Amazon Unveils New Visual Widgets and Smart Tools at Alexa Live 2021
Amazon reveals a suite of new developer tools at Alexa Live 2021, including visual widgets and enhanced skill discovery features. These updates aim to make Alexa-powered devices more intuitive and customizable for millions of users.
Amazon hosts its annual Alexa Live 2021 virtual symposium to showcase a variety of new developer tools and services for its wildly popular voice assistant. With over 100 million device owners and 900,000 registered developers, the event highlights how creators build more intuitive and customizable smart products. The focus this year rests heavily on new ways to enhance the visual and interactive elements of Alexa-powered experiences.
A major announcement is the introduction of Alexa Presentation Language (APL) Widgets, which allows developers to create visual companion elements like animations, graphics, and video files for devices such as the Echo Show and Fire TV. Additionally, a new tool called Featured Skill Cards provides users with detailed visual breakdowns on their displays after issuing voice commands, such as checking a gift card balance. These visual enhancements significantly expand how skills interact with users beyond pure audio.
Amazon also delivers three substantial updates to the Name Free Interaction (NFI) Toolkit to improve skill discovery. Featured Skills in Discovery Phrases suggests relevant developer skills through voice and screen when users make general requests like telling a story or playing a game. Furthermore, Personalized Skill Suggestions introduces a feedback model for tailored interactions, while a new contextual update helps Alexa better understand user intent without requiring exact skill names.