Anyone needing to find out the latest information on coronavirus from Neath Port Talbot Council can now ask Alexa.
An Alexa ‘Skill' is available to give the updates from NPT Council’s newsroom to Alexa users. The Council is currently posting a constant stream of news releases linked to the coronavirus outbreak on its newsroom, such as how to present recycling and waste for households affected by coronavirus, warnings about the latest coronavirus scams, how to volunteer to help vulnerable residents and the NPT Buy Local scheme.
Alexa Skills are available via the Alexa app. Everyone who has an Amazon device, such as an Echo smart speaker or Kindle Fire, can access the App and search for Skills.
According to research, seven out of 10 people who have a voice-controlled device use it on a daily basis, with Amazon's voice assistant Alexa currently being the most popular. This is just one of the ways that the council is making vital information available to its residents during the current situation.
Here’s how to get the latest updates direct from www.npt.gov.uk/newsroom:
- Go to your Amazon Alexa app on your device
- Select the three line icon in the top left corner of the screen
- Select ‘Skills & Games' from the options shown
- Select the search icon in the top right corner of the screen
- Type ‘Neath Port Talbot Council News' in the search box and select ‘search'
- The ‘Flash Briefing from Neath Port Talbot Council' skill should appear in the search results. Select this option.
- Select ‘Enable to use', to allow access for your Alexa-enabled device (e.g Echo Dot; Fire tablet; or smartphone with Alexa app)
Then, to listen to the latest news from the Council, just say: “Alexa, what's my news?”
