A lot of people don't even realize the Alexa mobile app even exists, despite the fact they must have installed it at one point in order to set up their Echo device. Hence, discoverability is pretty low. I don't know why Amazon still hasn't attempted to address this issue. If all they want is for people to buy shit from Amazon through it, why bother with all these custom "skills"?
Generally, however, I think we've overestimated the utility of a voice command line with no actual intelligence behind it. Unless you are using Alexa to control actual devices like lights or a Roobma vacuum, most of the apps for it are either useless or better suited for a visual interface.
I think it could be incredibly useful if it wasn’t like talking to someone who is hard of hearing, comically misinterprets similarly sounding words and can’t understand basic logic in sentences (what’s the weather _and_ traffic, then find my phone and turn off the lights).
I’d like to ask it the meaning of Latin phrases or other words, but it just hears the words used 99% of the time despite being clearly pronounced differently.
Ask it what bus and at which time I should leave to go somewhere. It doesn’t have any transportation info and can’t do basic logic.
Duolingo would be a great integration for conversations while learning another language, but it can bearly understand English.
Generally, however, I think we've overestimated the utility of a voice command line with no actual intelligence behind it. Unless you are using Alexa to control actual devices like lights or a Roobma vacuum, most of the apps for it are either useless or better suited for a visual interface.