Thoughts on Amazon Alexa?

They’re great we have three, the Echo dot is in the bedroom and can be timed to play soothing music for 15 mins, to nod off to.
The Echo has also replaced our DAB radio and is linked to Amazon music, so thousands of songs/ tunes at our finger tips.
Also if I can’t sleep I can put my ear phone into it, ask it to play a radio station for 15 mins. I’m asleep before it finishes.

I think Alex and Google are in their infancy much the same as the huge mobile phones we carried around in the 90s were and could only use to make a phone call.
Now they are smart phones.

Alexa and co, can already do the basics such as playing music and acting as an alarm clock/timer etc.
However when set-up with other household items, it can turn lights on and off, it can control heating and boil the kettle via a smart phone.

I wish it had been around ten years ago.
I would have set one up in my fathers home and one in my mother-in-laws.
Both suffering from dementia.

In the future these intellegent gadgets will hopefully enable elderly and disabled people to live in a smart home.

As a very basic example with regard to radio programmes, I am a Radio 4 listener, but having heard Gardeners Question Time while driving back from grocery shopping on Friday afternoon, I have no desire to hear it again on Sunday.

So, I just ask Alexa to play Radio 4 Extra, or some music of our choice.

As for outside agencies being able to listen to conversations chez Phoenix, I hardly think that discussions about which new kitchen flooring to go for would be of international interest!

However, the mischievous part of me is now tempted to have all sorts of conversations...........

I have a Bluetooth speaker linked to my echo dot which provides better sound quality and it was easy to link it.
I have an Echo Show in my kitchen and can access Amazon video. I like it as it will show you a recipe and walk you through it step by step.
The radio reception here is appalling, so my Echo is in use every day.
My echo dot is in my bedroom. It makes a great clock and alarm, and also a night light.
I love gadgets, my husband is wary of them!

We love ours. Use it for radio. Great for timers or reminders eg when to check on food. Also "she" now rinds us when to take our tablets. Can switch a socket and light bulb on and off by command or setting on the app. Can also turn up the Hive heating.

Anyone still there?

No BlueBelle but I am losing my sight so the timers and alarm clocks are invaluable to me because I cannot read a kitchen timer any longer to set the thing. Like phoenix it makes lists for me which I find helpful.

But i love my DaB radio I don’t know much about these Alexas and echos but I can’t imagine what they do that other things I ve got dont already do
Do they wash up, change the beds or put the bins out if not not too bothered

Link to Dr Jean: youtu.be/MFmr_TZLpS0

A relative recently got one for her birthday, and we all found it great! We had it playing Dr Jean! Such Fun

I agree with phoenix I never use my new DAB radio now- no necessity. All of my CDs are tidied away- Alexa plays what I want. Very occasionally she cannot deliver.

We have google and we never use it except to ask how old someone is or who they are married to. I don’t find her very knowledgeable and a bit of a waste of space.

I have no interest in owning one. Call me old fashioned, but I don't like the idea that it would always be listening to what goes on in my home, not that the information would be of any use to anybody but you never know!
Anyone who watched the Hunted TV programmes will have seen how phones, smart home devices and cars are giving away all our secrets!

Thanks everyone!

The echo dot doesn’t have the same sound quality as the Alexa echo. I have both, one upstairs one down. Really useful.

I got my Echo as an early birthday present back in the summer, when it was 30% off, and must say I love it!

Good sound (we use it for radio, as well as having Amazon music) fun games and things on it, but also very useful. My DAB radio is now never used.

I use Alexa for timing things, and if I notice that I'm getting low on any supplies, I ask her to add it to my list.

Then when sitting down with notepad and pen, ask what's on my list and write it out.

Chewbacca

It has a child lock on it. I love my Alexa as well as my Echo dot. The latter is in my bedroom and is a superb alarm clock as well as giving me a flash briefing any time I want. That is Alexa speak for the news. I can get the local weather on my Alexa but for some reason not on my dot and nobody knows why.

Maw I don’t have a parrot or a card to pay it with, so should be fine!

Marydoll that sounds hellish... I can hear baby shark from here

It was an Amazonian parrot Maw. Already knew the language!

I heard on the news that somebody’s parrot had learned how to work it and was ordering great mounds of things from Amazon!

Maw
Our problem at the moment is that our three year old granddaughter has learned how to work it!

Ask Alexa?