Amazon Echo Dot unit.

[gavroche]

My son has one and advised me to get one while Black Friday is on: £34.99 instead of £49.99. Is it really worth having one in the house? What exactly do you use it for? I am no expert on technology so would like your opinion if you have one.

 

[Drago]

I like mine very much - I call her Orac. Its linked to speakers in the ceiling and an amp in the loft via bluetooth.

News, radio, weather, wiki, random questions answered instantly. Mrs D pays then extra £7 a month for Amazon plus (or extra, or whatever its called) which gives access to a vast music library.

I'm a witch burning, flat earth loving technophobe, but I love it. Once set up its uber easy to use - you simply speak to the damn thing!

 

[biggs682]

Another piece of modern technology that thankfully has missed me by

 

[summerdays]

I have one that I chat to in the kitchen.... we have a frustrating relationship.... she doesn't always understand me, but will happily obey my husband.... so sometimes I have to get him to add things to the shopping list...."yeast" is one of our problem purchases with one time she added "used to be lovely" instead! I also have some chino eggs on my list! Mr Summerdays says I'm too polite to her (I can't help but add please etc).

He has one too that he uses to play music and turn on lights.

 

[Gary E]

Got one in the pain cave for use when I'm cycling on the Turbo. I use it for music mostly but I've also got it connected to a smart plug back in the main house with a flashing beacon plugged into it. The wife knows that if she sees my "Bat Signal" go off she needs to bring me more water

 

[Markymark]

Mr R has them scattered around the house. Mainly used by me for playing Radio 4 and timers in the kitchen, by him for turning on and off lights or changing the colour of the lights in various rooms - and pissing me off.

I bet your neighbours love you....6:30 am every morning hearing you shout "Alexa, disco lights on, Donna Summer and crank it up to 11!!"

 

[Gary E]

I spoke to my neighbour the other day and asked him if he could hear my Turbo. He said no, he couldn't hear the Turbo but what he often heard was me singing along at the top of my voice to music he couldn't hear (I wear bluetooth headphones so that my music doesn't annoy the neighbours as I ride with the windows open) and he often heard me yelling/swearing at Alexa!

 

[Drago]

Who knows? I'm very careful not to read out bank details or dates of birth when she's listening. From what I read smart phones present a similar risk, and that doesn't seem to worry anyone (other than me).

 

[summerdays]

[QUOTE 5044673, member: 45"]What about the listening risk? Anything in it?[/QUOTE]
When we first installed Alexa we were having a conversation in the kitchen when Alexa suddenly butted into ask if she should put it in my Amazon basket. That option was instantly disabled! Otherwise she now has to listen to my dreadful singing when we are alone together in the kitchen

 

[gavroche]

Following my son's advice, I am going to get 3 of them from Google. Apparently, the Google one works better with Android phones. £15 each cheaper at the moment.

 

[Drago]

How does he mean 'works better with android phones'? Curious, is all.

 

[AndyRM]

How does he mean 'works better with android phones'? Curious, is all.

Google developed Android, Amazon only relatively recently became compatible with Android so there are bound to be niggles.

 

[Drago]

If there are, I've not found them. Create an appointment, order something, request a song, do anything, and it shows up on my android tablet before Alexa has even finished confirming the request. Very fast interface with Android, no niggles whatsoever.

 

[AndyRM]

If there are, I've not found them. Create an appointment, order something, request a song, do anything, and it shows up on my android tablet before Alexa has even finished confirming the request. Very fast interface with Android, no niggles whatsoever.

Hold on, the King of Smartphone Haters has both Alexa and a tablet?!

I'm glad I was sitting to receive this news.

 

[Drago]

Yep, a nice big tablet that deliberately won't fit in my pocket. Its 4g too! Its just smart phones that I don't dig.

The Alexa thing was a gift from Mrs D, but dispite my initial scepticism I like rather a lot. I'm trying to persuade Mrs D to let me buy a smart kettle that Alexa can commamd for me