[0:03]If you already own an Alexa device, you know, all you need to do is ask and it can pretty much answer any question. But now is time for the next evolution of Amazon Alexa. It's called Amazon Alexa Plus. And I'm about to show you three key areas where the upgrades will come into play. But before we do that, let me introduce Molly Wade, product manager for Amazon Alexa. She's going to answer some of your most frequently asked questions. Hi, my name's Molly Wade, and I'm a product manager with the Alexa and Echo team. Alexa Plus has been completely redesigned from the ground up, so there's loads of things that it can do now that it couldn't do before. For starters, it's so much more conversational. You can have a free-flowing natural conversation with Alexa without saying Alexa every single time. She's so much smarter. She's got street smarts and she can answer questions on virtually any topic. She's personalized, so she gets to know you, your family, and can make her recommendations and ideas much more relevant to you as an individual. And most importantly, she can get things done on your behalf in the real world. So, yeah, she can make you an amazing playlist, but she can also play it for you on your favorite music provider. She can book you a table via OpenTable. The list goes on and on. Alexa Plus will be available on the vast majority of existing Echo devices.
[1:23]Privacy and security is foundational to how we design all of our devices and services. Customers have complete control over their experience, and we give you transparency about how your data is stored and used. Alexa Plus is actually free for Prime members. So if you already have a Prime membership, Alexa Plus is built right in with all your other benefits. Or if you'd prefer to subscribe as a standalone, it's 19.99 a month.
[1:52]Alexa Plus early access is available beginning on the 19th of March. If you want to be one of the first customers to get your hands on it, you can buy a new Echo device. Or go online and let us know you're eager to try it out, and we'll send you an invitation. So first, let me show you how Alexa Plus can help you around your house. So Alexa Plus has a much better understanding of where you are in the house, what smart devices are around you. So swapping your audio between different smart speakers is even easier than before. And this is because Alexa Plus has a much better understanding of spatial references. Can you play Tchaikovsky's Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies? Here's Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy by London Symphony Orchestra and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky on Amazon Music.
[2:40]Alexa, let's move it to the left. Okay.
[2:54]Alexa, let's play this everywhere. Moving your music wherever I can.
[3:06]And this contextual understanding even expands to other Amazon devices like the Ring doorbell. So now you can ask Alexa Plus if it's seen any specific events in front of your cameras, and it will show you. Did that package get delivered on Monday? One sec. Yes, I found two package delivery events on Monday the 16th of March at 12:40 PM. The delivered items included a web box, Shelby the sheep dog toy, Mcvities Jaffa cake bars, and Lee CBC CR2032 batteries. And this is where it gets really smart. Now you can create complex routines using just voice commands and it has access to your calendar, your film and TV library, your photos, all of your smart home tech. And all of this can be done in a matter of seconds. So with Alexa Plus, it's so much easier to get things done. I don't need to reach for my phone, create a long routine. I can simply talk to Alexa. Create me a routine for 7:00 a.m. in the morning. Uh turn on the lights and make them white. Uh turn on the humidifier and the diffuser. Tell me if I need an umbrella, and play me the news. Alright, let me work on that for you. I've created a daily routine that runs at 7:00 AM. It will turn on all your lights and set them to white, power on the humidifier and diffuser, check if you need an umbrella, and play the news. View anytime in the routines section of the Alexa app. Would you like to run the routine now to make sure it works as you want? Whereas before you had to be pretty tech savvy in order to create a complex routine. All right, now let me show you how Alexa Plus can help you in the kitchen. So you could always ask Alexa about recipes and how to make things, but now with the better contextual understanding of you and your family members, it knows what you like, what you don't like, also what your family members like and don't like. And when you let it know what ingredients you have in your fridge, you can give you ideas and suggestions as to what to make based around all of the information that it knows. So it won't tell you to make something that your family won't enjoy. And if you happen to be out of one of the ingredients, you can use Alexa Plus to order that specific ingredient for you ahead of time. I'm having Sarah and Jasmine over for dinner in a few nights. Can you recommend some recipes they might like? I've found some lovely vegetarian options that'll suit both Sarah and Jasmine perfectly. Since Jasmine's vegetarian and Sarah doesn't fancy tomatoes, I've curated recipes that tick both boxes - from a gorgeous mushroom risotto to halloumi aubergine burgers with harissa relish. Ooh, those sound great. I do want to get a little ambitious and make dessert for them. I've got berries, one random lemon, and some coconut milk. Any ideas for recipes I can make with those? Oh, those ingredients are absolutely perfect for a show-stopping dessert! With berries, lemon, and coconut milk, you could whip up a gorgeous coconut dairy-free lemon berry mousse that's light and refreshing. Both would be brilliant for impressing Sarah and Jasmine! Awesome. Um, I just have the one lemon that seems like maybe I'll need more. Could you add lemons to my shopping list? You're sorted! I've added lemons to your shopping list. That should give you plenty for the mousse and then some. And check this out. If you do add something to your Amazon shopping list and the price is a bit too high, you can use Alexa Plus to remind you to buy it when the price comes down. But let's say now you're feeling too lazy to cook because you've been working all day and you just can't be bothered. Well, you can use Alexa Plus to make an appointment at your favorite restaurant and book it in with the restaurant and even add it to your calendar. And this works in tandem with OpenTable, so you must have an OpenTable account in order for that to work. Can you book me a table for two tonight at my favorite Italian spot? Checking for availability at San Carlo Knightsbridge. Brilliant! San Carlo Knightsbridge on Hans Road has loads of availability tonight for two people, including your preferred 7:00 PM slot. Shall I book that for you? Yes, book it. Perfect! Your table for two at San Carlo Knightsbridge is confirmed for tonight at 7:00 PM via OpenTable. It's also on your calendar now. So I don't know about you guys, but I have an Alexa in my studio and I ask it basic questions all the time. Well, that is fine, and it will still work just as well. In fact, it will work even better because now with the contextual information that it has about you and what you do and the kind of workflow that you have, with the better contextual understanding and access to a larger library of information, it can provide follow-up responses that can be even more useful, and it can even remember past conversations. So I'm sure you can see how that could be extremely handy. And something that's really great about Alexa Plus is the fact that all of this information is carried across to all of your other Alexa devices. So let me know what you think of the Alexa Plus upgrades, based on what you've seen in this video. This has really just been the tip of the iceberg. If you're interested in checking out the prices of these devices or registering your interest in this update, I will of course have affiliate links below this video and if you use those, you will be supporting the channel, and I will greatly appreciate it. And if you have any questions for me about Alexa Plus, well, just ask. Oh, and keep an eye out for my tips and tricks, guys, for Alexa devices coming to the channel very soon.
