Control Alexa from your Windows 10 PC
After a limited release on "compatible devices" like Yoga laptops, Amazon's Alexa voice assistant is now available for Windows 10.
Amazon released the Alexa app for Windows 10 today, which lets you operate the Alexa voice assistant with your voice or keyboard from a PC.
Previously the app was only available preloaded on compatible PCs from brands like Lenovo, but Alexa is now available from the Windows 10 store.
The Wake on Voice feature is still only available on "supported devices" but users can set up keyboard shortcuts or click on the Alexa button within the app. Unusually, the minimum specs include just a mouse and keyboard, but an Amazon spokesperson has confirmed a microphone is also required.
While there is one review on the app reporting that this version of Alexa can't install skills or access smart home features, the Amazon representative says that you can control devices if you set them up with the web app first.
The new app is part of an attempt to get PCs and Alexa to work better together. In August, Microsoft announced that it's now possible to use Cortana and Alexa together, a feature which works with the Xbox One game console.
Updated 1.51 p.m. ET: Now includes comments from Amazon