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On Monday Amazon launched the Alexa app for Windows 10 PCs via the Microsoft Store. The app allows you to use Alexa as you would on Echo devices like playing music or audiobooks, checking your calendar, creating reminders, controlling smart home devices…etc. It is capable of thousands of the various Alexa Skills that the digital assistant has available.

Some tasks like video and communication and certain services like Spotify and Pandora are not yet supported. Currently, it appears Alexa will be more productivity-focused to start, but more services and features are expected to be added.

Last year we learned that Microsoft and Amazon had partnered up to integrate their digital assistants. This allows Cortana to access info from Alexa and vice versa. We showed you how to make Cortana and Alexa work together but that integration is clunky at best. But now, we have Amazon’s Alexa as a standalone app in the Microsoft Store for Windows 10 which should improve the overall experience. Here is a look at what you can expect from the free app.

Alexa App for Windows 10
This is a way for Amazon to untether Alexa from its Echo speakers and Fire TV devices and allow it to be utilized in more of your daily work activities. You can install it on any Windows 10 system, but only compatible computers support the wake word ability for a hands-free experience. If your computer doesn’t have wake word functions, you can still use it by clicking or tapping the Alexa button on the app and then speak your voice command. Or, you can also use the keyboard shortcut which is Ctrl+Shift+A.

Alexa

Keep in mind you do need to install it on your system drive. Since it’s a Microsoft Store app it will be able to work with PCs running Windows 10 in S Mode. It is currently only available in the US, UK, and Germany, with more locations coming in 2019. You can download the Alexa app now from the Microsoft Store.

Source: GPost