Amazon Echo - anyone have one?

leaskovski · 30 Dec 2016 at 22:24

Not yet (Apple Music/iTunes whatever its called). Amazon have said they have open APIs so there is no reason why Apple (and also Google) can't pull their finger out of their bumsys and write some integration.

I guess there is more chance that Apple will do this, than google given the Home. But as they haven't released it in the UK, I am hoping that they might do something, or I am hoping that someone knocks something up.

Martynt74 · 30 Dec 2016 at 22:34

Bought another for the kitchen. I'm mainly replacing Airport Express units for stereo streaming from a phone. Especially since the price i can sell the AE for is roughly the same as the Echo Dot.

It's good in the kitchen where we can add things to the shopping list though. Especially since kids aren't the best at telling us when they use the last of something normally. Now can just train them to say "Alexa, add coco pops to the shopping list"

leaskovski · 30 Dec 2016 at 22:37

leaskovski said:
Not yet (Apple Music/iTunes whatever its called). Amazon have said they have open APIs so there is no reason why Apple (and also Google) can't pull their finger out of their bumsys and write some integration.

I guess there is more chance that Apple will do this, than google given the Home. But as they haven't released it in the UK, I am hoping that they might do something, or I am hoping that someone knocks something up.

And as soon as I post... I then see that someone is already working on the skill to get Google Music on the echo as a skill...

https://www.reddit.com/r/amazonecho...exa_to_stream_from/?ref=share&ref_source=link

Mr Plow · 31 Dec 2016 at 00:31

I bought one of these as a Christmas present for my Brother and Sister-in-law and they absolutely love it but for some reason it wouldn't let them sign up for the Amazon Music Unlimited service. After saying "Alexa, try Amazon Music Unlimited" she just said some generic error message (apologies I forgot the exact phrase she came out with). They've signed up to Spotify for now using the 99p for four months promotion but I'd like to hear of anyone had problems signing up to the Amazon service.

I can only find a single mention of it online and someone suggested disabling Voice Purchase then asking again and then re-enabling Voice Purchase.

Caged · 31 Dec 2016 at 00:38

Sign up online?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/dmusic/promotions/AmazonMusicUnlimited/ref=sv_dmusic_0

Homer-Simpson · 31 Dec 2016 at 00:45

Mr Plow said:
I bought one of these as a Christmas present for my Brother and Sister-in-law and they absolutely love it but for some reason it wouldn't let them sign up for the Amazon Music Unlimited service. After saying "Alexa, try Amazon Music Unlimited" she just said some generic error message (apologies I forgot the exact phrase she came out with). They've signed up to Spotify for now using the 99p for four months promotion but I'd like to hear of anyone had problems signing up to the Amazon service.

I can only find a single mention of it online and someone suggested disabling Voice Purchase then asking again and then re-enabling Voice Purchase.

Speak to Amazon?

Mr Plow · 31 Dec 2016 at 01:04

Caged said:
Sign up online?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/dmusic/promotions/AmazonMusicUnlimited/ref=sv_dmusic_0

You can only get the £3.99 subscription by asking Alexa, you can't manually sign up for it unfortunately but thanks for the suggestion.

Homer-Simpson said:
Speak to Amazon?

I imagine we'll do that if they decide not to continue with the Spotify subscription and want to use Amazon Music Unlimited, was just making sure there wasn't something obvious we were doing wrong.

Homer-Simpson · 31 Dec 2016 at 01:08

Mr Plow said:
I imagine we'll do that if they decide not to continue with the Spotify subscription and want to use Amazon Music Unlimited, was just making sure there wasn't something obvious we were doing wrong.

Just use the chat session if you don't want to talk to them, I'd ask the question anyway as it gives you the option to use it if you want (and you are technically paying for it).

Mr Plow · 31 Dec 2016 at 01:18

Homer-Simpson said:
Just use the chat session if you don't want to talk to them, I'd ask the question anyway as it gives you the option to use it if you want (and you are technically paying for it).

OK cheers, next time I'm over my brothers we'll give it a try if it's still not working.

markonius · 31 Dec 2016 at 02:10

Police in America are even trying to get access to the recordings of an Echo to help them in a murder case.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...wont-give-up-her-data/?utm_term=.e01ab3c3d9e8

Em3bbs · 31 Dec 2016 at 08:33

AndyCr15 said:
Yeah, that would be handy. Have the lights flash when the doorbell rings. Mind you, this needs Phillips Hue app to sort it more than it needs Alexa I guess.

I already do this with my Ring doorbells and IFTTT. Side one turns on the lights out the back and side about 10 seconds after motion detected (no one should be down the side), the front Ring turns a lamp on for 30 seconds then another bulb. I'm using the Hue and D-Link smart plugs with IFTTT.

deuse · 31 Dec 2016 at 09:54

Does the Echo Dot read email\text? also can it work with whatsapp?
Thanks

Flibster · 31 Dec 2016 at 13:57

garybarlow said:
Anyone having trouble connecting their WEMO lights? Get it to scan for the devices and it finds nothing. Troubleshooting and documentation online is rubbish.

At parents house and they have a Talk Talk router and have tried forcing both on the 2.4ghz band to ensure that was not the issue and still doesn't work. Had to reset all the WEMO bits and now the Echo dot as they both seemed to have issues forgetting the SSIDs so ended up having to disable the 5ghz radio.

Having now reset both the echo dot and WEMO bits it still can't find them. Am I missing something? Guides just say scan and it should work and doesn't offer much more than 'have you tried turning it off and on again?'

I work as a network/VoIP engineer and this is more frustrating than any enterprise stuff I've had to work with...

Cheers.

We had this issue, turns out that the Echo doesn't yet support the Wemo lightbulbs....

Great....

Controls our Wemo Insight plugs fine, but not the bulbs. That's why we're looking at changing to Hue. If we can find the B22 starter set anywhere.

easyrider · 31 Dec 2016 at 14:01

Iv'e changed to spotify for 3 months for a quid

The sound quality seems better than amazon music.

I would love to be able use apple music with it though...As i get that free...

easyrider · 31 Dec 2016 at 21:19

Can someone ask Alexa to play Nick Harper on spotify

Please

She's not computing...!

£15 · 2 Jan 2017 at 17:50

I thought these were a bit of a gimmick until a mate of mine brought his dot and attached it to my BT (UE Megaboom) speaker and also showed me all the things that can and will be possible with it.

He has five of them at home and hooked up to his lights, heating, water, etc and I'm sold. I've set up alerts on ukcamel and will hopefully buying shortly.

rubberduck · 3 Jan 2017 at 00:47

Anyone know if the Amazon Tap is getting a UK release? Looking to buy a wireless speaker for my parents and the ability to run off battery for a few hours or so is an absolute must.

Trig · 3 Jan 2017 at 10:39

Used mine as an alarm clock this morning..

Martynt74 · 3 Jan 2017 at 10:53

easyrider said:
Can someone ask Alexa to play Nick Harper on spotify

Please

She's not computing...!

Just gave it a try and it doesnt look to work for me either. Closest i got was a guy called Nick Cope?

I've had the same issue with the odd artist just not being detected at all.

krooton · 3 Jan 2017 at 11:29

Had 2 masseuses come to the flat for an appointment yesterday.

Alexa was very helpful with changing the colour of our wifi lightbulbs and playing some ambient music