If you missed ourpost nearly a year agoabout a web app atEchoism.iothat lets you try out Alexa in a web browser, you’re going to like a new app, called Reverb, that brings Amazon’s personal assistant to your Mac desktop, as well as iPhone and iPad.
The brain child of developers at digital consultancy agency Rain, Reverb is available at no charge fromApp StoreandMac App Storeor in your favorite web browser.
Reverb takes advantage of the fact that Amazon’s Alexa Voice Service is now available as a web service to access through a web browser and other thin clients, with the recent API 2.0 update having enabled a richer set of features.
After signing in to link Reverb to your Amazon account, you’re able to start conversing with Alexa. Simply tap/click and hold on the ring and say whatever you’d like. Let go and Alexa will in most cases respond with an appropriate answer. Unlike Siri, Reverb always speaks out answers and doesn’t display any results on the screen.
Here are some of the basic things you can ask Reverb to do on your behalf:
Additionally, Reverb lets you interact with Alexa-compatible devices like switches, lights, thermostats, smoke detectors, blinds and other smart home hardware that’s compatible with Samsung SmartThings, WeMo, Philips Hue and others.
Due to restrictions on using Amazon Music in apps, you cannot ask Reverb to play music.
Here are some choice queries you can run through Alexa:
The app supports interactions with third-party apps, known asEcho Skills.
Because Reverb integrates with Amazon’s Alexa for iOS app, any new skills added through that app are instantly available in Reverb for iOS and macOS. For instance, you can ask Reverb to “Enable Campbell’s Kitchen” before saying something along the lines of “Alexa, ask Campbell’s Kitchen what’s for dinner.”
Like Siri, Reverb requires an Internet connection.
Subscribe to iDownloadBlog on YouTube.
Grab Reverb for iOS and macOS for free fromApp StoreandMac App Store.
Have you tried Reverb yet and if so, how did you like it? Is it better than Siri for the most common types of queries, do you think? Do chime in with your thoughts in the comments and give Reverb a while if you haven’t already.
