WCCO Launches News Briefs For Amazon Alexa For New Echo, Fire Devices
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The latest news from WCCO is just an ask away through Amazon's Flash Briefings, making local headlines and developing stories easier than ever before to hear from your Alexa-enabled devices.
By saying "Alexa, tell me the news," users can hear what's happening in Minnesota and surrounding areas on demand from any Amazon Echo device, and soon from the latest generation of Fire HD tablets.
To add WCCO to Flash Briefings, users update their personalized accounts via a smartphone with the Alexa app or online at alexa.amazon.com. From the menu's Settings, under Account users can select Flash Briefing and tap the "WCCO 4 News Minnesota" toggle to turn on the updates.
Once enabled, Flash Briefings will include the top WCCO news stories happening now, summarized in minutes and updated multiple times daily.
Launched by Amazon two years ago, the Echo is an internet-connected, voice-enabled speaker that listens for commands and can carry out a wide range of functions: perform web searches, order food deliveries, control temperature and lighting in a smart home, play music, tune in to news and sports radio, and more.
A portable version called the Amazon Tap became available earlier this year, and the smaller second-generation Amazon Dot debuted last month. Amazon plans to add Alexa voice-controlled functionality to more of its devices moving forward.
