Just been bought an Amazon Echo Plus for Christmas. Love the idea of a smart home but have no idea where to start/if it’s worth it/if it’s going to cost me loads.
What do you use yours for? Is it easy to set stuff up? Has it cost a bomb? Is it reliable?
Any advice would be brilliant.
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Amazon's use for it is to tie you into their ecosystem and sell you stuff. Just like all their other electronic devices. But if you have interconnected systems you can do things like turn your lights on and off, set the heating temperature, set reminders, play music, play stuff on your telly, ask questions.
Edit: I've got the Google Home coming for Christmas for myself. But I've already got Nest thermostat, Phillips Hue lights, Logitech remotes as well as Chromecast set up in the house. Probably about a grand all in for my set up.
Last edited by Bonesey; 22nd December 2017 at 06:19.
Its basically a speaker which has a deep field microphone built in which is activated when you say "Alexa"
You can change the word to a few other pre set ones but can't remember what they are.
In it's basic form you ask it questions like , what's the weather like tomorrow, what's on at the local cinema etc etc. You can also apply skills to its memory which connect and allow intergration with other devices. So I have mine paired with my Sonos system, pairing is quite simple assuming you have an amazon account and you can remember your Sonos account info. To play music you just say "Alexa play xmas music in the Lounge" of course it relies on you naming the Sonos devices correctly.
In a nutshell you enable the skill in settings and it takes you through the set up process,its really quite simply even for a numpty like me.
Eventually there's going to be loads of applications.
You also have the drop in feature which allows you to voice call people in your contacts free of charge.
Shouldnt cost you anything assuming you don't have lists of shopping set up with amazon and you order them without knowing
Last edited by Franky Four Fingers; 22nd December 2017 at 07:55.
Alexa is about to go nuts, I have seen several products that will be on the market next year all integrating with it.
The two technologies that are going to be huge are Alexa and Lora
FFF good explanation, I have mine linked to my Spotify account.
MrsW loves it!
My missus didn't see the point of it but uses it more than me now. My youngest son also likes the fart skill....yes the fart skill which will come in handy when the MIL comes round Boxing DayOriginally Posted by barryw
I use mine to:
Turn on lights via Hue
Control Sonos
Control TV via Logitech Harmony
Get weather forecasts
How does the fart skill work? That sounds like fun for the kids at Christmas.
I have a echo dot and it is placed next to my sonos but I can get it to work together. I have activated the sonos skill in the app. I am assuming you have the echo wired to the sonos?
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No nothing is hard wired.
assuming yours is the one without Alexa built in?
if so you need to make sure that you've downloaded the latest update to the Sonos system via the update page on settings. If you've enabled the skill from the Alexa app you follow the instructions to pair from there. You need your Sonos log in details from there it's quite straightforward to folow
Say "Alexa, discover devices". It should then find the Sonos which will be listed in the Alexa app under Settings > Devices.
Sounds like a faff to operate the TV. Far quicker to just use the remote.
I always think they are for people with no one to talk to, brilliant for an elderly person or in a modern house they are brilliant at reducing the need to move and ultimately put us one step closer to extinction
RIAC
I got rid of both of mine.
Don't like the always on, and concerned me re: DP etc.
I used them for spotify and controlling Hue lights.
Always on, always listening, targeted marketing 'home-invasion', who else has access to your private moments?
Not for me.
Me neither.
Pay for the privilege to buy more stuff from Amazon...
Amazingly I can change the channel on my TV, turn lights on and off and search the internet without this technology.
I suppose that makes me a technology God :D
M
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Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
Not true, always on listening for the wake word, when it hears that it records. It’s well documented
Is it only the Echo plus that has a built in hub or does the Echo show have it too?
https://youtu.be/YvT_gqs5ETk
Really interested in this thread as I've just bought my parents one for Christmas. Has anyone got tips for using this with home automation? And what other equipment would be considered essential to work with it?
I got one for my elderly parents last Christmas. They use it mainly as a radio or to ask for weather and news reports etc. I got them a Harmony remote and hub at the same time so they can also use it to control the TV, Freeview box etc. It will work with many home automation devices such as Philips Hue Lighting or Samsung Smartthings but unless you have the Echo Plus you’ll need the hue or smartthings hub as well as the devices.
Works well (now) with Hive gear, thermostat, lighting, sockets etc.
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Remember before remotes, had to get up to change channels.
Preferable to my wife surfing during the adverts and perpetually tweaking the volume.
I quite fancied the idea (notwithstanding security issues) then realised the last time I said ‘hey Siri’ to my iPhone was within the first week I got it - I just wouldn’t use it
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Saved my bacon the other week when my Harmony Ultimate remote finally succumbed to being thrown on the floor one too many times by my son.
