Alexa

My daughter got me one a few years ago, knowing I wouldn’t have bothered, and now I’d hate to be without it. I have one each in my bedroom and a spare room too. It’s great for radio, playing any digital stations and with volume control by voice, I also use it for my Spotify playlists. Great for quick fact checks, calculations, weather, news of my Amazon deliveries, controlling smart plugs and lights (switched off everything in the sitting room at bedtime without me having to reach for the plugs). Brilliant!

I have Alexa in my flat, main one in Living room, small dot one in my bedroom. The one in my bedroom answers to name of 'Computer', I am a Trekkie. Did have them both answering to that name, but main one in Living room lives under my TV and whenever I played on that TV, any Star Trek episodes it almost had a nervous breakdown when trying to respond to what the characters were saying!!!

I use the one in my bedroom as an alarm - also it controls my central light. With an automatic bed, I always found it difficult to get a bedside light for when bed was both raised and lowered. So now just have main overhead light, and controlled via my voice. Also, set this to jut 10% light when I settle down for the night, so when I have to get up in the night I can have that turned on, but just a very gentle light. Can also play my audio books through this little machine.

Main one, controls Living/Dining room light, gives me weather and temperature forecast for the day, and if I a going away will give that for me for where I am going. It can also, should it be necessary, call for an ambulance and/or phone my nearby daughter. As I live in a flat - a good size one - but could make myself heard by these machines from any room in that flat.

If needed I could have it set up to open/close curtains. I can switch lights on/off when not at home.
Very small cost to purchase both of them several years ago and no on-going costs involved.

They are great, but not very smart - do often have to repeat what I am asking them. Think they much prefer male to female voice commands.

Love Alexa. We have 4 around the house and mostly listen to the radio on them. You can chose to listen to any radio station without having to change an actual radio and we have lots of radios. I also listen to books on Audible through Alexa. Our living room Alexa sits on a charging base so I can take it out to the garden. She can also stop arguments between DH and me over who who sang what, usually from 50 years ago. As for them listening in, I can't imagine that we have anything of interest to say, but there is a button you can press for switching the microphone off.

We have one in the shed and I can "drop in" on shed to ask OH if he wants a cuppa!
Also bedroom Alexa reminds us to take our medication.

I use mine a lot, timers reminders, quick questions like “how long to cook a chicken” etc. not to mention a myriad of other queries. I know she’ll call my son if I tell her I need help. She tells me if it’s likely to rain, etc. Not to mention playing any genre of music I want, or The Archers! I find it extremely useful, and never need to discuss anything that MI5 or the local plod would find remotely interesting! I’d be rather lost without her.

Have two that I listen to Planet Rock on all day! Would be lost without music so would also be lost without Alexa!

I assume you mean Amazon Alexa?? I love mine have a few around the house. Has many uses Creates my shopping list, tells me time duting night if I ask her, play my spotify through hergives news updates , weather etc or anything you wish to know. Could'nt live without my Alexa. Get one

They only need to have an Alexa if you want to “drop in” on them but you can ask Alexa to ring their mobile phone if they don’t have one. I’m frequently asking her to call my mobile when I’ve misplaced it!

Alexa is my alarm clock, timer and medication reminder and a mine of useful information. Sometimes does random things such as saying 'I don't know how to help with you with that' when somebody on TV asks a question which makes me laugh.

Yes & I love her!

I have two alexas one upstairs ,the otherone downstairs.
I only use it to pick up Radio Stations ie Boom and local Black Cat radio.
Also music from my favorite bands, i listen to new albums when they are released.
Love that i can ask alexa to play something from the 70s.
Strange thing is my downstairs Alexa speaks in an American Voice.
Upstairs its english very odd.

I have one but use it less and less as she is becoming deaf 🧏.
Also there are a lot of questions I ask and get the reply “hmm, sorry I can’t help you with that one”.

Because neither myself or DH can stand for long, and need frequent hot water bottles, we've set our Alexa up to switch on the kettle. Our bedroom is next door to the kitchen, so we can hear when it boils. We also use her for switching lamps on and off, and at Christmas, rather than having to bend around the Christmas tree to turn the lights off, we just tell Alexa to do it for us. Of course you do need the compatible plugs, but they're not expensive, and it has saved us a lot of standing while in pain, bending and stretching, and of course we use it for reminders, etc. too.

Couldn't live without them, I have several.
Time the food in the oven and play the radio, all the things others have said they can do. Can even be used as a shopping list to come up on your mobile. Also I tell it to set my heating. Excellent little gadget.

