What do you do with your Echo?

[Artdeco]

Just got an Echo Dot, it's pretty slick, mostly using it for music, what are you using yours for?

 

[sweenish]

I don't have one, so I can't contribute much to the topic.

But I just wanted to say how impressed I am with how far amazon has brought the product. At its initial announce, I immediately dismissed it. But with everything they've added to it, it's really become something that sounds pretty cool.

It's a nice positive thing for amazon, as I've personally been liking them less and less due to the inflation of Prime pricing for features I don't personally care for, the raising of the minimum price for free shipping to subsidize Prime, removal of Chromecasts and Apple TV's due to "confusion," etc.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

I have 4 (two regular and two Dots) and use them for home automation, occasional music, the odd question here and there, and the shopping list. Haven't paid more than $99 for any of them.

 

[Graze]

I don't personally care for, the raising of the minimum price for free shipping to subsidize Prime, removal of Chromecasts and Apple TV's due to "confusion," etc.

This

I am not part of the Amazon echo system(only for online shopping if that counts).
I am even looking at Aliexpress to replace amazon for some online shopping.

 

[Dulanic]

Music, news, and weather primarily. However I do ask things here and there like when cooking might ask a conversion question etc...

My son loves to ask her to play itsy bitsy spider. He's 3.

 

[Charmonium]

I don't need or want one since I know how to touch type.

 

[MongGrel]

I've thought about trying a Dot out and haven't, they do look interesting for perhaps in the kitchen.

 

[Artdeco]

the voice recognition is pretty slick...

What apps are you-all finding useful?

 

[IndyColtsFan]

the voice recognition is pretty slick...

What apps are you-all finding useful?

Don't really use any specific apps, but I do have Echo tied into both my Wink and SmartThings home automation systems, so I can control all sorts of things. I also have my Harmony Hub infrastructure tied into SmartThings, meaning I can use Echo to control all my TVs, Rokus, BD players, receivers, etc. throughout the house.

 

[Dulanic]

Don't really use any specific apps, but I do have Echo tied into both my Wink and SmartThings home automation systems, so I can control all sorts of things. I also have my Harmony Hub infrastructure tied into SmartThings, meaning I can use Echo to control all my TVs, Rokus, BD players, receivers, etc. throughout the house.

I wish they would get echo to directly control Harmony without a workaround.

 

[MrSquished]

It's a nice positive thing for amazon, as I've personally been liking them less and less due to the inflation of Prime pricing for features I don't personally care for, the raising of the minimum price for free shipping to subsidize Prime, removal of Chromecasts and Apple TV's due to "confusion," etc.

did not realize they did that. not commendable at all

 

[IndyColtsFan]

I wish they would get echo to directly control Harmony without a workaround.

I do too. It is pretty good if you use it in conjunction with SmartThings and ok if you use IFTTT, but native integration would be awesome and they could include some capabilities that wouldn't require that activities be built.

 

[JavaMomma]

Audible books (primary use)
Music
Turning Lights on/off (Hue bulbs)
Timers / Alarm
Weather
Odd piece of trivia / math

I find I use my Echo a lot. It has actually converted me off Apple Music to using Prime Music. I'm a bit surprised Apple has not responded to Echo with a similar device. Maybe it's because Apple knows Siri sucks.

 

[Naer]

Audible books (primary use)
Music
Turning Lights on/off (Hue bulbs)
Timers / Alarm
Weather
Odd piece of trivia / math

I find I use my Echo a lot. It has actually converted me off Apple Music to using Prime Music. I'm a bit surprised Apple has not responded to Echo with a similar device. Maybe it's because Apple knows Siri sucks.

google voice>siri>corteno

 

[gorcorps]

did not realize they did that. not commendable at all

Are you mad at the reason, or that they did it at all? Do you have the same reaction when you can't buy an Amazon Fire TV or a Chromecast at the Apple store?

 

[s44]

Oh please, Apple doesn't pretend to be a general retailer.

 

[Graze]

Are you mad at the reason, or that they did it at all? Do you have the same reaction when you can't buy an Amazon Fire TV or a Chromecast at the Apple store?

Amazon is the only one that had an "open" online store and then decided to change it's policy.
Both Google and Apple should change their policy on their app stores to band any Amazon apps. I would loveee to see what Amazon would do. Create a phone for their eco system? Yeah they tried that and they couldn't may people to buy it.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Oddly enough, they didn't ban Roku from their store. I really thought that was coming.