The ability to say "Alexa, turn on the television" and have it switch on TV, Amp, Sky box and set everything to the right input/output enabled us to manage with just the Sky remote until the Ultimate was on sale again at Amazon.
Note: Other commands are available: turn on/off pretty much any entertainment device, change channel, change volume, select favourite channel, etc.
Also note: my son found it exceedingly amusing to play some of the build in games (like "would you rather").
Pretty good if you have amazon prime as there is access to millions of tunes.
Not bad for asking general questions too - "Alexa, what is the weather going to be tomorrow?"
Obviously I've disabled the ability to purchase things from Amazon (I have a 6 year old boy - "Alexa, buy me another XBox")
Cheers,
Mark C
Thanks for all the replies. Has anyone else gone for the Google? How have you decided which to go for? Google feels slightly less “stuck” to one website than the Alexa to me.
I know of the “listening” issues. I have to decide if that concerns me.
Any more thoughts or advice would be appreciated.
What about door locks? Has anyone committed to smart locks? If so how does that work?
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Yes I've got the Google Home full size coming for Christmas and the mini on the way as well. Mini will go in the garage I reckon. Really looking forward to integrating it will all my kit. I wouldn't touch Amazon with a barge pole.
Fas est ab hoste doceri
Is that a technology issue or some kind of peculiar bias?
M.
All of the Amazon gadgets in the past have been compromised in order to tie you into the Amazon ecosystem in such a cynical way. You only have to look at the phones and tablets to see this. Tied into their own app store, no Google services btw, and Amazon shopping system as default. I think even the average Joe consumer could see this which is why they never took off and got crappy reviews.
I think what irks me more about Amazon is that there's no hiding their corporate greed. It's just a cynical cash grab. Whilst I know that Google and Amazon are there to make money, at least I've always felt that I have options. One of the reasons why I never bought another iPhone after the 3g was how trapped in was in my options and flexibility.
Its called an Amazon Echo.
We went down the Google route, it was a cheap way to integrate music with existing kit by using Chromecast audios and now with a Google home and a mini, the family has music and radio with out having to buy anything extra. A subscription to Google music was needed, but as we used to buy one or two CD’s a month this is easily covered and with the family subscription my son (10) is able to have his own ‘collection’ without any further outlay.
Indeed. All we need now is robots to remove humans that society feels are a problem and we’re done for.
Oh, wait...
http://uk.businessinsider.com/securi...ncisco-2017-12
Disable the voice order facility straight away!
I use my Amazon ‘dot’ mainly to play music via my hifi and love how easy it is to play the latest album from whoever I want, also tuning up/down the volume whilst seated at the dinner table is convenient too.
Also asking for the weather report while making a cup of tea in the morning.
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Shock horror, an amazon product sells Amazon stuff. Someone inform the competition commission.
Our 11 year old has got one for Christmas, hope he likes it but can see it being a bit of a fad.
I've got a good idea.
Why don't I put a microphone in my living room, connect it to the internet, and give global access to anyone persistent enough to listen in?
M'kay
Do you have a mobile phone, laptop, iPad or tablet?
Is the Sonos integration only for services like Amazon Music; Apple Music etc? Presume you can't use it with your own library?
Thinking of getting one, but the main use would be to select music - at least that's what I would buy it for...
Last edited by bambam; 23rd December 2017 at 19:44. Reason: Spelling!
You can pair your mobile phone via Bluetooth and play all your music through it.
you can control the volume tracks etc then with Alexa.
Sonos integration is for Amazon Music and Spotify only. It will not work with your own music library. You can ask to play music on a particular Sonos:
Alexa, play heavy metal on Living Room
It will then play from the default music service selected in the Alexa app. You cannot create a group of rooms using Alexa. If you use the Sonos app to start music, you can then control it using the Echo.
Becuase that would be free, whereas an echo costs about 80 quid
Good luck everybody. Have a good one.
Use mine to,
Control, some lamps(on, off, dim) play music through my surround sound. Turn my heating on, off, up, down.
Use it like Google search (ask Alexa anything and she searches net and tells you answer)
Our lass uses it as a timer when cooking and as a notebook reminder.
Love it me, but then I'm into my gadgets
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Why all the paranoia? What are you people up to/discussing at home that you are so worried might get discovered?
I also don't get why folk are so worried about targeted advertising. We've all had a big glow up box force feeding us irrelevant and often irritating advertising in our homes for decades. You are still free to choose not to purchase.
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I have a close relative with MS who is consigned to a wheelchair. I think it is fair to say that the Echo has pretty much revolutionised their life. Handling a remote of any kind was a real challenge, and turning the lights on or off required a carer, but the voice control provided by the Echo has changed all of that. As more capabilities are added it provides increasing independence.
Connect to your talking safe.
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