[techtalk] 22 Cool Ways to Use Siri, Alexa or Your Google Assistant

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Shave time off tasks with these voice-activated tricks

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MOBILE - Cool Ways to Use Siri, Alexa or Google Assistant
Intermediate


[looking at phone with Siri]


Whether you have an iPhone and use Siri, prefer an Android device that uses Google Assistant, or have an Amazon Alexa set up in your home, you have access to your own personal voice assistant!

TIP: Plus, you may also have Cortona (used on Microsoft Windows) or perhaps you use a Samsung device that has Bixby.

No matter what platform you prefer, these tools have accumulated a huge amount of data about how people talk, what they want to do, and the solutions they may want. Using artificial intelligence (AI), with a simple voice trigger like "Hey Siri…" you can perform a task, interact with an app on your device or get information instantly.

For example, I might say, "Alexa, what is the temperature right now?" if I'm trying to decide if I should wear a coat on my way out of the house.

Or I could request, "Hey Siri, set a timer for 45 minutes" so that I can take the bread out of the oven when it is finished baking.

You can shave some time off a task by asking your personal assistant for help – and do this "hands-free!"

However, most people aren't aware of the MANY options these powerful tools are capable of because AI capabilities are constantly improving. Let's take a look at just a smidgeon of what you do with your personal assistant.



Here's a funny (true) story...

[calling 911]



My husband and I were watching an episode of the crime show CSI. In the opening scene, there was a home invasion and a woman had been shot. She was crawling across the floor to her phone that was sitting on the kitchen counter. I asked my husband, "Why doesn't she just say, 'Hey Siri, call 911'?"

And then, because my iPhone was sitting next to me, it triggered MY phone to open and dial 911 automatically! Luckily there was a "Cancel" button that I hit immediately so that the call did not go through!



How to Trigger the Voice Assistant on Your Device

First, depending on your device, you must trigger the artificial intelligence to let it know that you're talking to it with a "wake word" to get it started ... or "wake it up" This varies by platform!


[mobile phone]


If you're using an Apple iOS device like an iPhone or iPad, you say:
"Hey Siri…[your command]."

For Alexa compatible devices like an Echo, smartwatch or TV, you say:
"Alexa…[your request]."

Depending on which Alexa device you have, you can change the "wake word" in the settings and create "routines" with different commands. Just Google your device's name to see how.

For an Android phone with Google or a Google smart speaker, say:
"Hey Google…[your command]."

TIP: If these commands don't work on your device, check your Settings as they may need to be turned on.



A Few Popular Voice Commands...

We don't want to assume that everyone knows the basic (and very helpful) commands that are common requests, so let's start with a few of these.

NOTE: In using the commands below, substitute your "wake word" for your particular device.


[trigger siri with a question]


·     Get directions to a location (instead of opening your map and keying in an address). Say, "Hey Siri, give me directions to the local library."

·     Find out what the weather forecast is for the day. You could say, "Alexa, tell me today's high temperature."

·     Ask questions that you would normally type into your computer browser, like… "Hey Google, who won the 2011 Super Bowl?" or "What year was the Alfred Hitchcock movie The Birds released?"

·     Take a Note (to appear in your Notes app)... "Hey Siri, take a note." Then when she acknowledges, speak what you'd like to be recorded.

·     Initiate a phone call or text message. "Hey Google, call Mom" or "Text Brad."



Cool Things You Can Ask Your Personal Assistant to Do

Now let's look at a handful of the hundreds of options that these powerful devices can do for you to make your life easier.

1. Translate a word or sentence from another language.., "Hey Google, how do you say where's the bathroom in Italian?"

2. Play a song (from your device's music library), or a Playlist (opens your default music app like Spotify). "Hey Siri, play my Workout playlist."

