Amazon Echo - anyone have one?

NeilF · 1 Dec 2016 at 09:37

FoxEye said:
Seriously guys... what's the point of this thing?

The adverts made me /rolleyes hard. Seems like tech for the sake of it. Not *interesting* tech or *useful* tech, but tacky, silly tech.

Am I wrong?

Well, ours is in the kitchen and I use it one or more times a day if only to catch up on the news, and then it's in constant use for the radio etc.

Just last night I was cooking dinner and my son was doing his homework, and we wiki'd something up he was working on.

Is it a vital bit of equipment? No... Might you get it and never use it? Possibly... But ours is a nice techno gadget that's fun to use...

wozzizname · 1 Dec 2016 at 09:51

Looks like the price has just gone back up to normal retail again :-(

glenimp617 · 1 Dec 2016 at 09:53

Em3bbs said:
No, but the nearest one will respond. It can't detect you walking around the house, it only listens for audio.

That's fine, and pretty cool actually. So if I speak to one say upstairs, then run downstairs the downstairs one will respond?

NeilF · 1 Dec 2016 at 09:58

Em3bbs said:
No, but the nearest one will respond. It can't detect you walking around the house, it only listens for audio.

That's not true is it? If two hear you, they'll both reply?

ie: The Echo do no talk to each other, unlike the new Google device?

Em3bbs · 1 Dec 2016 at 10:03

NeilFawcett said:
That's not true is it? If two hear you, they'll both reply?

Nope, only the nearest one replies - an update in October called 'Echo Spatial Perception' added this:

https://techcrunch.com/2016/10/12/echo-esp/

It was annoying before the update as multiple devices would answer/start playing music out of sync so I was really pleased when this rolled out.

NeilF · 1 Dec 2016 at 10:47

Em3bbs said:
Nope, only the nearest one replies - an update in October called 'Echo Spatial Perception' added this:

https://techcrunch.com/2016/10/12/echo-esp/

It was annoying before the update as multiple devices would answer/start playing music out of sync so I was really pleased when this rolled out.

Wow! I'm impressed how things are improved.

When I first got mine, it could only set my house temp (Netatmo thermostat), and not the duration... Within a month or two though, it's now asking for me to tell it for how long, which is a great improvement. eg: Set to 20 degrees for 2 hours...

Martynt74 · 2 Dec 2016 at 15:56

Really wish i'd bought more than 1 during black friday sales. Begrudge paying the extra tenner now!

PinkFloyd · 2 Dec 2016 at 17:44

If you have multiple dots can you get it so music only plays out of one, even if you are speaking to the other?

Liquidfox · 2 Dec 2016 at 22:41

Bassmansam said:
No not really, it already happens based on your google searches as it is, shock bororor!

It already happens via the Amazon Shopping app on Android. I've been having conversations about certain items down the pub before (ones I've never even searched for) and lo and behold, the next day a sponsored Amazon app appears on my Facebook timeline for that item appears. It's happened more than once.

Since I turned off the mic permission for the app it's never re-occurred.

syke · 3 Dec 2016 at 13:16

Anyone having trouble signing up for the Music Unlimited Echo service? I turn on Voice Purchasing it just says 'Sorry....' and then I turn Voice Purchasing off, it tells me to turn it back on to manage my subscriptions!

Steedie · 3 Dec 2016 at 13:21

Is your payment method set up in the app correctly? Mine was the same, kept changing the pin etc then updated my payment method via the payment settings and it worked fine

syke · 3 Dec 2016 at 13:26

Yep all fine. When voice purchasing is off, it says to turn it on but responds to 'Alexa, try Amazon Music Unlimited'. However when Voice Purchasing is turned on, it just says 'Sorry...blabla' :mad:

Edit: just switched to another account on the Echo, and it worked fine. However not my account :confused:

Pookie Bear · 7 Dec 2016 at 09:01

I got my Echo Dot last week.

What an amazing piece of kit. I love it. I use it for the radio, weather checks, occasionally news and then last night discovered the shopping list option, which is so handy! I used to use an electronic list, but it meant me and the wife sitting down and putting it together when I was going shopping. Now we just call out items as we think of them during the day. Already a useful part of the household. Brilliant.

NeilF · 7 Dec 2016 at 09:04

Pookie Bear said:
I got my Echo Dot last week.

What an amazing piece of kit. I love it. I use it for the radio, weather checks, occasionally news and then last night discovered the shopping list option, which is so handy! I used to use an electronic list, but it meant me and the wife sitting down and putting it together when I was going shopping. Now we just call out items as we think of them during the day. Already a useful part of the household. Brilliant.

So is it plugged into an amp or something?

Nikumba · 7 Dec 2016 at 09:21

Does anyone know a way of getting the Echo to talk to outlook.com for calendar info?

NeilF · 7 Dec 2016 at 09:23

Nikumba said:
Does anyone know a way of getting the Echo to talk to outlook.com for calendar info?

I think it can only do google?

easyrider · 7 Dec 2016 at 09:24

NeilFawcett said:
So is it plugged into an amp or something?

Mine is and quite frankly I don't know where it's been all my life...

Love it.

mohawk · 7 Dec 2016 at 09:28

NeilFawcett said:
So is it plugged into an amp or something?

The Dot has a speaker, its just not as good quality as the Echo. but if you arent listening to music is more than adequate.

tempted to buy a little bluetooth speaker to pair it with.

1pudding1 · 7 Dec 2016 at 10:01

Pookie Bear said:
I got my Echo Dot last week.

What an amazing piece of kit. I love it. I use it for the radio, weather checks, occasionally news and then last night discovered the shopping list option, which is so handy! I used to use an electronic list, but it meant me and the wife sitting down and putting it together when I was going shopping. Now we just call out items as we think of them during the day. Already a useful part of the household. Brilliant.

How do you access the shopping list at the supermarket, via the Alexa app? And how would the missus access it, as I assume it would only work on my Alexa app as its using my Amazon log in details? I'd love to get it working at you say, both of adding stuff to the list then both being able to access it out n about.

NeilF · 7 Dec 2016 at 12:22

1pudding1 said:
How do you access the shopping list at the supermarket, via the Alexa app? And how would the missus access it, as I assume it would only work on my Alexa app as its using my Amazon log in details? I'd love to get it working at you say, both of adding stuff to the list then both being able to access it out n about.

All yes...

So there is only one shopping list. And you can only remove items via the Alexa app (on your phone).