Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Dallas child orders a dollhouse and cookies via Alexa


By now, most everyone has heard of Amazon’s Alexa — a home digital assistant that can do everything from tell you the current temperature outside to order items online for you. Just tell it what you want from Amazon and before you know it, the delivery van is pulling up outside. The ultimate convenience, right? One Dallas tyke thought so. It seems that young Brooke Neitzel has jumped onto the information highway in a big way.

According to WFAA in Dallas, the Neitzel family was given an Echo Dot for Christmas. It was set up in the kitchen and that was that. Or so they thought. But Brooke was rather enchanted by the device, and Santa must not have delivered a new dollhouse, either. So she went to work. The term carpe diem comes to mind.

“She can do knock-knock jokes, she can sing, she can order stuff,” Brooke said on WFAA. “I just asked her if she could order a dollhouse and some cookies, and she said, ‘Do you want this?’ and I said ‘Yes.'”

KidKraft Sparkle Mansion ($162.32) showed up at the front door of the Neitzels’ North Dallas home, along with a four-pound tin of sugar cookies … because you gotta have some munchies while you’re playing with your new dollhouse. Brooke’s mother was tipped off when she received an order confirmation message. “I get an Amazon notification that says your order has shipped, and I thought that’s interesting,” Neitzel told WFAA. “I had not made an order!”

Turns out the dollhouse will be donated to a local children’s hospital, and the cookies are being doled out judiciously. And Mr. and Mrs. Neitzel learned how to put parental controls on their new device. “It took about five seconds to put those parental controls on there,” Mrs. Neitzel adds.

Editors' Recommendations

Brinke Guthrie
Brinke’s favorite toys include his Samsung Galaxy Tab S, Toshiba Chromebook 2, Motorola Moto G4, and two Kindles. A…
Amazon Alexa aims to streamline the EV charging experience
Amazon Alexa lists EV charging station locations on a vehicle touchscreen.

While the number of EV charging stations continues to grow, finding a station and paying for charging can still be a hassle. But soon you'll be able to simply ask Alexa.

At CES 2023, Amazon announced Alexa-enabled charging services that will let EV drivers find a charging station via Alexa, as well as pay for charging at certain stations when they become available to drivers in the U.S. later in 2023. You'll need a car with Alexa integration or an accessory like one of Amazon's Echo Auto devices, however.

Read more
The best Alexa skills to use on your Amazon Echo in 2023
Amazon Echo Show 15 Smart Display on a wall.

Your Alexa-enabled device is a standout gateway into the world of smart home automation. Using voice commands and the intuitive Alexa companion app, Alexa owners can control web-connected devices like smart security cameras, door locks, and A/V hardware like the Amazon Fire Stick 4K Max. In addition to schedule management and other great features, did you know that Alexa is capable of many "skills" too?

Alexa skills are small, free apps (though a few do have a subscription fee) you can download to add functionalities to your smart devices. You can install skills to use voice commands to call Lyft, get Alexa to read you a bedtime story, or turn Alexa into a cooking assistant.

Read more
Amazon brings Matter support to 17 Echo devices
Echo Show 15 with base.

Amazon has officially rolled out Matter support to a wide variety of devices, including 17 Echo products, as well as smart plugs, light bulbs, and switches. The company says that this is only “phase one” of the rollout, with Matter heading to even more smart home gadgets in 2023.

According to Amazon, this phased rollout will allow the team to bring Matter support to the most popular devices on the market while ensuring the platform remains stable. The list of products included in phase one is quite extensive and encapsulates some of the most popular products on the market. Echo devices were the primary target of the rollout. Here’s a look at every Echo device that now supports Matter:

Read more