Alexa

[PeteXXX]

I met a lovely Norwegian lady who, when I asked her name, felt she had to apologise before telling me it was 'Siri'.
I assume the rate of babes being named 'Alexa' in UK has plummeted in this decade.

At least tou could ask her anything you wanted to 😁

 

[Regular.Cyclist]

An Amazon echo device, at the right price, gives a cheap way of getting good, reliable., Matter support for other home automation products.

The echo in our living room permanently has its microphone muted but brings a whole lot more automation to things around the rest of the house.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Echo Dot, still in the box unused.

They can be useful if you have limited mobility I suppose.

Yes I was given an Alexa 'Dot' as a present, never used it, sat in the box for ages and then I gave it to my neighbour who has mobility issues and utterly relies on them (she has one in every room in the house and uses them for lights, music, pill and appointment reminders, weather, everything).

I quite frankly can't be done with them listening to everything, it seems quite creepy to me!
Yes, I know I'll have an internet presence, but why make it any worse? I feel there should be at least some privacy still left in your life 🤷‍♂️


At least my 'Dot' has gone to a good home as it would still be here, gathering dust.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

no I agree, you're either off-grid or you're not. I don't think there's any way of not sharing data about yourself if you visit even 1 website

Well you use a VPN, so they cannot track via a regular IP address. You have your browser set to remove cookies when you close the tab. There is very little they will know about you. Next time you visit, it is like they gsve not seen you before.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Alexa: anyone got one, or an Echo Dot?
What use is it? 🤔

I have got 2 Echo Dots, one has a brilliant sound.
One ED is in my kitchen, for playing music (I spend a lot of time in my kitchen) and setting timers for the baking I'm doing.
Occasionally I will ask Alexa on ED 2 in my living room a question, like "what's the temperature outside" but mostly I play music on it or get updates on my Amazon shopping deliveries.
I have linked my Echo Dots to my Spotify, but it's easy to also play from Amazon Music or other streaming services.

 

[Drago]

Well you use a VPN, so they cannot track via a regular IP address.

Thr VPN providers can track you via your IP address, and theyre not immune to either hacking or court orders.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

When listening to the radio they sometimes refer to the "smart speaker beginning with A" because of they mention it by name it makes people's tech do things they don't want. I guess that means that people won't be able to name their child "Alexa" for fear that talking to the kids will turn the lights off or something.

I assume the rate of babes being named 'Alexa' in UK has plummeted in this decade.

Yes, a few times while watching a YouTube clip or a FB clip my Alexa answered
My neighbor's daughter is called Alexa, poor soul. She's 16.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Thr VPN providers can track you via your IP address, and theyre not immune to either hacking or court orders.

They can but certain ones like Proton don’t. Plus Swiss privacy law applies

 

[Drago]

I don't think the likes of ECHELON or FIVE EYES are worried about Swiss laws.

If you're on the Interweb, no matter how clever we think we may be or what cunning tools we are using, we can be identified and located. At best we can make it awkward for civilian organisations.

 

[Fastpedaller]

They have their uses........ One handy thing is if carrying two teas from one room to another, just by saying 'Alexa, turn off kitchen light', there's no need to put down one tea to turn off the light switch. I was at my Daughter's house (she 'introduced us' to Alexa) with no telephone, installing her kitchen. Wife and Daughter had gone away for the weekend, and during Saturday afternoon (by which time they'd been gone several hours) I heard my Daughter's voice "Dad, are you there?" Frightened the life out of me, and I thought they'd returned home with a car breakdown or something. Daughter was able to connect to Alexa and speak to me using her 'phone

 

[cougie uk]

We have a few. Switches on lights and sockets. You can control the central heating and hot water. It'll answer questions. Timers are handy for cooking. You can add things to your shopping list. Set reminders for things. It'll tell you what bin goes out this week. You can use them as an intercom around the house too. All sorts of things really.

 

[Drago]

We have a few. Switches on lights and sockets. You can control the central heating and hot water. It'll answer questions. Timers are handy for cooking. You can add things to your shopping list. Set reminders for things. It'll tell you what bin goes out this week. You can use them as an intercom around the house too. All sorts of things really.

I have a wife to do all that for me.

 

[mistyoptic]

Won an Echo Dot at a trade show. Ended up giving it to my daughter. Her children use it for music.

I have relatives who use it for kitchen timers and light controls and all sorts.

Me? CBA

 

[Pat "5mph"]

It'll tell you what bin goes out this week.

Really, I haven't thought about this feature!
I'm in charge of the building's bins lol, I take a screenshot of the council's calendar at the beginning of the year, then refer to that.
Asking Alexa would be handier!
How did you set this up, please?

 

[stephec]

I have a wife to do all that for me.

You mean to tell you to do all that stuff? 😂