New Delhi, Nov. 18 -- In many homes, Alexa mostly plays songs, sets timers and gives the weather. That is nice, but it can do a lot more with very little effort from you. With a few small routines and simple voice lines, Alexa can take care of boring daily tasks. No subscription, no special skill needed, just the Echo speaker you already have.

1. "Alexa, start my day"

This can be your one line to begin the morning. You can set a routine so that when you say "Alexa, start my day", your bedroom light turns on, Alexa tells you the weather and reads the first event on your calendar. You can also add a short news update if you like. It's very easy, you just say it once and get all the basic info without touching your phone.

2. "Alexa, add t...