Amazon Echo...do want.

[sportage]

Any reason mine keeps repeating on its own, REDRUM REDRUM?
A little tired of being awaken every morning @ 3am with it screaming REDRUM REDRUM....

 

[kranky]

Any reason mine keeps repeating on its own, REDRUM REDRUM?
A little tired of being awaken every morning @ 3am with it screaming REDRUM REDRUM....

I think I read a post somewhere that said it stops doing that after you place more orders with Amazon.

 

[Vdubchaos]

Nothing worst than these crappy sound producing devices.

QUALITY of music matters to me (I know, I'm a minority)

 

[notposting]

I havent figured out a way to set a permanent alarm yet. It seems it only keeps the alarm for 1 day. Id love to use it as my alarm clock but i havent figured out what commands to say to achieve a 5:40am wake up alarm M-F.

I just sent a feature request for that in via the web interface. You should too. :thumbsup:

 

[JTsyo]

I setup up the traffic setting. It should be handy checking traffic on the way out.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Nothing worst than these crappy sound producing devices.

QUALITY of music matters to me (I know, I'm a minority)

It's not meant to replace your McIntosh tube amp and Sonus Faber speakers. It's a compact desktop speaker. It actually sounds good for what it is, though if you are one of those people who complains about how all digital music sounds, it won't satisfy you.

 

[soulcougher73]

It's not meant to replace your McIntosh tube amp and Sonus Faber speakers. It's a compact desktop speaker. It actually sounds good for what it is, though if you are one of those people who complains about how all digital music sounds, it won't satisfy you.

He complains about everything. I dont think ive ever seen a positive post from him no matter the subject.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Guys, I don't know if you've been following the latest developments on Echo, but it appears Amazon is moving quickly to integrate it with home automation technologies. Belkin WeMo and Phillips Hue are currently supported and Wink is in the works. Some guys have already developed software which allows Wink to work with Echo, but it is great hearing that it is something Wink is working on "officially." I imagine SmartThings and others will be soon.

I was going to eBay my unopened Echo but now, I am hanging on to it.

 

[SearchMaster]

I got on the waiting list a couple of weeks ago then got approved a few days ago. I ordered it though they said it will be late June/early July. It may not even be that great but I'll play with the developer API and see what I can do, and if nothing else, for $99 it will be a decent BT device.

 

[mundane]

My wife and I have really liked our Echo so far except for one issue - our eight month old freaks out when his parents engage in a conversation with the disembodied voice. We suspect the first word he can definitively recognize is "Alexa", and he knows to fear it. We have since put it away; anytime he was in the kitchen he made sure to keep two eyes on or near the island where the Echo was located, so he can be prepared when it attacks (or whatever it is he suspects it will do).

 

[Ichinisan]

My wife and I have really liked our Echo so far except for one issue - our eight month old freaks out when his parents engage in a conversation with the disembodied voice. We suspect the first word he can definitively recognize is "Alexa", and he knows to fear it. We have since put it away; anytime he was in the kitchen he made sure to keep two eyes on or near the island where the Echo was located, so he can be prepared when it attacks (or whatever it is he suspects it will do).

I didn't think it was possible to be a technophobe at that age

 

[Childs]

My wife and I have really liked our Echo so far except for one issue - our eight month old freaks out when his parents engage in a conversation with the disembodied voice. We suspect the first word he can definitively recognize is "Alexa", and he knows to fear it. We have since put it away; anytime he was in the kitchen he made sure to keep two eyes on or near the island where the Echo was located, so he can be prepared when it attacks (or whatever it is he suspects it will do).

You should just put a head on it or something. It shouldnt be any different than a talking doll.

 

[Drako]

You should just put a head on it or something. It shouldnt be any different than a talking doll.

:biggrin: That would probably be even more freaky.

 

[mundane]

:biggrin: That would probably be even more freaky.

So we shouldn't make the head rotate when Alexa is responding to our questions?

 

[Childs]

:biggrin: That would probably be even more freaky.

Well, if you got one of those clown heads, or a doll head that you find on the side of a road.

 

[vi edit]

Do these work with Amazon's new "Prime Stations"? I'd assume so. That should help their value as a music streamer. I've been using the Amazon Radio since I got the email about it earlier today.

 

[sportage]

Finally got mine from Amazon, and talk about a fun toy.
I am amazed the accuracy and the sensitivity of the listening feature, i.e. "Alexa".
Even with playing youtubes on ECHO reviews and feature use, whenever ALEXA is spoken, my Echo pops to life.
And I have yet to ask a question, even a dumb question, that Alexa can not answer.
Fifth president of the US. Measurement conversions. State capitols. Time (an easy one). Current weather. Current weather in other cities, countries.
"What time will the sun set today in London?"
Alexa knows.
Too bad she doesn't have boobs. And blow-up.
After all, she is very good at taking orders and wanting to please.
Oh well... Maybe some day. Amazon?

