[Misc] All new Amazon Echo and Echo Show and stuff

[happypig]

I did too. Seemed rude not to for £69.99.

I have no idea what I'm going to do with the plug though. I can't think of one thing I'm likely to feel the need to tell Alexa to turn on and off, nor do the same when away from home with my phone.

I'm going to use it to turn my laptop on. My work setup is using two monitors with the laptop shut all the time. It's set to turn on when power is applied but I have to delve about behind the monitors to pull/reconnect the plug every day. If I can use Alexa to turn on the plug, job done. If it will turn it on for x hours, even better.

 

[Bozza]

I'm going to use it to turn my laptop on. My work setup is using two monitors with the laptop shut all the time. It's set to turn on when power is applied but I have to delve about behind the monitors to pull/reconnect the plug every day. If I can use Alexa to turn on the plug, job done. If it will turn it on for x hours, even better.

I've considered this long and hard both last night and this morning. I still can't think of a single thing that I could possibly want to smart-plug-up.

Well, I thought of one, but it's being really, really lazy. I could put the electric blanket on a smart plug so I could turn it on without having to walk to the bedroom. I'm not sure I could use Alexa though as I'm thinking the Echo will go in my home office/study thing as and when I get round to finding a desk I like enough to buy, and as a matter of course I'd be in the living room at electric blanket o'clock. I'd use the smart plug app I suppose.

 

[Bold Seagull]

I've considered this long and hard both last night and this morning. I still can't think of a single thing that I could possibly want to smart-plug-up.

Well, I thought of one, but it's being really, really lazy. I could put the electric blanket on a smart plug so I could turn it on without having to walk to the bedroom. I'm not sure I could use Alexa though as I'm thinking the Echo will go in my home office/study thing as and when I get round to finding a desk I like enough to buy, and as a matter of course I'd be in the living room at electric blanket o'clock. I'd use the smart plug app I suppose.

Fill the kettle up the night before, second time you hit the snooze button, stick the kettle on from your bed. No idea how I've survived without this technology.

 

[Bozza]

Fill the kettle up the night before, second time you hit the snooze button, stick the kettle on from your bed. No idea how I've survived without this technology.

Revolutionary.

Do you have your Echo in your bedroom?

 

[Stat Brother]

Fill the kettle up the night before, second time you hit the snooze button, stick the kettle on from your bed. No idea how I've survived without this technology.

How big is your kettle?

 

[crabface]

Fill the kettle up the night before, second time you hit the snooze button, stick the kettle on from your bed. No idea how I've survived without this technology.

This is my plan and looking forward to implementing it. The use of modern technology at its finest.

 

[GOM]

Well, I thought of one, but it's being really, really lazy. I could put the electric blanket on a smart plug so I could turn it on without having to walk to the bedroom. I'm not sure I could use Alexa though as I'm thinking the Echo will go in my home office/study thing ........ and as a matter of course I'd be in the living room at electric blanket o'clock. .

Do you have your Echo in your bedroom?

It's quite portable

 

[Bozza]

It's quite portable

But mains powered, right?

 

[Bold Seagull]

Do you have an Echo in your bedroom?

If only you could have worded it slightly differently, it would be like a long hop on a backing hot day...

 

[LamieRobertson]

I've considered this long and hard both last night and this morning. I still can't think of a single thing that I could possibly want to smart-plug-up.

Well, I thought of one, but it's being really, really lazy. I could put the electric blanket on a smart plug so I could turn it on without having to walk to the bedroom. I'm not sure I could use Alexa though as I'm thinking the Echo will go in my home office/study thing as and when I get round to finding a desk I like enough to buy, and as a matter of course I'd be in the living room at electric blanket o'clock. I'd use the smart plug app I suppose.

 

[Bold Seagull]

I've got to do a load of rewiring, so I might look at these smart plugs and switches, anyone got any experience of them? Rather than buying smart plugs and bulbs, this seems a better way to go in the long run.

https://lightwaverf.com

 

[Bozza]

I've got to do a load of rewiring, so I might look at these smart plugs and switches, anyone got any experience of them? Rather than buying smart plugs and bulbs, this seems a better way to go in the long run.

https://lightwaverf.com

No. But we have two light switches that look exactly like that, and at least one of them needs replacing. If we could put a smart switch in place that would be funky.

 

[Official Old Man]

You either love these things or cant be bothered.
As mentioned before, I have 17 sockets all set up with Alexa and my mobile. The lounge has three lights (two stand alone and a fish tank) all are switched on with one command. Outside there are ten. The pond and garden have 8, all on a timer but also switchable on command, two flood lights are switchable on command or by hand.
The calendar is linked to my other devices and will read out all that is set up for that day, week or month (including Albion fixtures) and can be added too with simple commands.
A shopping list can be added to by a simple command and then accessed on my mobile when shopping.
I have a Spotify account linked to it for full music access.
Only down side is a new skill where I can call Alexa from my mobile and it automatically answers meaning I can hear what is going on in my house without my family knowing.
I love mine
My mate has one and never uses it. But here is a great thing. His was by the phone and if I got his answer machine I would shout "Alexa, volume 10, Alexa play BBC radio 6 music" at which point she would start up at full volume.

 

[GOM]

But mains powered, right?

True, but spare power adapters are available, same as for Fire TV needed I believe although have not tried it.

 

[Bold Seagull]

My mate has one and never uses it. But here is a great thing. His was by the phone and if I got his answer machine I would shout "Alexa, volume 10, Alexa play BBC radio 6 music" at which point she would start up at full volume.

That did make me chuckle.

 

[Baldseagull]

Utterly pissed off with the missus inviting her mates round after the pub and continually shouting "Alexa! Alexa! play (insert crap music here) from spotify" letting play for 30 seconds before someone else decides they are going to play their choice of shite R&B. The only thing worse is when they all agree the chosen song is perfect for them all to sing along to.

 

[BBassic]

What's the offering like from Amazon Music?

My mum is thinking about getting an Echo for Dad at Christmas but is balking at the £9.99 monthly price for Spotify and I can't recommend Amazon music having never used it.

 

[lost in london]

Can anyone compare the speaker on a Sonos to the speaker in the new Echo? I was tempted by the Sonos One, but that's £200 and the new Echo is £70. Big, big difference for something I'm probably only going to have in the kitchen.

 

[Bozza]

What's the offering like from Amazon Music?

My mum is thinking about getting an Echo for Dad at Christmas but is balking at the £9.99 monthly price for Spotify and I can't recommend Amazon music having never used it.

We're with Deezer currently but some friends have Amazon and it seems decent enough.

99p 3 month trial probably worth a go: http://amzn.to/2jw16a8

 

[Bold Seagull]

What's the offering like from Amazon Music?

My mum is thinking about getting an Echo for Dad at Christmas but is balking at the £9.99 monthly price for Spotify and I can't recommend Amazon music having never used it.

We have Prime and so the basic Amazon Music is included, and I find that fine for my usage with what I would consider a really good library of 2m songs. Not felt we've needed to upgrade to the Unlimited package yet, and it gets used by myself, a teenager, a 7 year old, and my wife's obsession with the 80s...