OE Patients

Tag: Amazon Alexa

  • Alexa, Read My Book

    Alexa, Read My Book

    While researching Amazon’s Accessibility, we discovered just how desirable it can be to have Alexa read to us. Amazon’s well known, much loved, voice assistant will read Kindle e-books with her voice or play Audible audiobooks, all you have to do is ask.

    This is surely one of the easiest options available for reading books. It’s a natural for people with vision loss, and a great convenience for anyone who wants to continue reading while they do other things. Ironically, Alexa’s skills do not even come under the heading of ‘accessibility’, yet it is the functionality we’ve been waiting for.

    Amazon Fire 7 tablet unboxed
    Amazon Fire 7 tablet unboxed

    We learned more about this fantastic feature in an email from our friend Steven. He wrote, “I purchased the brand new Fire 7 tablet.” Fire tablets vary in screen size, storage capacity and price starting at $60. “It is hands-free using Alexa vocal commands to open a book, pause the book, fast forward, go to a different chapter, etc. All of which I saw demonstrated at the (Amazon Books) store. Alexa is built in to the Fire tablet, no additional devices are required.” He appreciated his in-store experience. “The sales person was great, totally setting up and downloading my tablet and it was fully functional when I left the store, except for connecting it to wifi when I got home.”

    Steven’s in-store approach can no longer be duplicated, since Amazon has closed all 24 of it’s physical book stores. Another good option is to phone Amazon’s Accessibility Customer Service at 888-283-1678. They can help you make the purchase online and walk through the setup which requires entering a wifi password and Amazon account.

    The very same voice commands that control the reading on the tablet, do the same on an Amazon Echo speaker. Alexa can read Kindle books that are authorized for Text to Speech or Screen Reader Enabled. It seems the majority of books are eligible, just be sure to check before you buy a Kindle book.

    Alexa will also read your Kindle and Audible books on an iOS device or Android, although it’s not quite as hands-free or as agreeable as it is on an Amazon device. In this case you would open the Alexa app and tap the button to ask.

    Amazon Alexa speaker next to smart phone with Amazon apps
    Amazon Alexa speaker next to smart phone with Amazon apps

    How to Ask Alexa

    Kindle Alexa commands:

    – Read my Kindle book “To Kill A Mockingbird”

    – Play

    – Pause

    – Resume

    – Stop

    – Skip Back / Skip Ahead

    It is Alexa’s very own familiar voice that reads the Kindle books, and she’s a very good reader. Audible books are read by an array of professional readers including authors, actors and celebrities. 

    More about Kindle and Alexa

    Audible Alexa commands:

    – Play the audiobook “War and Peace”

    – Play

    – Pause

    – Resume

    – Stop

    – Go Back / Go Forward (30 seconds)

    – Next / Previous Chapter

    – Go to Chapter 5

    More about Audible and Alexa Go ahead and ask, Alexa is ready when you are!

    This article was first published on OE, Jul 5, 2019 and last updated Aug 18, 2023

  • How to Create Reminders with Siri

    How to Create Reminders with Siri

    If your memory isn’t quite what it used to be, or you just have too many things on your mind, it’s time to get a little help from your technology. “Reminders” are the new age To Do list, and they’re available wherever you access your digital assistant. This is a great way to keep track of everything you want to recall, like errands, appointments, shopping lists, and projects you’re working on. 

    Telling your mobile phone or smart speaker to schedule a reminder, sounds like an accessibility feature tailor-made for people with vision loss, but the fact is, regardless of age or acuity, reminders are good for everyone! 

    Of course, you can set reminders the old-fashioned way, by tapping and typing, but we totally prefer talking. Here, for example, is what you can do on an Apple iOS device.

    On iPhone, iPad, iPod touch

    To call upon Siri, be sure Settings are turned on for: “Hey Siri” and “Voice Feedback” always.  

    To create a list:

    • Say: Create a new list called Shopping.
    • Say: Add milk to my Shopping list. 
    • Say: Add eggs to my Shopping list.
    • Say: Delete milk from my Shopping list.
    • Say: What is on my Shopping list?

    To schedule a reminder:

    • Say: Remind me to call Jack tomorrow.
    • Say: Remind me to email Jill about the meeting.
    • Say: Remind me to stop at the dry cleaner on my way home.
    • Say: Remind me on Monday that I have a dentist appointment on Tuesday at 8 am.
    • Say: Delete reminder to call Jack. 
    • Say: Do I have any reminders for today?

    It is relatively easy to use these voice commands, and enormously satisfying to get such cooperation from your assistant. Do your best to keep lists and reminders organized and under control. To get started, sit down with your iOS device and begin trying the voice commands listed above. 

    Should you want or need more detail, and don’t mind using the keyboard, here are more options for creating Reminders from Apple.

    Reminders can also be set for Google Home and Amazon Alexa speakers. For guidance on that and for Accessibility Support on iOS, the best way to get yourself properly set up is by calling for expert assistance at the phone numbers below.

    Google Home:  855-971-9121

    Amazon Alexa:  877-375-9365

    Apple Accessibility: 877-204-3930