 

[notposting]

I don't need or want one since I know how to touch type.

I love:

stopping to wash my hands
stopping to dry my hands
stopping to go find a phone or tablet
stopping to unlock, open app, apply touch typing skills

while I'm throwing some things in the oven and cooking up dinner on the stove top. Wait, I much prefer just saying, "Alexa, set a timer for 20 minutes" and bam, done.

Or the million other situations that a voice command works well in - giving a bottle to the baby and reading to another child while trying to snag a third with the powers of my mind. Phone ringing and volume is up too loud - "Alexa, stop" or "Alexa, volume 3". Kid wants a particular song - boom, done.

News. Weather. Sports. Basic conversions/facts. Music. Bluetooth speaker. Thermostat control (ecobee SmartSi).

When something crosses my mind as needing to be on our shopping list - done. Instead of later, when we are writing a list or when I have a phone or computer, and I'm thinking to myself, "now, what was it that I was thinking of?"

 

[notposting]

For me, I think the Echo comes closest to tying everything together in a seamless "Star Trek" like way. It's been pretty impressive.

It's kind of sad how customer/citizen security and privacy are neither valued (by corporations, because why? no penalties, and a cost) or are actively under attack (by government, because think of the terrist childrens1!!1!).

Would love something straight out of sci-fi or a future 10-20-50 years from now, but incorporating something like Alexa as your personal assistant, with some network back-end connections, but also a local bit that would go with you.

Leave home, it goes with you. ut your home is still smart without the AI (and secure), so you can simply ask your car if the stove was turned off. Then ask for a course to destination, some music, and etc.

*dreams*

Somewhere in the winter of 2015 (Polar Vortex, the Sequel), I may have come really close to asking my key fob to start up the car, then bring it around and pick us up. Dunno, it would be like Alexa and KITT working together.

 

[Raduque]

I don't understand why somebody would use this for music. Can you plug it into a real set of speakers?

 

[Charmonium]

I love:

stopping to wash my hands
stopping to dry my hands
stopping to go find a phone or tablet
stopping to unlock, open app, apply touch typing skills

while I'm throwing some things in the oven and cooking up dinner on the stove top. Wait, I much prefer just saying, "Alexa, set a timer for 20 minutes" and bam, done.

Or the million other situations that a voice command works well in - giving a bottle to the baby and reading to another child while trying to snag a third with the powers of my mind. Phone ringing and volume is up too loud - "Alexa, stop" or "Alexa, volume 3". Kid wants a particular song - boom, done.

News. Weather. Sports. Basic conversions/facts. Music. Bluetooth speaker. Thermostat control (ecobee SmartSi).

When something crosses my mind as needing to be on our shopping list - done. Instead of later, when we are writing a list or when I have a phone or computer, and I'm thinking to myself, "now, what was it that I was thinking of?"

I guess I can see your point. If I liked listing to music in the background or whatever, it might be useful but I have computers in most rooms in my house so going over to one isn't a big deal. And even if that weren't true, I've never found I need something so urgently that I couldn't wait.

I'd also need one in every room of the house since from one room to the next it wouldn't be able to hear me clearly and I might not hear it. I'd need on in the tv room, kitchen/dining area, living room and might be able to get away with one in the hallway connecting the bedrooms.

But one of my main objections is that I don't like having something around that is constantly listening. It just feels creepy and as much as I love Amazon, I don't necessarily trust them.

 

[sweenish]

So maybe just say that instead of acting all superior because your use case is obviously everyone else's and how dare they do anything differently from you?

Easiest way by far to stop yourself from looking the fool.

I'm glad to wait for this to be cheaper, and maybe provided by someone else. It's use as a kitchen assistant alone is pretty exciting. The Onhub routers seem poised to offer some competition.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

I don't understand why somebody would use this for music. Can you plug it into a real set of speakers?

Yes, the Echo Dot is specifically designed to connect to speakers either via Bluetooth or via the included audio cable.

 

[MongGrel]

I don't understand why somebody would use this for music. Can you plug it into a real set of speakers?

From my understanding you can control your HTPC stereo system if you have a Bluetooth on it for audio, but I do not have one.

I do have a Bluetooth AVR I've never even used with it though. I do not even have a smartphone myself, so have never tried it with the AVR, the Dot sounded like perhaps an interesting way to use it.

I'll take Indy's word for it.