Listening to Audiobooks with Echo

 

Amazon Echo

Today, we’ll focus purely and briefly on listening to audi with Echo.

Go here for more information on the device in general: In Depth Review of the Amazon Echo

Amazon’s Echo, released in June 2015, has been an ongoing project in Silicon Valley since 2010. This wireless speaker and voice command device makes full use of a digital assistant, Alexa. You interact with this butler using your voice alone and it can perform a variety of tasks and services. Put simply, Echo is a cylindrical Bluetooth speaker that can listen to your commands.

The Echo has many functions but if you’re into reading, you can also now listen to audiobooks from your Audible account or your Kindle.

Since Echo supports Whispersync, you can start off by listening to your audiobook through your Echo and then finish where you left off on yKindlendle or compatible Amazon app. You can switch back and forth as much as you want without ever losing your place.

The only content Echo cannot playback from Audible is newspaper and magazine audio subscriptions, stats and badges, bookmarks and notes. Also, Echo can’t control the speed of narration.

How To Listen To Audiobooks on Echo

In order to begin listening to your favorite audiobook, all you have to do it tell Alexa:

Read- (insert book title here)

Then, voila…

She will begin reading from the book title you have just given her.

You can also instruct her to pause, go to a different chapter or page, restart, stop or to even set a sleep timer in case you dose off.

Maybe you’re cozy at home and want to get lost in a good book on a cold, rainy day?

Perhaps you need to study textbooks and readings for your upcoming final exams?

Whether you need to kill some time while waiting for your ride or you’re looking to refresh your skills with instructional how-tos, there are many reasons why Echo’s ability to play audiobooks is attracting shoppers.

Featuring dual downward-firing speakers, the Echo has 360º omni-directional audio that will fill the room with sound.

Although Echo requires a Wi-Fi connection in order to work, in addition to reading ebooks it can also inform you of local weather and news from various sources including NPR and ESPN. Echo can play music from Amazon, Pandora, Apple Music and even Google Play.

You can use the Bluetooth to connect to your smart phone and stream any media you have on your device. Echo can also keep track of your alarms, timers and to-do lists. It’s a wonderful organizational tool. In a way, Echo is like an artificially intelligent secretary.

Echo can respond to questions about your Google calendar and can integrate with smart home products such as those from  Philips Hue, Belkin Wemo, SmartThings, Insteon and Wink.

Although this is already an impressive list of services, Amazon is always working on adding even more integrations with other brands and products.

If you want the convenience of a personal assistant without the price tag, think seriously about picking up Amazon Echo with Alexa. You won’t be disappointed.

Featured Image by: Scott Beale / CC BY-SA

1 thought on “Listening to Audiobooks with Echo”

  1. I can’t listen to audible books at the default narrating speed…It gets me crazy. Can’t somebody figure a way to adjust the narration speed using the echo?

    Reply

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