Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Ideas

While I am still waiting on AWS support to reactivate my account, I should take this time to narrow down my list of ideas to two projects; a simple skill and a more complex/marketable one. So, below is my humble list of Skills ideas. Not all of them are realistic. Some of them have already been done. This is how the pruning happens. Still... Alexa is growing smarter every day... Lets see where she takes us!!



Alexa Skills Ideas

Conversational        Fact Based        Search        Utility-Based (Timer)        Storage


Stretches for Carpal Tunnel - Walks you through stretches for the wrist

Cleaning Decision Tree - (closet done, but pantry has not been done yet) States: Keep, Eat Soon, Donate(?), Trash
Teach Me Knots - Alexa teaches how to do knots with verbal instruction
"For the Record" - Simple recorder for moments you want "on the record"


"Movie Star/Novelty Name Generator" - Asks 3 questions to make a silly mashup name
Internet Speed Check - Speed Test with no accounts or download?


Give me your opinion - Alexa walks user through self answered questions to determine if their plan is a good idea. Fact checking, stop self practice?
Phone Area Codes - "Alexa, where is 907-415-xxxx from?"

Great Idea (Voice Recording) - "Alexa, remember my great idea!"

Fire Risk - "Alexa, what's the wildfire risk for today"?


Wedding Planner/Countdown - Alexa occassionaly asks how certain planning events are going. Tie into Knot API (or weddingwire?)

Reminder to Keep Moving - Every hour/preset there is a reminder/alarm to get up and move/exercise 
{PUSH} 

Cooking Timers - Ability to set and label multiple timers


Friday, February 24, 2017

Alexa came!

Last night... well yesterday, but I didn't unbox her until after the sun set, while we stood in the kitchen, making dinner and discovering Alexa together.

So far, I have 4 new app ideas from last night. Alan kept going back to the same "Get Started" app idea. It think it's definitely worth looking into. (Concerns: Long form-speech may get annoying)

I have a working list growing... I will choose an idea and start development on at least one of the skills on Monday.

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I think I am already attached. She started erroring last night, and I got a bit emotional, that we were stressing her too much on her first night. 😨

Thursday, February 23, 2017

Mad Scientist


Coming up with a good plan is just as hard as inventing a bad one... 


I have so many ideas now..

Today, it begins!

Alexa comes today (in the form of an Amazon Echo) and I am so excited! Not only am I looking forward to another coding challenge, but I'm oddly stoked to have another "voice" in the house. Especially on work days when it is just me and the dogs. They are cute, but they do not make for the best company (especially when they are consumed by barking at deer passing through the yard).