Four Virtual Assistants and How to Use Them

Four Virtual Assistants and How to Use Them

The Simplest & Easiest Ways to Order Fruitcake

Have you ever wanted a personal butler? Someone who helped do all your personal shopping and kept track of your to-do lists. 

However, since it would be mildly cumbersome to have someone following you around the whole day, someone decided, "Hey! We should do something about that." So, they made tiny, robot butlers and gave them catchy names like Siri, Bixby, and Alexa.

We are, of course, talking about virtual assistants.  Virtual assistants are not actually butlers, but instead digital applications on our phones and other electronic devices. These applications have the ability to understand natural language voice commands and complete tasks for the user.  

Virtual assistants help consumers set reminders, look up the weather, answer questions on the fly, or even order products online.  The popularity of virtual assistants is on the rise because, well frankly, we could all use a helping hand. 

Let’s look at four virtual assistants and how you can utilize their functionality in three steps or less.

Siri

Own an iPhone? Then you have access to Siri - Apple’s virtual assistant.

1. Whether iPhone or Mac – Apple TV or Tablet, Siri works alongside any Apple user with ease.
2. Siri has a harder time scoring goals (ordering the products directly for you) but loves to get the assist.  Siri will answer any question you have about where to buy your favorite silverware, fruitcakes, or ice-cold bottles of milk.
3. However! If you download the third-party app called “Shortcuts” you can link Siri commands to other apps (like Amazon, Facebook or Google) and increase her functionality.

Because Apple is on the cutting edge of product design and manufacturing, Siri has always taken a back seat to success. But she is still a useful tool in a pinch.

Bixby

Calling all Samsung users.  Let’s examine Siri’s hands-free counterpart: Bixby.

Bixby has generally received stronger reviews than Siri – a clear indicator that Samsung is capitalizing on Apple’s weakness. If you have a Samsung cell phone then you likely have Bixby activated and ready to roll. 

1. Using your Samsung device, you can easily set up Bixby Voice.
2. After setting up Bixby, enable its unique features like Bixby Vision and Bixby Home.
3. You can use Bixby Voice to also help you set a monthly reminder to order more Collin Street sweets to satisfy that monthly craving.

Alexa

Alexa is an extremely popular virtual assistant from Amazon.

1. As an Amazon-based product line, you can purchase an Echo (the smallest device in their product line) for a reasonable price directly from Amazons’ website.
2. Once you receive your Echo device, you’ll want to download the Alexa app on your phone. (The app is how you will connect your Echo to WiFi).
3. From there, you can ask Alexa anything through your new Echo! Just say, “Alexa,” and then ask her something like, “What’s the temperature outside?”

An Echo will also help you order our favorite product on Amazon: a Collin Street DeLuxe® Fruitcake.

Google Assistant

Google Assistant’s, Google Home, is very similar to Alexa. But the biggest difference is the way it looks -  like a common household candle.

1. You can purchase a Google Home today for a cool Benjamin Franklin.
2. Upon purchase, you’ll need to create a Google Account (Read: Gmail Account) if you don’t have one already.
3. Download the Google Home App and manage multiple outlets with this nifty hands-free device. Just make sure all your devices use the same WiFi location as your Google Home.  Similar to Alexa, Google Assistant will order Collin Street delights with a simple command.

All you need to do is follow steps one through three, grab a fork, and wait.

But, while you're here... 

Since you're already on our site, just hop on over to our DeLuxe® Fruitcake page and order your cake today. I mean, why not, right?