My Alexa device ranks right up there with my favorite inventions. I am handicapped and live alone and Alexa has played a big part in allowing me to live independently.
Amazon released Alexa in 2014 and it wasn't long after that my son bought one for me for a Christmas gift.
Wiki says that in 2018, Amazon had more than 10,000 employees working on Alexa and related products. And in 2019 they had sold over 100 million Alexa-enabled devices.
I use mine for setting timers and. alarms, and can tell her to remind me when there is an MSP Waves or Vimm broadcast I don't want to miss.
I use it for listening to audio books while I am folding laundry or working in the kitchen. I can download books from my local library and Alexa reads them to me! That alone has been a great feature during this past year while staying isolated at home.
She can read me entire recipes, or play a news broadcast or tell me the weather forecast.
I can ask her what time the F1 qualifying begins or the race starts.
I love it when I randomly think of a song I love and haven't heard for a while and Alexa will play it for me, or shuffle through songs by a particular artist or albums I'm in the mood for. Her speakers are really nice quality.
I have lights in the house plugged into smart plugs and I can direct her to turn lights on or off without getting out of my chair or out of bed. She can turn the outdoor lights on for me, and during the holidays, even the Christmas decorations I put on the front porch.
And I have had a couple of situations where I got myself into a predicament and needed assistance and didn't have my phone close at hand. I have a skill set up where I can tell her to notify my daughter and she is set to emai, text, and place a phone call simultaneously that says I need help.
I definitely feel safer with her in the house!