3. Find out what movies are playing in your area. "Alexa, what movies are playing near me?"


[ask siri]


4. Open and play a podcast… "Hey Siri, play the Smartless Podcast."

5. Remember where you parked your car. Before leaving your location say "Hey Siri, remember where I parked."

6. Connect to an app (like Uber or Lyft) to summon a ride. "Hey Siri, get me a ride on Uber to JFK."

7. Open an app (very helpful when you can't find the app you need on your phone as there can be so many!). "Hey Google, open the Panera app."

8. Perform a calculation. "Alexa, what is the square root of 134?"

9. Flip a coin or generate a number. If you want to decide who "goes first, who takes the trash out, etc." - you can say "Hey Siri, flip a coin." Or to pick a winner for a drawing, you can ask, "Hey Siri, pick a random number between 1 and 100."

10. Find scores and game times of a sports team. "Alexa, when is the next San Francisco Giants baseball game?"

11. Ask what time it is in another location – such as a city or country. "Hey Alexa, what time is it in Liverpool?"

12. Calculate a tip amount. "Hey Google, what is a 20% of $69.50?"

13. Identify a song. Just hold your phone close to the speaker and say "Hey Siri, name the tune" or "What song is playing?"

14. Enable or disable device features. "Hey Siri, turn on airplane mode" or "Turn off the flashlight."

15. Convert measurements… for example, "Alexa, convert 50 kilograms to pounds."

[Alexa]



16. Hear how a name or word is pronounced, "Hey Google, how do you pronounce B-E-L-A-L?"

17. Find out dates of events or holidays… "Alexa, what is the date of Easter in 2025?"

18. Check on a flight status. "Hey Siri, what is the flight status of Southwest flight 1234?"

19. Ask what's on your calendar for a particular day. "Hey Google, what's on my calendar for tomorrow?"

20. See what’s in the news for the day. "Alexa, what is today’s news?"

21. Find a particular business near you. "Hey Siri, where's the closest Dunkin Doughnuts?"

22. Set a one-time or regular reminder. "Alexa, remind me to water the plants every Sunday at 11 a.m."



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Communications: Talking
"Building" on statements shows respect

You're in a team meeting, having a discussion. Your colleague introduces an idea. You have a thought about what was said.

The question is, what is the best way to convey your idea ... so that it does not become confrontational?

Typically, we all just blurt out what we want to say. And there is nothing wrong with that. It happens all the time. Studies reveal that most of our communications are telling each other what we think.

One thing you can do to bump up the quality of your comment is to position it as a "build." This is a technique that shows respect and support.

It's simple to do ... just add this phrase to whatever you were going to say:

"Building on that thought, ...
[you continue with your ideas]."

More examples:

·     "To build on Jaspar's idea..."
·     "I want to build on that suggestion."
·     "Building on the idea..."



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Leadership
Meeting Roles and Responsibilities

Last week we talked a bit about the role of a Facilitator because this responsibility can be useful in so many situations. One important example is in meetings.

Because recent studies find that the typical worker attends eight meetings a week ... taking up one third of their work time... it's important to make this time investment the most productive it can be. Having someone play the role of facilitator during these sessions is a start.

One set of meeting roles and responsibilities so that you can stay focused on the desired outcomes is listed below. At the beginning of a session, get someone to play each role.

Meeting Roles
1.  Facilitator - Ensures the discussion is on target, following the plan.
2.  Timekeeper - Keeps the group adhering to the time parameters they've set.
3.  Scribe/Note Taker - Documents the key decisions.
4.  Presenter - Speaks to the group about the topic content.

Examples of What Each Role Might Say
1.  Facilitator: "Let's move this item onto the Parking Lot for later."
2.  Timekeeper: "We have 5 minutes left on this topic."
3.  Scribe/Note Taker: "Would you shorten that decision for the notes, please."
4.  Presenter: "We thought the problem could be solved with weekly training."

Tip: Resist the urge to have one person play more than one role. It doesn't work very well. Of course, if you have fewer than four attendees, adjustments will have to be made.



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