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Amazon Echo/Alexa Thread
- Thread starter Somnid
- Start date
Alexa isn't great at random questions but one thing she is really good at on that front is random questions about movies/actors
maybe because amazon owns imdb?
Looks like Amazon might start rolling out SMS from your "Alexa Number" support soon:
https://www.voicebot.ai/2017/08/25/amazon-alexa-sms-features-development/
https://www.voicebot.ai/2017/08/25/amazon-alexa-sms-features-development/
Game changer
RatskyWatsky
Hunky Nostradamus
That would be big.
pantsattack
Member
Applesauce
Boom! Bitch-slapped!
This sale is still going on lol
I picked one up to replace the Dot in the bedroom, I want to put that one on a battery base so I can move it around without needing an outlet. It will probably spend most of the time on the coffee table
Marty Chinn
Member
Can someone explain the Spotify integration to me? My problem is, sometimes when we say something, it gets a different result and it can be frustrating. The worst part is when I look at the app, every instance that is transcribed is the same input yet Spotify returns something different each time. Is that normal? It's frustrating my wife and kids because they can't get what they want.
Applesauce
Boom! Bitch-slapped!
I ordered this battery base for my Echo Dot I replaced in the bedroom. Lasted over 24 hours on the first charge. I have it sitting on my coffee table for controlling the Harmony Hub and Hue lights.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074H7TVGQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Also I have had a good experience so far with Harmony Hub, but something that really grinds my gears about it is that if I want to add favorite channels and friendly names for them into Alexa I have to disable the skill and then re-enable to add them.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074H7TVGQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Also I have had a good experience so far with Harmony Hub, but something that really grinds my gears about it is that if I want to add favorite channels and friendly names for them into Alexa I have to disable the skill and then re-enable to add them.
Applesauce
Boom! Bitch-slapped!
Mine works without using the IR blaster that came with it, which reminds me I can get rid of the Kinect camera now since I can pause and play video via voice commands with Alexa.
pantsattack
Member
I got a 30 second ad for "It" unprompted yesterday. That hasn't happened to me before.
What happened, how did it start?
pantsattack
Member
It was in the afternoon and I was talking with others in the room. I heard the Dot start talking quietly and I ran over curious thinking it might be an ad. Yup, something about It passing The Exorcist for all-time horror box office take. There weren't any accidental triggering words and we weren't asking anything. Horror's not my thing at all.
I get ads when I listen to or tune into radio stations.
Darryl M R
Member
Wait the echo can randomly play ads?
pantsattack
Member
To be clear, the Dot wasn't in use for music or anything else before the ad played.
I sincerely hope this was a false positive...
I will burn my Echo Dot the moment it spouts this filth.
electroflame
Member
I have never had the full-size original Echo, or the Dot play anything without any user input. I've certainly never had either of them play an ad in the year+ that I've been using them.
The closest thing to an ad that I've ever heard is the "message of the day" thing you get with "Alexa, good morning". Those occasionally advertise something, but it's less of an ad and more like "did you know something regarding [thing] happened or is happening today?". I've definitely never heard anything close to the Google Home ads that you can find recordings of online.
Maybe a rogue skill is triggering the advertising?
pantsattack
Member
I looked through the app history and it heard, "song is it up" and gave me a fact about It. So it wasn't an ad, it caught something that we were saying and spit back its result. Don't worry... I guess?
Sounds like it was giving you your flash update. Just general news like box office and whatnot.
Marty Chinn
Member
Is there a way to get Spotify to play different songs in the same house at the same time?
It's pretty much all voice except initial setup. There shouldn't be any reason to touch it.
LOLCats
Banned
cant wait to get a spot for the bedroom. I've an echo i use for the alarm clock. But it has no display so, it will be nice to be able to see the time.
For any of you guys that use an Amazon device for an alarm clock, do you have this problem?
ME: "Alexa SNOOZE"
Alexa: "Here is your flash update from CNN News"
For any of you guys that use an Amazon device for an alarm clock, do you have this problem?
ME: "Alexa SNOOZE"
Alexa: "Here is your flash update from CNN News"
I'm Scottish.
Not as an alarm clock, but I have various lights/fans hooked up to our Alexa for voice control, through Wink. I can order Alexa around for trivia, for playing music, for general information. But controlling those lights? Not a damn chance.
"Alexa turn off living room light". "Sorry, there are multiple things with that name".
My wife? "Alexa turn off living room light". "Ok".
Bah.
Rab & Iain were right on the money with this one - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAz_UvnUeuU.
Got the OP updated with all the new hardware and features from the conference. There's still some things announced yet to come including "Routines" (Alexa macros), and improved grouping so you can say "Alexa, turn on the lights" and if it's grouped with a set of smart lights it will know to turn just those on.
hmm. i feel like my dot can do that already with my Hue bulbs in my house, unless i'm misunderstanding. Though it does have problems with controlling bulbs that are grouped in a fixture and marked as such. I usually have to go to Siri to get those commands to work. So maybe there will be some improvement there.
