Alexa

At the moment, I am a very poor sleeper and can still be awake at 4am. churning over the 'worries of the world.' Sometimes, I put radio 3 on to clear my head but the music can be very dull through the night and I find myself going back to thinking time.
Would an Alexa be be answer? Would it send me off to sleep or would it just be another gadget to clutter up my bedside cabinet.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. Love my little audio slave, audio books are brilliant, shopping & to-do lists, the quiz questions and when I come down in the mornings 'Alexa good morning' gives me local weather and news briefing - what's not to like? There have always been doom merchants with every new bit of technology, embrace it while you can is my motto

I have just googled "should we be afraid of Alexa?"

We certainly will not be having one in our house.

On Christmas Day my granddaughter aged 7 asked the new Alexa "What is the most famous book in the world?"
Alexa replied that" A lot of people might think that 50 Shades of Grey is probably the most famous book in the world but actually it is The Bible"!

I've only got it on a fire stick I was given as a present not greatly impressed

If you want a good laugh, go on YouTube and put in 'Amazon echo silver spoof ad'. Wouldn't actually mind one of these.

I must mention that to my GC hopeful, they'll love that!

Viv, you can turn off the camera on your Echo Show. Go into settings on your Alexa app or on the screen, scroll down until you see Device Options. You can turn off the camera there.
I don't have the camera turned off on my Echo Show, but I have turned it off on my new Spot, as it's in my bedroom.

Aleza is timing my roast Lamb oven time for me right now.

My 4 year old Grandson loves to ask Alexa to fart... and she does, very impressively too!

We don't have an Alexa but on a relative's I asked for "Merry Christmas you Suckers!" by Paddy Roberts and got the response "I'd really rather not!". You can Google "Paddy Robets Christmas" to hear offending tune if you care to. Then you'd probably "Rather not!"

Grampie The thought of an 'invisible being' carrying out my commands and in my own home sends shivers down my spine. Thank you but no.

Aunti Flo, Alexa can suggest menus. She can help spell words and with answers to general knowledge questions too. Tell you the temperature outside so you know if the dog needs his coat and tell jokes. Her Christmas ones were good.

And why does my kindle insist on calling A l e x a Alexander?

Be afraid, be very afraid methinks...

The robots are already taking over and we are sleepwalking into a world where one day we will be their novelty items...

So can anyone explain why Alexander (I have just tried to type A l e x a three times on this kindle!) spoke to us without us actually having said her name? please refer to my previous post on page 2. Thanks.

I'm really intrigued by the idea, but I don't know anyone who has one.
I would like to see one in action.

Gave my husband an Alexa ro Christmas.
Alexa - will it rain today
Good morning...
Flash briefing
Question of the day
Word of the day
Play( local radio )
Ask about unnsure facts
Whare places are.
Good for spelling
Telling the time.

I got one too - finding it useful to remind me to do things like take my insulin!! Not exactly sure what else she can do so any tips would be gratefully received!

So .... Just had a go at quiz of the day and word of the day - would prefer it if it was in an English accent other than US - can it be changed? I couldn't even work out what the first word was!

The more I read about it, the less I want one.

We have a couple of dots ,I am a bad sleeper using routine i say goodnight to her and she turns on world service for 60minutes,use reminders for hospital appointments, there's a book on Amazon called Amazon Alexa paper back or on kindle I have it on kindle got physical copy for house so DH can learn. I am dyslexic so also asking for spelling all the time.
All ways remember hearing it's only a machine said to me by a computer teacher. It's only a machine you are in charge

I have an Echo Show that I use mostly for timers, weather reports and music (I'm on Prime but don't pay extra for more music). I can recommend Radio Dead, BTW - only plays music where at least one of the band, or the singer is dead. As 60s is my favourite, I love it. I also ask it for football results (set up your teams in the app). I mostly bought it because on QVC they said you could get YouTube on it - sadly, you can't. So (one of) my CMas presents to me was Google Home Hub. Mainly because I want to watch the odd video easily, and also because it will tell me the time of the next bus into town - Alexa can't do that yet.
While I don't care if it listens (I rarely talk out loud to myself) I am suspicious of cameras/webcams so mostly have them covered on my PC, laptop etc.
Best to turn off the shopping or you could inadvertently buy stuff!

Usually just 'Alexa Shut Up!!!'
DH has a couple of these devices & they drive me potty. I occasionally ask for some Bowie if I am cleaning his study.

We started with one in kitchen, then got one for my room & DD10s room. This Christmas added one to sitting room, & stepson's room for when he stays here.
Use it for alarm, timer, time, weather, shopping list, radio, music, general knowledge, & now we use 'drop in' to talk to each other when in other rooms (gona try this between my bfs house & mine, & also my parents). Latest thing we use is 'anouncenent'...usually to tell kids dinner is ready!

I’m with you all the way Grandama 70! We will soon lose the ability to converse in the normal way.
My Grandson called me Alexa the other day!! Perhaps he thinks I’m very wise like her!?

6 yr old’s favourite, “Alexa, play Shotgun?”

Then it plays the George Ezra song and sparks off a full scale dance routine!