Need Input on Alexa

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Old 02-19-2019, 06:58 AM
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We use her for music. We are Prime members and she draws mainly from Amazon music. Can access Pandora etc. Just had her play Montevani on Valentines Day. She can find Ohio State marching band music. I think we have the Echo - got it because it has a better speaker. Also have her play WVLG although it is sometimes difficult to communicate. Love the shopping list feature. Has saved me at the grocery store numerous times. Also use to turn on certain lights. First thing in the morning I ask for weather before I get dressed. They are adding features constantly. I know we could do more if we took the time to dig into it. Definitely worth the money - not expensive.
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Old 02-19-2019, 07:32 AM
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Alexa's capabilities go from simple to sophisticated. Do a Google search and you'll find more than you'll probably ever use. My dot was the best 25 bucks I've spent in a long time.
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Old 02-19-2019, 07:44 AM
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Once again, thank you for the information provided. I have to have one of these "toys" and then learn how to use it to its fullest potential. I agree it is a bit like "Big Brother", but almost everything in life is now watching us so .........................
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Old 02-19-2019, 07:51 AM
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I seem to remember a setting where Alexa will only respond to a comment when you must say 'Alexa' first.

Here's a slideshow of some interesting commands.
Amazon Alexa Setup: Settings to Enable and Disable
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Old 02-19-2019, 08:02 AM
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We've been using "Alexa" since it came out and we were given one of the early units as a Holiday gift. We still have the original "Echo" in our living room. Have since added an "Echo Dot" on our Lanai and a 3rd "Dot" in the master bedroom. We've played around with lots of the "skills" over the years but find ourselves using Alexa, mostly, for 2 things. One is turning specified lights on or off by voice, the second is as a music source to play Amazon Music, Sirius/XM Radio, Pandora, etc. We can pair our living room unit with the sound system on the TV for music and have a separate speaker on the Lanai we can pair the Dot to. Just like a smartphone or many other examples, you could do 1000 things with it but any given person ends up using only a handful. I'm convinced they are "listening" all of the time. When I say they, I don't mean humans, I mean the devices. I can't count the number of times we've talked about goods or services only to soon later see advertisements or links to similar goods and services come up on our social media. It's creepy but only if/when I feel more violated than that will I remove the devices. I've never had one, but I believe Google Home is a device that performs in very similar ways.
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Old 02-19-2019, 08:10 AM
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I think my Alexa is a blond.
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Old 02-19-2019, 08:54 AM
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We have Google Home. If something happens to me he says he will marry the Google lady, she is so pleasant.
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Old 02-19-2019, 02:02 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Madelaine Amee View Post
Henry: Thanks for your input. I think I am considering the Echo. I really just want to talk to it in the kitchen to get the weather and the news of the day and then play some music. What do you think? Your help would be appreciated.
MA: I think either the Echo or the Dot would be a good choice for you.
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Old 02-19-2019, 02:59 PM
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Quote:
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MA: I think either the Echo or the Dot would be a good choice for you.
Thank you, I have decided on the Echo. I started a new thread and have had several recommendations for the Echo.
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Old 02-19-2019, 06:16 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bay Kid View Post
I think my Alexa is a blond.
And Pregnant, besides?
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Old 02-19-2019, 06:17 PM
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Just be aware that big brother is listening 24/7/365
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Old 02-19-2019, 08:46 PM
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I’ve had Echos for years and have steadly added more to my home. We even have one we travel with. Also have a Ring doorbell and my echo Show will show me the front door when I ask. Presently there are three wake words...Alexa, Computer, Amazon. Different devices in my house have different wake words. Use my echos to turn on indoor lights, turn on lanai lights, turn on tv, listen to music, get weather info, set reminders, make lists, can even make telephone calls. We also bought an echo Connect device that will let you ask Alexa to call 911 for you and 911 operators will receive info like the call is being received from your home phone. Inexpensive addition that could save your life. She can add, tell you how to spell a word, tell a story, read a book, hold a conversation, play Amazon Prime movies on your Show, tell you a joke, and play soothing sounds for you. One of my favorite things to listen to is old time radio. My drift off to sleep white noise is “Distant thunderstorm.” There’s a “Guard Dog” app....barking dogs, there’s house sounds that make it seem like someone is at home. You can ask for the telephone number and business hours of stores, and many, many more things. I have old and new devices and they’ve performed well. She’s fun and I enjoy having her around.
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Last edited by pooh; 02-19-2019 at 09:10 PM.
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Old 02-19-2019, 08:48 PM
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And remember, you can always shut off the mirophone if you don’t want her listening to a particular conversation. Heck, we really don’t have as much privacy as we think we have....just Google your name and see what comes up....😉
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Old 02-20-2019, 06:07 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BobnBev View Post
Just be aware that big brother is listening 24/7/365
Big brother has been listening to us for years ..................
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  #30  
Old 02-20-2019, 06:34 AM
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We have an echo in every room of the house and a dot in the garage. Have them all linked in a group to play the same music in every room. They make a great in home inner com system, can call to and from each room. New Alexa features come out at least monthly. There are many, many useful features and they continue to improve. They will also link to the Amazon Fire Cube for TV and Sound systems control. Great little gadgets. The Echo has a much better speaker than the Dot and they all will work with Bluetooth also. They can be linked with your phone to do hands free calling. Highly recommend....also linked with our Ring doorbell so we can see who is at the door (or in the yard) in our TV room.
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