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese served over spaghetti squash instead of pasta noodles…well…that’s too much work for me! But it will tell me how many calories are in each serving of this meal so I won’t feel guilty about eating it later today when dinner comes around again at 5pm sharp.
Alexa is a virtual assistant that lives in the cloud
For example, if you say «Alexa» and then «play classical music,» the device will be able to turn on the speaker, start playing a classical music playlist, and keep playing it until you stop it.
When you have an Alexa-enabled device in your home, Alexa is always ready to serve, no matter what’s going on in your life or where you are.
Before starting
Make sure you have the latest version of the Alexa app. You must have the latest version of Windows 10. You must also have a microphone and speakers. Make sure your computer meets the minimum system requirements.
What does Alexa mean?
Alexa is the name given to an intelligent assistant. The Alexa app is the software you need to install on your computer if you want to access the Alexa voice-activated home devices feature.
A voice-activated home device is a home appliance that can be controlled using voice commands.
How will you use Alexa?
Alexa is a handy personal assistant that can help you manage your life and home, but it’s up to you how you use it. You can use Alexa to:
Manage your day by setting alarms and reminders, reading the news, ordering food or ride-sharing services, answering questions about time and time zones around the world, playing music or radio stations based on genre or name or track of the artist.
Amazon skills for Alexa on your PC
You can use the Alexa Skills app for PC to control your smart home, play music and audiobooks, get the latest news and weather, find out about nearby restaurants, order a pizza or an Uber ride… all without having to move one finger.
But there is something you should keep in mind: It is an alternative tool to interact with Alexa from the computer.
It is not a replacement for the Amazon Echo device itself, it simply allows you to use some of its features through your laptop or desktop computer (and if you have a Windows Phone 10 device).
But Alexa is learning… fast
The interesting thing about Alexa is that it’s not really a physical device. Instead, it lives in the cloud as an intelligent personal assistant and can be accessed from any voice-controlled device. The more Alexa is used, the smarter it gets.
Alexa has a ton of useful skills that are constantly being added to her database. Whether you’re looking for podcasts or recipes, or even a simple song request, Alexa will have them all, and your music selections will be stored on Amazon’s servers instead of locally on your device (so no one else can access them).
But if you want to listen to books on tape while doing chores or driving your car, there are plenty of ways to do it without an Echo speaker thanks to third-party apps like Audible, which have come up with some pretty clever solutions to make spoken content available. available through your own speakers and apps
Alexa has more skills than Google Assistant or Siri
Alexa is more than a voice assistant. It’s also a home automation hub, which means it can control other smart devices in your home and complete tasks for you. For example, you can use Alexa to turn off the lights, lock the door, and even start the car.
It’s important to note that Amazon doesn’t offer an official Google Assistant or Siri app for Windows 10 PCs (although one is available for Apple computers).
This means that if you want to use these services in Windows 10 – and many people do – you’ll have to find another way to get them running on your computer.
Alexa vs Cortana: Who will win the battle for your smart home?
Alexa and Cortana: One is an ever-improving digital assistant, the other is a beloved character from video games of the past. The battle for supremacy between these two assistants has been going on for a long time.
And while it’s easy to see why Alexa would be considered a more useful tool in the smart home, Cortana does have some advantages that make her a worthy adversary.
We’ve compared Alexa (Amazon Echo) vs. Cortana (Microsoft Kinect) on everything from smart home compatibility to conversation capabilities. This is what we have discovered:
Get the app for PC
Download the Alexa app in the Microsoft Store. You’ll need to sign in with your Microsoft account to download it, but you won’t be able to use any other account without paying a subscription. The app is only available in English, German, and Japanese.
Install Alexa on Windows 10
Although France is not yet eligible for automatic Alexa integration in Windows, there is a way around this restriction. This is how you do it:
Go to your configuration of Windows 10 Select time and language Click on Region In the section country and regionchoose USA Open the Microsoft Store on your PCType alexa in the search barSelect the application in the results and click on Discharge
Set up Alexa on your PC to use your calendars
Now that you’ve set up your PC with Alexa, it’s time to add your calendars. If you haven’t already done so when setting up Alexa, follow these steps to add them:
Open the Alexa app on your Windows 10 PC and tap the menu icon in the upper left corner of the screen. Tap Settings > Accounts > Calendars, and then tap Add account. Enter an email address for your calendar account (you can use Office 365 or Google Calendar), and then enter your password when prompted.
Note that if you use a Microsoft Exchange Server, Facebook, Outlook 365, or Office 365 work or school calendar, those entries are automatically added by default.
The most used alexa commands on PC
Alexa can do many things, but the most used commands are:
Set an alarmPlay musicCall an Uber or Lyft (set your pickup location)Check the weather forecast in the city you want and be ready for what’s coming.Turn on the lights, play music through the speakers connected to the device/ Alexa app, set a timer/alarm/reminder, etc.,
Likewise, setting reminders on your phone to remind you even when you’re not home, this is great when you’re travelling! You just have to say out loud what type of reminder and at what time it should appear (for example, «Alexa remind me tomorrow at 7 am»). It is not necessary to use it only for shopping lists.
For example, it is also compatible with Google Calendar and Facebook events (if someone invites us somewhere). In this way, we always remember important things without having to constantly check the phone :).
the best of the rest
Cortana is a virtual assistant that lives in the cloud. Alexa is a virtual assistant that lives in the cloud. Cortana may be more useful than Alexa, but only because she’s part of the experience on your PC, not just on your phone.
What they can do: Both of you can answer questions and perform tasks, like setting reminders or calling someone on your behalf.
If you have both an Android phone and a Windows 10 PC, Cortana is great for doing things like setting timers or sending email from your computer without reaching for your mobile device every time (if you’re using Outlook).
You can also use Cortana as an alternative voice assistant if you prefer her voice to Alexa’s -or Google Assistant’s- (although I don’t see why anyone would opt for this).
A little less talk, a little more action
Cortana, Alexa and Google Assistant are virtual assistants. The main difference between Cortana and Alexa is that Cortana is much more powerful and has many more features than Alexa. On the other hand, Alexa has more useful features than Cortana.
Cortana is a smart home assistant (similar to Amazon Echo) while Alexa is a voice-activated computer program that can…