MT62

Chestnut

Just found this. These two are free and there is also a paid subscription service called Alexa Together which provides a really comprehensive service.

1. Alexa Emergency Contact (Free)
This feature allows you to designate one person as an emergency contact who will be alerted when you say, "Alexa, call for help" or "Alexa, I need help".
How it Works: When triggered, Alexa attempts to call and text the designated contact.
Setup: Open the Alexa app > Communicate > Contacts > Emergency Contact.
Callback: If the contact misses the initial call, they can use the Alexa app to call back directly to the Echo device.

2. Alexa Care Hub (Free)
Care Hub connects your Alexa account with a loved one's account to provide remote, high-level, and private updates on their activity.
Activity Feeds: Caregivers can see when their relative first uses their Alexa device in the morning and their general activity level throughout the day, without seeing specific requests.
Alerts: You can receive alerts if no activity is detected by a certain time.
Drop In: It enables the "Drop In" feature, allowing family members to immediately connect to their loved one's Echo device to check on them.

All sounds good, but happens if you have a friend/ family member with dementia that forgets it’s there or how to use it saying Alexia?

The second option Alexa Care Hub would alert if there was no movement. Or I presume the paid subscription Alexa Together would provide a much more comprehensive service if the person had dementia and didn't know what to do.

Thanks so much all.
You have even answered my query; if the contact also has to have an Alexa as my brother and sister-in-law (my contacts) haven’t one.

Chestnut

Just found this. These two are free and there is also a paid subscription service called Alexa Together which provides a really comprehensive service.

1. Alexa Emergency Contact (Free)
This feature allows you to designate one person as an emergency contact who will be alerted when you say, "Alexa, call for help" or "Alexa, I need help".
How it Works: When triggered, Alexa attempts to call and text the designated contact.
Setup: Open the Alexa app > Communicate > Contacts > Emergency Contact.
Callback: If the contact misses the initial call, they can use the Alexa app to call back directly to the Echo device.

2. Alexa Care Hub (Free)
Care Hub connects your Alexa account with a loved one's account to provide remote, high-level, and private updates on their activity.
Activity Feeds: Caregivers can see when their relative first uses their Alexa device in the morning and their general activity level throughout the day, without seeing specific requests.
Alerts: You can receive alerts if no activity is detected by a certain time.
Drop In: It enables the "Drop In" feature, allowing family members to immediately connect to their loved one's Echo device to check on them.

All sounds good, but happens if you have a friend/ family member with dementia that forgets it’s there or how to use it saying Alexia?

That was to Gogo. MT62 came between us.

Why would it be interested in anything going on in my kitchen?

WithNobsOnIt

Maybe try an Alexa if they were giving them way. But certainly would not pay for one.

Even better get a younger male version of HAL.from the film .2001 A Space Odyssey. Could be the new new man about the house?

They aren’t that expensive!

I would never have anything like an Alexa. It sits there listening everything that is said. Like Big Brother (sister)

Just found this. These two are free and there is also a paid subscription service called Alexa Together which provides a really comprehensive service.

1. Alexa Emergency Contact (Free)
This feature allows you to designate one person as an emergency contact who will be alerted when you say, "Alexa, call for help" or "Alexa, I need help".
How it Works: When triggered, Alexa attempts to call and text the designated contact.
Setup: Open the Alexa app > Communicate > Contacts > Emergency Contact.
Callback: If the contact misses the initial call, they can use the Alexa app to call back directly to the Echo device.

2. Alexa Care Hub (Free)
Care Hub connects your Alexa account with a loved one's account to provide remote, high-level, and private updates on their activity.
Activity Feeds: Caregivers can see when their relative first uses their Alexa device in the morning and their general activity level throughout the day, without seeing specific requests.
Alerts: You can receive alerts if no activity is detected by a certain time.
Drop In: It enables the "Drop In" feature, allowing family members to immediately connect to their loved one's Echo device to check on them.

We have 6 love them but I don't think we use them to their full capability. We use them for music and alarms mostly.

I have several and use them all the time. Set timers, reminders, play music, call friends. I also have some Alexa compatible light bulbs in my lamps and can switch them off and on by asking Alexa. Really useful.

Maybe try an Alexa if they were giving them way. But certainly would not pay for one.

Even better get a younger male version of HAL.from the film .2001 A Space Odyssey. Could be the new new man about the house?