In this article, I answer the simple question, "What is Amazon Alexa?"
In some cases, people even prefer to ask, "Who is Alexa?" because "she" talks to everyone and looks like a real person, so why not think of her in such a way?
Get to know Alexa
Let's take an explanatory tour to get to know Alexa and what she can do for you.
Amazon Alexa is a virtual assistant controlled by voice commands; it is a cloud-based software program with its central core located on the Internet.
It's necessary to use an electronic device with a microphone and speaker to receive the voice commands and respond to you; contrary to popular belief, Alexa is not located in the device itself since "she" is in the cloud and is omnipresent.
What are the Alexa devices?
Amazon created electronic devices to allow people to communicate with the virtual assistant "Alexa." Those devices are named "Echo."
So, when you visit the Amazon store, you can look for Echo devices and pick the one that looks more interesting to you according to the type of application or to the place you want to have it installed.
Here's a list with some of the Echo Devices.
Echo Dot
One of the most popular and compact smart speakers that fit perfectly into small spaces. It has a built-in microphone and speaker to allow communication between you and your virtual assistant Alexa.
You can also buy the Echo dot in different colors and with new designs.
Echo Studio
The Echo Studio was designed to compete with Sonos and Apple’s HomePod.
I supports 3D audio and Dolby Atmos and promises serious audio quality.
Echo Flex
The Echo flex is a smart device that you can plug directly into the outlet.
This device is super affordable, and it works basically the same as any other Echo, which means you can use voice command to talk to Alexa.
In addition to that, it's also possible to use its USB port to connect additional accessories such as night-light or motion sensor.
Echo Glow
This is a beautiful and shiny device in the Echo family, but unfortunately, there’s no microphone or speaker on board. It's possible to control it via another Alexa-toting device, set reminders, and change it to use different colors according to the rhythm of your favorite song. Pretty cool, huh?
Echo Show
The Echo show is a device with a small screen and built-in microphone and speaker.
You can talk to Alexa and see information on the screen.
It's a pretty exciting device where you can watch movies, follow your favorite song's lyrics, navigate to the Internet, and much more.
