Amazon Echo...do want.

[Artdeco]

I use it mostly for playing music for the pets home alone.
Seems to calm them down.
Just ask it to play rock or jazz as I leave the house, and there is goes.

Plus, when I want to take a quick nap laying back in the old chair, just tell it to timer 20 minutes. No fussing, just command it.

What I would REALLY would love to see on this device is some connection to VOIP phone service, even if VOIP only thru Amazon for a fee.
I'd love to just say "ALEXA, DIAL Julie", or dial 1234567.
Then use as a speaker phone.
And.... pick up or answer an incoming call.
I don't see why not since ECHO is already WiFi connected and so is VOIP.

http://ooma.com/blog/amazonecho/ doesn't make it a speakerphone, but you can listen to voicemails and initiate phone calls.

Also, you can pre order the new Echo's if you use an app on Android and iOS by saying "add echo dot to cart" using the microphone without using the first gen Echo.

 

[JTsyo]

Some fun they added is a choose your own adventure type story app. It's called Magic Door. Kids have been having fun with it for the past week. Only takes about 5 mins to go through a possible story.

 

[MrSquished]

Noticed Amazon is now offering their ECHO for an 5-payments option. Kinda like the home shopping channel. Charge your card 5 payments over 5 months. That payments option is new for them ???? Wonder if Amazon will expand this for other products? But then again, I guess Amazon can do this for their ECHO cause they own and make the thing. Where as offering payments on non-Amazon manufactured items would put Amazon at risk for the balance and liability. I doubt they would take on that financial burden.

they offered this with the kindle like a year ago in 3 payments. that's how i got mine.

 

[Aikouka]

Too bad Apple doesn't own the ECHO device. Apple could and would do a lot with the possibilities of ECHO and hands free automation/communications.

All you need is to have HomeKit-enabled home automation devices, and iOS works rather well with them. For example, if I say "Hey Siri, turn the front porch light on" to my iPhone, it will turn my porch light on. I do this using the Lutron Caseta system. Schlage came out with a lock somewhat recently that uses HomeKit, but the only downside is that remote features only work with an AppleTV used as an intermediary device. The Caseta system includes the intermediary device.

The Echo certainly seems interesting, but given that most devices have iOS control, I'm not sure if I'd ever end up using it.

 

[Craig234]

Some fun they added is a choose your own adventure type story app. It's called Magic Door. Kids have been having fun with it for the past week. Only takes about 5 mins to go through a possible story.

Worth it for adults? I like a good choose your adventure.