Anyone know about the Amazon Echo?

[original PM]

I've just added the dot to the kitchen, handy for timers, switching lights off/on. And connects to speaker so can have music in the kitchen.

I do like it but I just wish it was a little better, like asking it to convert a temp to a gas mark doesnt work but you can do it the other way round.

Asking for traffic is ok if you have a defined route but would be great to say "I'm going to Newcastle, what's the traffic like" - but you can't do that.

If you have two in the house, so we have the Echo in the bedroom and a dot in the kitchen and try to use them at the same time. They interrupt each other, so the wife was asking to play classical music and I was asking about weather in the morning and we stopped each other from using the devices.

The skills so far are not great, and you have to remember the exact phrase. So asking for a recipe is fine but you cant say stop, repeat the last ingredient or convert that to...

But i can only see these things getting better and I do like the device for reminders, timers, music, news and weather. Oh and switching the lights on/off

[woohoo]

I feel you only picked up on one of my points, but honestly, I'm just happy someone reads the crap I post (if only the last line).

[northernladuk]

I feel you only picked up on one of my points, but honestly, I'm just happy someone reads the crap I post (if only the last line).

I do.. Well watch your avatar anyway

[vetran]

My Dot just arrived (£39.99 on Black Friday deal so its dirt cheap just for a music player) and so far its awesome. Setup via the web interface which was dead easy.

Alexa shuffle play <Band name here>

Alexa whats the time?

Alexa Play LBC

Alexa stop LBC

Alexa, ask Daily Mail for today's top stories




Think we need some CUK skills .

Alexa What would you do to AndyW's mum?

Alexa post remain gibberish in the Brexit thread.

Alexa ask the Granuaid why I'm a Facist today.


etc.

wanting to integrate to the Vera.

Speaker on the Dot is not terrible but will connect to a decent speaker.

[vetran]

and the Vera Beta doesn't seem to work unless you are in Trumpville.

madmadmad

[vetran]

just to prove people are weirder than us

super new skill

https://www.alexaskillstore.com/Bowe...nt-Facts/39004

Bowel Movement Facts

Test your knowledge on what happens when you go to the bathroom.


Invocation Name

bowel movement facts

Interaction Examples

Alexa, open bowel movement facts
Alexa, launch bowel movement facts
Alexa, start bowel movement facts

[original PM]

I feel you only picked up on one of my points, but honestly, I'm just happy someone reads the crap I post (if only the last line).

I think I was just bored and wanted to post.

I keep thinking these may be great but then I just am struggling to really see the benefit....

[Moose423956]

My Dot just arrived (£39.99 on Black Friday deal so its dirt cheap just for a music player) and so far its awesome. Setup via the web interface which was dead easy.

Alexa shuffle play <Band name here>

Alexa whats the time?

Alexa Play LBC

Alexa stop LBC

Alexa, ask Daily Mail for today's top stories




Think we need some CUK skills .

Alexa What would you do to AndyW's mum?

Alexa post remain gibberish in the Brexit thread.

Alexa ask the Granuaid why I'm a Facist today.


etc.

wanting to integrate to the Vera.

Speaker on the Dot is not terrible but will connect to a decent speaker.

I also bought the Dot for the reduced price. Agree with most of what you say, but only really using it for music TBH.

It does seem a bit inconsistent. If I say "Alexa, play Team Rock radio" it sometimes works, sometimes doesn't. Maybe it's to do with how much of a gap I leave between "Team" and "Rock".

It's very clever at finding songs even if you don't know the title. My missus asked it to play "Waltzing Matilda" by Rod Stewart, which is called something completely different but Alexa still found it. And the response to this sort of request is pretty much instantaneous.

One big annoyance for me is the fact that if it's playing a whole CD it leaves gaps between the tracks. This is very annoying when listening to the likes of Pink Floyd where most tracks flow one after another. I've got rid of CD players for doing that.

Another annoyance is asking for traffic reports. It only seems to tell me the traffic between my home and place of work which I had to register in the app, it wouldn't recognise a request to report traffic conditions between home and Nottingham for example.

So far I'd give it 7/10.

[Platypus]

OK, so I don't have any home automation stuff, and I don't subscribe to Amazon Music, so what could I use a Dot for?

Asking it the weather.

Is that about it? Serious question, because it looks interesting for £40 but it might just end up being another unused gadget :-/

[SueEllen]

OK, so I don't have any home automation stuff, and I don't subscribe to Amazon Music, so what could I use a Dot for?

Asking it the weather.

Is that about it? Serious question, because it looks interesting for £40 but it might just end up being another unused gadget :-/

Amazon music is where they dump all the CDs you buy for other people on Amazon.