Amazon Echo gets friendly with local businesses thanks to Yelp integration

“You can now ask Echo for info on local businesses and restaurants and Alexa will give you the details-straight from Yelp”.

The common queries that the search engine could take will include bothering Alexa for nearby restaurants in general, restaurants with particular themes like and places close to get Chinese food. With the latest update, the device can now tap into Yelp and give users the names of the best restaurant for fish or the top local supermarket. “To get started, go to Settings in the Alexa App, select your device, and add your address”, reads a post from Amazon.

Amazon is now integrating Yelp search results into its Echo device. A pairing with Yelp would not only sharpen Amazon’s local consumer focus, but it might also help the company solve that pesky problem of how to deal with fake reviews, an issue that Yelp seems to have handled with a few success.

Recently, we’ve added streaming music from Pandora, audiobooks from Audible, Google Calendar access, live sports scores and schedules, traffic reports, Amazon.com re-ordering, control of connected devices with WeMo, Philips Hue, SmartThings, Insteon, Wink and more, ” stated on the Echo device’ Amazon page.

Amazon Echo is a pretty unique product, you’ll be forgiven for thinking that it’s nothing more than a Bluetooth-enabled speaker, which it technically is but it does come with Alexa. Just ask: “Alexa, what are the hours for a nearby pharmacy?”

In addition to the local search feature, the updated Echo can now also be customized to deliver updates on your favorite sports teams and offers a new sleep timer option, which allows the device to play you to sleep with your favorite podcast or audio book.