Amazon announced on Thursday the inclusion of a new feature to its line of Alexa devices. The new feature, dubbed Alexa Skill Blueprints, which will add a new layer of personalization capabilities to the devices.
The new feature will allow users to create custom skills for their smart speaker using pre-made templates. These templates will allow users to create custom skills that will work with only their registered Amazon device. Skills will range from answering specific questions, to telling custom jokes and tailoring skills to family members.
Though the tool allows a pretty great basis for customization of the devices, they are limited since customization relies on templates, there is only so much that can be done with the new feature. It provides a good foundation for future development of skills for the device, however, even as a start.
The new customization options allow users to create skills in several different categories including, At Home, Fun & Games, Storyteller, and Learning and Knowledge.
The At Home category allows house-guests, such as babysitters or pet-sitters to access information easily from the device. The Learning and Knowledge category allows the user to create and participate in custom quizzes, flashcard games, and more.
Some of the other categories allow users to have Alexa tell stories, or even create custom games. These editable skills could allow for highly customizable games and quizzes for the device.
These new additions to the Alexa ecosystem will certainly provide a boost to the brand, providing more value to the devices as they allow for more customization and more options. The new features are useful for families, and not only allow education of simple programming but spark the imagination of users by limiting their options to templates.
With Amazon’s consistent updates to its Alexa devices, it is almost certain that this feature will expand in the future.
The new update is available now to Alexa device users in the United States.
