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Amazon Echo, Dot, Tap - Owners Thread


Marc

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Who has embraced Amazon's Echo?

 

I got on board and I'm absolutely in love with it. In fact, so is my wife and my 5 year old daughter.

I've put a dot in the office, and use that to stream spotify in the day and control the office lights.

We put a dot in the kitchen/meals area and the kids use that for music, wife uses it for weather/news, and now shopping lists.

 

I use either device to turn the coffee machine on and off (which is handy if I'm in the office, as I know it needs 30 mins or so to get to temp).


The possibilities are endless. We also have Tado (yet to implement), LIFX and Wemo, so all are being used.

 

I've got a Echo on order to replace the kitchen Dot. I really haven't tapped into IFTTT with it yet either.


What have you got and how/what do you use it for?

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I really love the concept but as a lot of the services it can offer are region-specified currently (transport timetables, etc etc), I'll wait until they make it work seemlessly in any location, unless you can chime in and tell me an easy way around this?

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Up until very recently there was a workaround to solve the Home location. Unfortunately they seem to have plugged that one.

So you can still set the timezone (which I have done) to make use of alarms etc. But yes, instead of asking "Alexa what is weather tonight?", you have to say "Alexa what is the weather tonight in Melbourne, Australia?".


To be honest, the location issue hasn't been a problem for me so far.
 

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I found the Echo experience to be fun, but ultimately not for me. The "workarounds" are easy enough to implement, and as Marc said, you generally just add the word "Sydney" to any questions and you get the right info.

 

My feeling is that the real strength lies in home-automation use, (something I have little of). The fact that they're cheap, (the Dots), and have great integration with numerous 3rd party systems, means you can have them all over the house. In that scenario, you really can feel like you're talking to HAL.

 

I reckon you can predict how much you'd enjoy Echo by asking yourself - do you use Spotify? Do you use IFTTT? Do you have WEMO, or the like? In that case, brilliant.

 

On the other side, (hopefully this isn't sullying the thread), there's Google Home. If you like the idea of talking to the machine, and it answering almost flawlessly, including context, etc., then it's light-years ahead. Also, in my case, I use Youtube RED, not Spotify, so the music integration works better.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  • 2 months later...

I have an echo dot currently controlling my AV equipment via logitech hub and its amazing and have a echo in the room for spotify and alarm. Got a few applets going for reminders and shopping lists that get automatically synced to my iphone :). 

 

Tried to get voice control for KODI to work with ALEXA and ran into a few configuration issues so gave up half way. 

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In case anyone else is looking. B&H sell them, including shipping to Aus for around $82 AUD all told.

 

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1282299-REG/amazon_b015tjd0y4_echo_dot_white.html

 

I haven't pulled the trigger yet. I'm still yet to setup the stuff I plan to use it with so no hurry. Good to know you can get them cheaper than feeBay though.

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  • 3 months later...

I recently got one. Have it connected and controlling my zwave lights. Works good most of the time tho I think the HC2 doesn't send back status data so Alexa thinks it hasn't worked.  Works 90% of the time tho. Just need to remember what's it's called. I.e. living lights not living room lights. She's such a stickler. 

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 months later...


5 hours ago, Marc said:

Are you gonna beat this up like Roon now

But...then I learnt to love it once I understood it so I shall research.

Maybe the google one might be better for as I use a lot of chromecast and audiocast.

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22 hours ago, PSherriff said:

favourite thing is the 'Song Quiz' skill to test out her knowledge of "80s Hair Bands". Maybe these weren't such a good idea.

I'll have to get one now! I'm a master of 80's hair bands.:thumb:

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I agree, just a couple of extra words in there makes the whole concept redundant IMO.

In my case it's become habit now where I just walk in and automatically say "Alexa, Office On", or "Alexa, Coffee On".

It really does have to be simple.

 

I've seen some processes where you have to tell one product to do something to another product in order to get the system talking. This defeats the purpose I think.

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18 minutes ago, powerav said:

I still think it's easier flicking a switch on, looks like we are going backwards.

 

Yep. I think it is very sad. It seems like creating a market for something that was never needed in the first place.

Disclaimer:

I also respect the right of others to disagree and use these devices if they choose to do so

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