Published 16:37 IST, December 27th 2018
Festive Seasons Can Be A Difficult Time For Many, It Was For Amazon Alexa Too
f you are an Amazon Alexa loyalist, and user, then it is worth knowing that the personal digital assistant (PDA) apparently crashed due to the heavy overload recently.
If you are an Amazon Alexa loyalist, and user, then it is worth knowing that the personal digital assistant (PDA) apparently crashed due to the heavy overload during the recent festive season. It seems that there were comparatively increased number of people turning to the PDA for everything related to assistance and help with various tasks; coinciding with the festivities.
As per a Guardian report, the Amazon Alexa servers experienced more than handleable requests and queries apparently causing Alexa to respond in an “unexpected” (by the users) manner. This reportedly took place at 10AM GST on December 25. To this issue, Amazon even issued a statement, to The Guardian, acknowledging that the PDA interacted with less than desired intelligence while responding to some user queries. These user instructions even included generic commands such as turning on music and lights within a room.
Hence, if you have been a user having experienced the above reported issues with Amazon Alexa; do share your thoughts and insights on your Alexa experience.
In related updates, Amazon Alexa was recently updated with the ability to take commands to initiate Skype Calls dynamically with users not having to even establish physical contact with the Echo-related hardware. Multiple Amazon devices are also eligible for this functionality; you could use Alexa to make Skype calls to recipients in 150 countries check out the list of eligible hardware; below:
- First-gen Amazon Echo
- Second-gen Amazon Echo
- First-Gen Amazon Echo Plus
- Second-gen Amazon Echo Plus
- Second-gen Amazon Dot
- Third-gen Amazon Dot
- First-gen Amazon Show
- Second-gen Amazon Show
- Amazon Echo Spot.
“Use Alexa to call friends and family on Skype or call mobiles and landlines in up to 150 countries worldwide,” stated Microsoft in an official blog posting.
For Skype users, you could update the app such that it features at least the Skype 8.3.4 version before you begin using the Alexa-driven calling feature. The new functionality could be initiated by launching Alexa, then within the PDA navigate to Menu > Settings > Communication > Sign-in with your Skype Account.
Updated 17:27 IST, December 27th 2018