Amazon Echo's Newest Trick: Adding Events To Google Calendar

Amazon's smart home-connected speaker Echo continues to get regular updates with new functionality and connected service, including everything from controlling the lights and thermostat, to playing Spotify and ordering a pizza. However, while the Echo, and in turn its digital assistant Alexa, has long had plenty of basic yet useful features like readying the news and sports scores, one limitation has been that it can't schedule new events in Google Calendar. After the latest update, that's no longer a problem.

Echo owners have already been able to ask Alexa to read them scheduled events from their calendar, but adding things just by voice is a great addition. Now users can simply say something like, "Add an event to my calendar," or get more specific with times and events, "Add lunch with Scott to my calendar for Wednesday at 1 PM."

Of course, you could always add items to your calendar through your choice of smartphone assistant, like Siri or 'Ok Google,' but an always-listening home speaker could be easier to interact with in some situations, such as when something pops into your head as you're walking around the house or in the middle of another activity.

The update should already be available for Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, and Amazon Tap owners. Just make sure the Alexa mobile app is up to date, and then navigate to the "calendar" section in Settings.

SOURCE Amazon