Marty Chinn
Member
It's so that you can day turn on lights without identifying which room or light because it's associated to a specific location of an Echo. Like if you're in your bedroom and you say turn on lights, it'll know to only turn on the ones in your bedroom.
Marty Chinn
Member
Yes
Thanks
Colored bulbs are going to have to get A LOT cheaper before I go that route. I finally got a great deal on some dimmable regular LED bulbs and swapped out almost the whole house. But I'm not paying $20 a bulb for a gimmick feature (in my use case that is).
GlamFM
Banned
Hey guys.
Echo Show is finally available in Germany and I´m tempted.
First and foremost I want to use this as a video phone for my daughter so she can call her grandparents when she feels like it.
How is the video quality? (compared to FaceTime which is not good IMO)
Secondly I would really like to integrate this into my Sonos system, but I can´t find reliable information on when or if it´s even coming.
Some say it was supposed to come months ago, some say it´s never coming and some say there are already prototypes of Sonos speakers with native Alexa integration out there - what´s the deal?
Thanks!
Echo Show is finally available in Germany and I´m tempted.
First and foremost I want to use this as a video phone for my daughter so she can call her grandparents when she feels like it.
How is the video quality? (compared to FaceTime which is not good IMO)
Secondly I would really like to integrate this into my Sonos system, but I can´t find reliable information on when or if it´s even coming.
Some say it was supposed to come months ago, some say it´s never coming and some say there are already prototypes of Sonos speakers with native Alexa integration out there - what´s the deal?
Thanks!
Echo/Alexa has expanded to India, with plans for Japan this year: http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=2304563
dl77
Member
Don't know if you were planning on using this functionality but apparently Google have pulled Youtube from the Echo Show.
GlamFM
Banned
Yep. That´s a huge bummer.
GreenMonkey
Member
I get that with one of mine sometimes, Downstairs Lamp. "Alexa, turn on Downstairs Lamp" "There are multiple devices with that name. Which one do you want?" "Downstairs Lamp" "OK".
Like, WTF
Jag
Member
What does the new Echo plus offer over the regular Echo? Looks like a hub, but I'm not sure why I would need that. Is it for lights and other smarthome devices?
I use my kitchen Echo alot so no sure whether to upgrade it to new Echo or Echo Plus. Don't have any other devices linked to the Echo right now.
I use my kitchen Echo alot so no sure whether to upgrade it to new Echo or Echo Plus. Don't have any other devices linked to the Echo right now.
Improved sounds and listening, 802.11ac and a Zigbee hub. The latter is for connecting many types of devices that use a low energy wireless protocol called Zigbee. Amazon has not announced exactly which devices should work but ecosystems like Hue or Smartthings use it (or most things that currently require a separate hub).
Zigbee is definitely popular. But most home automation stuff tends to use the Z-wave protocol (A ton of smart switches and dimmers, garage openers, smart locks, motion sensors, etc.) It's kinda baffling that Amazon chose not to include the protocol.
I just set up my entertainment center with a Logitech Harmony Hub, so I decided to finally take the plunge on an Echo Dot! Looking forward to setting it up.
Two questions:
1) Can the Echo automatically take advantage of all the activities I've already set up for the Harmony Hub?
2) I'm going to hook up the Echo Dot to my receiver for audio out. Can the Echo Dot automatically change my Receiver input/output settings as I move to or from different Harmony Hub activities? How does all that stuff integrate with each other?
Two questions:
1) Can the Echo automatically take advantage of all the activities I've already set up for the Harmony Hub?
2) I'm going to hook up the Echo Dot to my receiver for audio out. Can the Echo Dot automatically change my Receiver input/output settings as I move to or from different Harmony Hub activities? How does all that stuff integrate with each other?
Applesauce
Boom! Bitch-slapped!
You have to enable the skill in the Alexa app but yeah, Alexa works well with the Harmony Hub.
Youtube is still disabled and there are no stated plans by Netflix to support the Show but also no reason I can see why they wouldn't. So yeah, unfortunately you'll have to wait for new announcements.
Custom lists should be rolling out starting now: https://techcrunch.com/2017/10/17/alexa-adds-support-for-custom-lists/
Also, Alexa enabled 3rd party devices now have the ability to add streaming music services and entertainment (except Spotify) which was previous not available: https://developer.amazon.com/blogs/...led-product-with-streaming-media-capabilities
Also, Alexa enabled 3rd party devices now have the ability to add streaming music services and entertainment (except Spotify) which was previous not available: https://developer.amazon.com/blogs/...led-product-with-streaming-media-capabilities
Is anyone else having issues with their Echo Spot losing wifi connection? I have two, and both lose generally at the same time. I would chalk it up to my wifi network but what's odd is when it happens and I go into wi-fi settings, it does not show any available network (even my neighbor's networks which it always picks up) until I toggle wi-fi off and back on, and then it shows all the networks and allows me to connect to my home network (until this happens again, usually once per day). I also have a normal original Echo and an Echo dot, neither of which have this issue.