Technical Description of Amazon Echo Dot 2nd Generation (Alexa)

Jurgen Borici

The City College of New York

Table of Contents

Introduction……………………………………………………………………………..………3

Components and description of Alexa….…………………………………………..4

How does Alexa Work?  …………………………….………………………………….…..5

Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………………6

Reference…………………………..…………………..…………………………………..……..7

Introduction

Alexa is a virtual assistant developed by Amazon Lab 126 that is capable of voice interaction, music,playback,making to-do lists, setting alarms, streaming podcasts,providing weather,traffic,sports and even news. This bluetooth speaker looking device can also control several smart devices using itself as a home automation system.
However, just like other virtual assistants, Alexa sometimes faces troubles understanding user commands and responding accurately. That’s one of the main reasons that Google keeps updating this device frequently and making it more intelligent.

                                          Figure 1 (target.com)

Components 

-Volume Up button

-Volume Down button

-Action button

-Microphone Off button

-Light Ring

Description of the components

Amazon Echo Dot 2 consists of five main parts that create its exterior layout. Four out of those five parts are button that are placed in a diamond shape on top of the round device known as Alexa. The volume up and down function is simple, but also replaceable by the voice commands that are given to this device. They are     only used to turn up or down the volume, usually when music is played on the background.
The Microphone Off button’s function is to stop Alexa’s prompting system so that it does not take any form of wrong given command by the people that are at home.
The last button is called the Action button and is the button that has most of the functions on this device. It can switch off a timer or alarm sound, activate your Amazon Echo Dot or even enter Wi-Fi setup mode after you press and hold it for five seconds. Whereas the fifth part is called the light Ring that is mainly a decoration part of the device but it does have a function as well. Its lights cooperate with the device and indicate whether Alexa is on or off or when music is being played by the device, the lights movement follow the same rhythm as the music.

About the interior side , all we can find is a 2.5” Woofer that is responsible for the audio but also the commands given by the owner of Alexa.

                                                                                         Figure 3(interior view) ( amazon.com)

How does Alexa work?

Alexa is a voice-controlled device mainly that needs a one-time connection with your phone before you start using it. This consists of setting it up on the desired way by including all your preferences on the device. When setting it up you will have to work on your phone before Alexa gets ready to work. All you have to do afterward, is just to call the name “Alexa”, and then you can ask whatever you want to it. You can even play games like quizzes with it. Also, this device is widely used recently for the smart homes where you can give a lot of commands to Alexa and it will do it for you and the best example is shutting down the lights by just calling it : “ Alexa , shut down the lights”.

Despite these, if connected to your phone, you would access anything you have on your phone through this device, excluding pictures. Alexa can also work with a lot of entertainment services like Amazon Music, Spotify, Audible books etc. However, to fully enjoy entertainment through Alexa, you would need an additional pro speaker as a support for the audio.

Conclusion

Alexa seems to be a very useful device for whoever owns it. In a high-tech world that we are living every day, devices like Alexa not only help us, but make it fun to do stuff that in normal conditions would look boring. I think that everyone should have a device like that at home and especially if yours is a smart-home.

References

Reisinger, Don. “Who (or What) Is Alexa? We Explain Amazon’s Digital Assistant.” Tom’s Guide, Tom’s Guide, 7 Nov. 2016, www.tomsguide.com/us/amazon-alexa-faq,review-4016.html.

“Echo Dot (2nd Generation) – Smart Speaker with Alexa – Black.” Buy Online in UAE. | Amazon Home Products in the UAE – See Prices, Reviews and Free Delivery in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah – Desertcart UAE, www.desertcart.ae/products/34697515-echo-dot-2nd-generation-black.

 “Amazon Echo Dot (2nd Generation) Alexa-Enabled Bluetooth Speaker – Black.” Target, www.target.com/p/amazon-echo-dot-2nd-generation-nbsp-black/-/A-52132692.

“Amazon Alexa.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 17 Apr. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_Alexa.