Most Echo/Alexa skills released to date have been ‘just for fun’ things, including my own LME Skills. Just for fun skills are easier to write and get certified because they don’t typically involve storing information from the user, or hooking into large online databases.

But Echo owners really want more useful skills, and Gobby Apps has granted the wishes of those who’ve been asking to check stock quotes and TV listings on their Echos—and on their Fire TV devices that offer Alexa support.

I don’t generally review Alexa skills, because I’m a skill developer too and don’t want to give the appearance of any conflict of interest. I’m making an exception for the new Stock Exchange and TV Shows skills though, first because I know many readers have been waiting for this exact functionality and second because I’m using and loving them both.

It happens at least once a week: I want to schedule something on the DVR but can’t remember which other shows may already be scheduled on that day and could cause a conflict. My DVR menu won’t tell me about any conflicts until the final, confirmation step in the scheduling process, so this can be a real pain.

NOT ANY MORE!

The TV Shows skill lets you ask, “Alexa, ask TV Shows* when is [TV show title] on?” to find out when the next episode airs, and on which network. The skill covers cable channels, too! No more DVR scheduling frustration, and this skill is also immensely helpful for quickly checking on shows that may be pre-empted by sports events or have been moved to a different night.

*UPDATED to add this correction – the name of the skill must be included in the request.

Earlier this year I bought a little stock, and even though it’s not a huge quantity of shares and it’s not worth much, I enjoy checking how my portfolio’s doing at the start and end of each day. I’ve been Googling for that information, but with the Stock Exchange skill I can just ask Alexa!

Stock Exchange is a skill that not only lets you check NASDAQ and NYSE stock quotes in real time, it lets you store a portfolio of the quotes you check regularly—all without any separate account set up or login! You’ll need to know the ticker symbols for the stocks you want to check (e.g., DIS for The Disney Company, AAPL for Apple, etc.) and whether the stock trades on the NASDAQ or NYSE to use this skill. Of course, if you regularly have a need to check stocks you probably already have that information. If not, you can always Google for it.

Be sure to check the Stock Exchange skill detail page (accessed by clicking on the skill name in the Alexa app) for further guidance before using this skill. Once it’s enabled, you can also have Alexa read you the skill’s Help file; launch the skill with, “Alexa, launch Stock Exchange,” and after the greeting message say, “Help.”

One more thing to know: if you disable the Stock Exchange skill after setting up a personalized portfolio, it will forget which ticker symbols you saved. You’ll have to create your portfolio again if you re-enable the skill later.

Enable either or both of these skills in the Alexa app and let Alexa add even more voice-activated convenience to your life!

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If you’ve been wanting to try some of those cool ‘smart bulbs’ that are now available and offer Echo support, but haven’t wanted to invest in an entire system that includes a special hub, LIFX Smart Bulbs are the answer. You can start with just one bulb (for a multi-color bulb, they’re priced as low as $59.99 each as of this writing, on 12/7/15, for the LIFX Color 1000 bulb). They’re available in white-only or multicolor options, communicate with the Echo and LIFX mobile app via WiFi, are programmable, have the same long life and energy-efficient features as Philips HUE bulbs, but don’t require a smart hub or any kind of wired connection whatsoever. Just screw an LIFX bulb into a standard light fixture, download and install the free LIFX app to connect the bulb to your WiFi network, enable the LIFX skill in the Alexa app to let Alexa control your LIFX bulbs, and you’re good to go! With LIFX bulbs, it’s easy and relatively inexpensive to dip a toe into the smart home waters.

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