But my favorite is asking it, her, it to "play jazz", or "play rock", and see what she/it comes up with to surprise me.
Makes SIRI look like and sound like some retarded republican candidate in debate.
Like with SIRI, Alexa doesn't toss back some illogical non-sensual answer. Or another stupid question.
She/it just knows answer to the question or request. And accurately replies.

My next quest is to add some basic home automation.
Nice to walk in and ask her/it to turn on a light, lights, or devices.
Without getting the BS backtalk from your teenager. Or the wife-y.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

One thing I find odd is that although Alexa "knows" (i.e., is linked to a database containing) all kinds of information, a lot of it is very out-of-date. For example, she thinks Mick Jagger is married to Jerry Hall, although they haven't been married in 16 years. I wonder what database she uses, and who is responsible for loading it and keeping it updated. Still, I'm a fan.

 

[sportage]

Well this echo device works well with home automation i.e. Belkin switches, but the switches from Belkin themselves are very flakey. They tend to drop offline after an hour or so of non use.
The Echo works fine. stays wifi/internet connected.
The devices from Belkin are the problem.
When it works it works well, but for the sake of the ECHO and home automation, I hope someone else, maybe Amazon themselves could start producing their own switches.
Still, the echo is an interesting and useful device.
Fun for hands free setting of quick timers, setting alarms, quick weather checks, general information, news headlines. And even though echo knows most of the US presidents, some presidents echo was dumbfounded over. So it does have its limits to some basic knowledge.

But voice controlled home automation would or could be the big selling point.
Someone just needs to make reliable home automation hardware to use with the echo.

I'd like to see added echo features like the ability to read a short book (especially for kids), or tell stories (especially for kids), leaving family members voice memos i.e. "alexa, any messages for sandra?", reading incoming texted msgs, even speak and send voice or text msgs to other echo users. Considering echo is internet connected, I don't see why sending msgs between echo devices wouldn't be doable?

But I don't know, since the voice spoken by echo is so natural and clear and probably recorded human voice, echo as is probably is limited to what it can say or reply?
This could be the beginning of the real world 2001 Space Odyssey "H A L".
No, maybe echo is not able to rotate the pod in your space craft, but at least it could control the lights and some appliances.

Better than Siri or the android answer to Siri.
Siri is maybe a high school grad, or got its GED, while echo has some college under her belt.\

Ps. I want to see a Mr Potato head echo.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Well this echo device works well with home automation i.e. Belkin switches, but the switches from Belkin themselves are very flakey. They tend to drop offline after an hour or so of non use.
The Echo works fine. stays wifi/internet connected.
The devices from Belkin are the problem.
When it works it works well, but for the sake of the ECHO and home automation, I hope someone else, maybe Amazon themselves could start producing their own switches.
Still, the echo is an interesting and useful device.
Fun for hands free setting of quick timers, setting alarms, quick weather checks, general information, news headlines. And even though echo knows most of the US presidents, some presidents echo was dumbfounded over. So it does have its limits to some basic knowledge.

But voice controlled home automation would or could be the big selling point.
Someone just needs to make reliable home automation hardware to use with the echo.

I'd like to see added echo features like the ability to read a short book (especially for kids), or tell stories (especially for kids), leaving family members voice memos i.e. "alexa, any messages for sandra?", reading incoming texted msgs, even speak and send voice or text msgs to other echo users. Considering echo is internet connected, I don't see why sending msgs between echo devices wouldn't be doable?

But I don't know, since the voice spoken by echo is so natural and clear and probably recorded human voice, echo as is probably is limited to what it can say or reply?
This could be the beginning of the real world 2001 Space Odyssey "H A L".
No, maybe echo is not able to rotate the pod in your space craft, but at least it could control the lights and some appliances.

Better than Siri or the android answer to Siri.
Siri is maybe a high school grad, or got its GED, while echo has some college under her belt.\

Ps. I want to see a Mr Potato head echo.

Official Echo integration is under way for other HA platforms like Wink, Smart Things, etc. Some hobbyists already have Echo integration working with Wink (probably Smart Things too, but I am most familiar with Wink).

 

[TheUnk]

But I don't know, since the voice spoken by echo is so natural and clear and probably recorded human voice, echo as is probably is limited to what it can say or reply?

I don't think it's limited. It reads news daily, and will say some words/names incorrectly.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

A fool with money is a fool easily separated from their money.

 

[drbrock]

Got the echo in the mail last night after waiting for 5 months. Fun machine and does everything fairly well. Most machines never understand me as I have a very deep voice. Kinect and Siri fail often. This was 10 feet away and 95% understood what I was saying. Cant wait until it gets google music integration and it will be the perfect.

For 100 this was a great deal. 200 a little bit pricey.

 

[TheSlamma]

Must consume EVERYTHING!!

 

[EvilYoda]

Mine's still sitting in the box unopened after 4 months or whenever it first released. Whoops.