Dot to Dot - the daily 5min Alexa demo show

Not very relaxing and so probably not very good for dogs, today's skill may possibly be best for a non-canine who likes really tinkly-pinkly music and doesn't mind the fact that the skill is really meant mainly for dogs… If that's you then give yourself a pat.

With in-skill purchase options for extra lives and words, this game is the opposite of bad but can also often be the opposite of whatever that word is that's the opposite of frustrating. You can tell that I'm not very good at finding the opposites of some words - most notably in this demo; 'Customer' and 'Understood'. Answers on a postcard please.

Finally! Calling mobile phones and landlines from your Echo has come to the UK. This is excellent news and long overdue. Apologies to all those for whom it's still but a dreamed-for feature - like whisper mode, perhaps? (Amazon - are you listening?) Also included are calls to all US, Canada and Mexico mobile and residential numbers (emergency services such as 999 or 112, premium and business rate numbers are not supported).

Thomas Domville ([email protected]) brings us a shattering demo of the new Alexa Guard feature that helps protect your home from fire and theft while you're out and about.

If you often find that you don't have time to fit in your daily dose of Dot to Dot goodness, then you may want to try to make time for this one.

Today's soothing soundscape skill is brought to us by the brilliantdevelopers at Voice Skills Inc (@VoiceSkillsInc on Twitter) - well, one in particular. Nick Sawka serves up a slick demo, along with a sample stunning scene (we can see in today's episode artwork) that's usually shown on your Echo Show screen.

I would tell you more about today's hypnotically-good skill but I've just listened to a snatch of the relaxation session and am feeling far too chilled to summon up the necessary… The necessary… Mmmmmm.

SShh - don't tell anyone but we've covered this before. I'm hoping that by my asking Thomas Domville ([email protected]) to cover this nice US-only nighttime feature once again, it'll nudge Amazon into bringing it to the rest of us.

This skill is a bit like Twenty Questions - covered in episode 4 and then again in episode 730 (because it's so good) - but with everything taken out that isn't an animal and then turned backwards. In this skill the A-lady chooses the animal, and you're the one asking up to 20 Yes/No questions. What's smaller than a dog, doesn't have fur, lays eggs and is a vegetarian? I guess we'll never know…

* Warning - lots of "Alexa"s being spoken in today's episode *  Phillip Chalker is back to bring us a brilliant demo of a monthly A-lady skills round-up podcast direct from Amazon HQ. Not available here in the UK, but hopefully where you are.