Alexa & Kindle Scribe: Now Analyze Notes & Get Summaries

Amazon is expanding the functionality of its Alexa voice assistant to include direct interaction with user notes created within the Alexa app’s notebook feature. The integration, recently tested by tech publications, allows users to query Alexa about the content of their notes, offering a hands-free way to access information stored within the app.

To share notes with Alexa, users navigate to the notebook and utilize the share icon. They are then presented with options to share either the current page or the entire notebook. Following this, a prompt appears to send the notes to the email address associated with the user’s Amazon account, alongside a dedicated “Send to Alexa” option. Selecting this option transmits the note content to the Alexa assistant.

Initial reports indicate that Alexa can provide summaries of the notes, and respond to direct questions about their content. For example, a user can ask, “Provide a summary of [notebook name],” or “Did you obtain my to-do note?” The accuracy of these summaries appears to be influenced by the clarity of the handwriting within the notes; notes written in cursive proved more challenging for Alexa to interpret accurately. One user reported that a note about booking Disney World Lightning Lanes was summarized accurately, while a to-do list contained errors, such as misinterpreting “set up robot vac” as “set up robot role.”

Despite some inaccuracies, the integration provides a conversational starting point for accessing information. Alexa was able to flag missing items from a packing list, suggesting sunscreen, a charger, and a backpack, even when the user’s primary concern was remembering toothpaste – a task the assistant could not assist with.

The ability to use Alexa with PC’s is similarly expanding. According to Amazon’s help pages, the Alexa app for PC supports most functions and skills available on other Alexa devices, including hands-free activation and smart home device control. Users can also connect their PCs to Amazon Echo speakers via Bluetooth or a 3.5mm audio cable, effectively turning the Echo into a PC speaker. The Bluetooth connection allows for voice commands to connect and disconnect the devices, such as “Alexa, connect to PC.”

The Alexa app is available for Windows, and can be downloaded directly from CHIP.de. The integration of Alexa with PC’s and now, user notes, represents a continued effort by Amazon to expand the assistant’s utility beyond dedicated Echo devices.