The Almanac Daily Update for Amazon Echo

First, let us give a little background information about this new technology…

What are Smart Speakers?

Amazon Echo—commonly known as “smart speakers”—are small, voice-activated devices that sit on your table, dresser, or countertop and keep you connected to the world around you—completely hands-free. We know that many people don’t own these devices yet, but even so, we saw it as a good opportunity to try something new!

The Amazon Echo Dot

Ever spoken into your phone instead of typing or used Voice Assist in your car? Smart speakers in the home are similar. They respond to voice commands, so all you have to do is ask something like “What’s today’s date?” and your device will respond accordingly. Amazon Echo can read out news headlines, multiply numbers, play your favorite songs, and even turn off your kitchen lights.

Of course, we had to try this tech out for ourselves. Now introducing…

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Daily Update for Amazon Echo 

In our free Daily Update, you’ll find a wealth of knowledge regarding the day—from famous birth dates and our “Best Days” to do activities to an always fascinating question of the day.

For example, when you say…

“Alexa, ask Farmer’s Almanac about today.”

You’ll hear…

“It’s Tuesday, May 30, 2017—the 150th day of the year.

Here’s your daily update from The Old Farmer’s Almanac:

Summer begins in 22 days.

Today is the Best Day to prune to encourage growth.

Manny Ramirez, baseball player, was born on this day in 1972.

Gus Wickstrom, retired farmer who used pig spleens to forecast the weather and claimed 90% accuracy, died on this day in 2007.

Here’s today’s Question of the Day:

My mother used to call me a “scallywag.” What does this mean?

The Answer: Scalawag, or scallywag, is a word from the Shetland Islands that refers to a small, stunted domestic animal, such as a pony or cow, that is of little value. Most likely, your mother used the word as an affectionate diminutive, along the lines of “you little rascal.”

Enjoy the rest of your day!”

Try The Daily Update Yourself!

If you have an Amazon Echo smart speaker, you can try out the Old Farmer’s Almanac Daily Update! Here’s how to get started:

On Amazon Echo devices…

1. Enable our Daily Update by saying, “Alexa, enable Farmer’s Almanac.”
2. From then on, all you’ll have to do is say:

Alexa, ask Farmer’s Almanac about today

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Daily Update is meant to provide you with yet another fun and easy way to receive a selection of classic, much-loved Almanac information. Above all, it strives to be just like The Old Farmer’s Almanac itself: “useful, with a pleasant degree of humor.”

If you have one of these smart speaker devices, try out the Old Farmer’s Almanac Daily Update today and let us know what you think!