Amazon Echo Dot unit.

[AndyRM]

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Alexa play music Pinky and Perky volume 10. Is great at a mates as the Amazon Echo sits by the speaker and cannot hear any more commands when the speaker is at max volume.

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

For major lols, get your cat into having conversations with Alexa


View: https://youtu.be/gCuW1NaWldA


One of our cats, Trubble, can keep this up for half an hour at a time

 

[Markymark]

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

Both equally shite, HTH.

 

[Drago]

[QUOTE 5045530, member: 45"]Google Contacts.

Google Chrome.

Google Play Music.

Google Calendar.

Google Keep.

And so on...[/QUOTE]

Apart from music - Amazon has its own - and Google Keep - again, Amazon has its own - it interfaces flawlessly with Gmail, Chrome, etc. It also integrates smoothly with Microsoft stuff like Outook etc.

I'm just struggling to see how the Google integration improves on the smooth and instantaneous Amazon one? Equally good I can well imagine, but the only way to improve on smooth and instantaneous would be if the Google Home had a time machine function that delivered what you wanted before you even ask for it.

 

[gavroche]

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

I will ask him over the weekend.

 

[screenman]

I will ask him over the weekend.

Could you not ask Alexa?

 

[AndyRM]

Apart from music - Amazon has its own - and Google Keep - again, Amazon has its own - it interfaces flawlessly with Gmail, Chrome, etc. It also integrates smoothly with Microsoft stuff like Outook etc.

I'm just struggling to see how the Google integration improves on the smooth and instantaneous Amazon one? Equally good I can well imagine, but the only way to improve on smooth and instantaneous would be if the Google Home had a time machine function that delivered what you wanted before you even ask for it.

To be honest, when it comes to interface design, everyone's pretty much got it nailed. Apart from Microsoft, and a few of the skins for Android - my phone has Emui which can be infuriating.

 

[screenman]

To be honest, when it comes to interface design, everyone's pretty much got it nailed. Apart from Microsoft, and a few of the skins for Android - my phone has Emui which can be infuriating.

What like Rod Hull type.

 

[dodgy]

We love our Echo units. We have two, a dot and a full size Echo. We use them almost exclusively for music. It's completely changed the way we listen, so much more variety now because there's no friction to change, just tell it what you want to hear.
I'd be tempted to buy some smart lights, but I know that will just be a novelty for me, and the thought of not being able to control them because my wifi network is down puts me right off (as rare as that is)

 

[Brains]

We acquired Alexa from the in-laws as they had got bored with it.
Frankly, now so have we.
If I was offered another one for £10, I might consider it, but they are not worth any more

 

[summerdays]

We love our Echo units. We have two, a dot and a full size Echo. We use them almost exclusively for music. It's completely changed the way we listen, so much more variety now because there's no friction to change, just tell it what you want to hear.
I'd be tempted to buy some smart lights, but I know that will just be a novelty for me, and the thought of not being able to control them because my wifi network is down puts me right off (as rare as that is)

We have the lights too! I thought it would be useful for Mr Summerdays who wears glasses to be able to turn the light on by voice, instead he's set it up on the timed option, so the bedside light comes on very dimly first thing in the morning.

 

[LeetleGreyCells]

The brother-in-law has an Echo Dot linked to Hive bulbs and thermostat. He’s named the bulbs for the main light and lamp then says something like, “Echo, reduce light to 50%,” or “Echo, increase heating by 3 degrees.” I think he may have those remote sockets connected to it too.

I think the set up must have cost him £250-350. My personal preference is to save the money and get up off my backside and manually turn the dimmer switch and thermostat dial. I’d rather buy bike stuff with the money I would have saved.

 

[gavroche]

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

That's exactly what my son said, so there you are, nothing else to add.

 

[Inertia]

[QUOTE 5044673, member: 45"]What about the listening risk? Anything in it?[/QUOTE]
If you mean dangers of being listened too, its constantly listening for the keyword but no human is actually listening.

There was an issue with googles version which was recording and sending them to google.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technolo...ni-faultleft-smart-speakers-always-recording/