New features for Alexa Echo

Amazon is bringing in two great new features for Alexa, which will include connected lighting systems to support its personal assistant. The two new features are Sleep Lighting Time and Wake-up Lights, both are aimed to improve the sleeping experience by automating lighting both at night and in the morning. As well as these two features there are also a couple of new Routines.

This is how the two new features will work…..

The new Sleep Lighting Timer for Alexa is a timer that will gradually dim connected smart lights until they eventually turn off at bedtime. All you do to enable this feature is to tell Alexa to set a sleep timer for whatever duration you have left until it’s time for bed. Suppose the Echo device is playing music, Alexa will automatically stop the audio when the lights turn off.

For now the Wake-Up Lighting feature is designed for waking up, not going to sleep. The feature simulates a sunrise by connecting to a smart bulb or a group of lights and slowly turning up the light the closer it gets to wake-up time. To use this feature, you command Alexa to set an alarm for the time you want to wake up, including the command, “…with my bedside lamp.” So saying a command like “Alexa, set an alarm for 7 a.m. with my bedside lamp” or “Alexa, wake me up at 6 a.m. with lights” kicks things off ahead of your alarm.

So finally what is the new Routine Amazon is introducing? Well it’s not one but two new Routines, one that enables you to set connected lights to dim, the other that lets you set the lights to brighten. The duration of these changes can range from five to 59 minutes, adding these lighting changes as part of a larger single routine. Telling Alexa goodnight, for example, can trigger a routine that includes a gradual dimming of the lights even if an alarm isn’t set.

These new features are out in the United Kingdom for Alexa users over the next week. You’ll need a smart lighting product that includes support for Amazon Alexa, such as the new Wyze Smart Bulb.