Smart speaker, who has/uses one? What for?

[Dave7]

Father Christmas brought me one yesterday. Its an Echo Dot.
I like my music and the oldies radio stations eg Gold and Smooth. I can listen to those through my Virgin box but there must be lots of other stuff to listen to..... when I can get it set up.
So........ as per heading, what do you use yours for?

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Podcasts, asking it entirely random questions I could well have answered myself. As an alarm/timer/best friend. Doing daft quizzes, being told terrible jokes. Adding 'skills' to do other stuff of your choosing (link below). Collating shopping lists. I'm sure we do lots more with it.


https://www.amazon.co.uk/b?ie=UTF8&node=10068517031

 

[Domus]

My bedroom one is linked to the local weather and my iCalendar. In the morning I say Alexa, good morning. She answers with the date and time, the weather and my next event on the calendar then turns on the radio. The one in the kitchen plays the radio and times the cooking, washing machine, reminds me to check the post box.
I have one in the garage too. Same use for radio but handy for stuff you may need to Google but you have dirty hands, eg what is the torque setting for the wheel nuts on the MX-5? what tyre pressure ? Convert foot pounds to Nm. Very handy in my opinion

 

[Sharky]

Father Christmas brought me one yesterday. Its an Echo Dot.
I like my music and the oldies radio stations eg Gold and Smooth. I can listen to those through my Virgin box but there must be lots of other stuff to listen to..... when I can get it set up.
So........ as per heading, what do you use yours for?

Playing various radio stations, that take ages to search for on a normal radio - Caroline in particular.

If you subscribe to Amazon music, you can play enormous variety of artists and songs

When the grandkids are here, just ask Alexa to play children's music .

 

[Dave7]

Playing various radio stations, that take ages to search for on a normal radio - Caroline in particular.

If you subscribe to Amazon music, you can play enormous variety of artists and songs

When the grandkids are here, just ask Alexa to play children's music .

I have Amazon music. Hadn't thought of that.

 

[biggs682]

Got one still in the box never used it

 

[Pat "5mph"]

when I can get it set up.

Hi Dave, I've got 2, one in the kitchen, one in the living room.
Good sound, well, good enough for me.
To set your Echo Dot device up, you need to download the Alexa app on your phone.
You can link the Dot to your Amazon music account and to your Spotify account.
There are many tutorials on YouTube.
Have fun!

 

[Dave7]

Hi Dave, I've got 2, one in the kitchen, one in the living room.
Good sound, well, good enough for me.
To set your Echo Dot device up, you need to download the Alexa app on your phone.
You can link the Dot to your Amazon music account and to your Spotify account.
There are many tutorials on YouTube.
Have fun!

Thanks.

 

[nogoodnamesleft]

Personally I don't like these devices perpetually listening to what I'm doing and uploading unknown amounts to providers. I do tend to trust Apple but certainly don't trust Google (they need your data to make money whereas Apple get their income from hardware and software).

I have occasionally enabled Siri on my phone but then watching TV with phone beside me and TV being the only source of noiuse notice it periodically activating (Siri animation appears on phone) then disappears for a bit. Also when I have had it enabled I rarely use voice commands and when I do often end-up having to repeat so it's easier to just tap the screen and have it do what you want.

The interpretation can be "coloured" by commercial interests. Ages back Apple were offering a free trial of some music service and when I voice commanded "Siri, play Dark Side of the Moon" rather than use the local copy stored on my phone with the Apple built-in music app it instead subscribed me to their 3 month offer and played the version from their servers. And ther was no way to unsubscribe so I had to wait for the free offer period to end.

 

[Ian H]

We have Sonos speakers around the house. They're mostly off. Useful for music I've downloaded, R4 & R3. The app offers me a grim, vast list of commercial stuff, which I ignore.

 

[Ian H]

Personally I don't like these devices perpetually listening to what I'm doing and uploading unknown amounts to providers. I do tend to trust Apple but certainly don't trust Google (they need your data to make money whereas Apple get their income from hardware and software).

I have occasionally enabled Siri on my phone but then watching TV with phone beside me and TV being the only source of noiuse notice it periodically activating (Siri animation appears on phone) then disappears for a bit. Also when I have had it enabled I rarely use voice commands and when I do often end-up having to repeat so it's easier to just tap the screen and have it do what you want.

The interpretation can be "coloured" by commercial interests. Ages back Apple were offering a free trial of some music service and when I voice commanded "Siri, play Dark Side of the Moon" rather than use the local copy stored on my phone with the Apple built-in music app it instead subscribed me to their 3 month offer and played the version from their servers. And ther was no way to unsubscribe so I had to wait for the free offer period to end.

I don't use voice commands for anything in the house.

 

[Chromatic]

I don't use voice commands for anything in the house.

Do you ask your wife to put the kettle on through the medium of dance?

 

[Ian H]

Do you ask your wife to put the kettle on through the medium of dance?

Even simpler: I put the kettle on.

 

[Regular.Cyclist]

I use mine as a morning alarm and for voice instructions to set things around the home. Especially when going to bed at night or leaving for work in the morning.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

My favourite for those who have smart speakers. ”Alexa, play Pink and Perky at full volume on repeat“. When on full volume the things can‘t pick up new commands easily.