Amazon Echo - anyone have one?

The IPB said:
For me it was mostly for listening to music in the kitchen, then added bonuses are using it for timers, asking it the time, asking the weather etc. Could I be without it? Sure I could. But it is handy and I'm glad we got one.

I wouldn't say it is a fad, the home is only going to get smarter and smarter, this is just the beginning.
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I am 'old' a child of the 70's, I love technology, but the idea of 'connecting' my house really turns me off, I will never have a connected house.
 
martin363 said:
I am 'old' a child of the 70's, I love technology, but the idea of 'connecting' my house really turns me off, I will never have a connected house.
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I'm a child of the 70s as well and I love it having a 'connected house'. My Ring doorbell especially, it's saved me so many trips to the parcel depot and a great security device when I'm away with work. I also have lights which I can turn on/off remotely or via sensors and heat my house when I'm on the way home.

What is putting you off having a connected house, is it a privacy concern?
 
Em3bbs said:
I'm a child of the 70s as well and I love it having a 'connected house'. My Ring doorbell especially, it's saved me so many trips to the parcel depot and a great security device when I'm away with work. I also have lights which I can turn on/off remotely or via sensors and heat my house when I'm on the way home.
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Same here. Love my Ring and also love my Nest Cam that comes on automatically when I leave home (as well as setting the Nest Thermostat to away). I don't use my Google Home much, but love to turn the lights out at night with my voice or 'Hey Google, play House of Cards on Netflix and Andys TV' and it plays!
 
So today I went and had a proper look at them in purple place. Interesting little things, but here was my wonder. Echo or echo dot and a Bluetooth speaker. Can pick up a good speaker for 50 and the dot for 50. Echo is 150. Are the echos speakers that good or is a separate device more worthwhile
 
If you want an all in one unit, then the Echo is great.
Echo Dots do have a speaker built in, but it's not great. perfectly fine for audiobooks and general interactions with Alexa.

I've got 3 Echo Dot's as the one in the lounge can bluetooth to the AV Amp
One in the kitchen in hardwired to the amp that powers the ceiling speakers.
The one in my playroom/office can go to the amp, but generally is used on it's own for Audible audiobooks.

I considered an Echo in my playoffice, but the £100 price difference was too much for the use It'll have. I may replace it with an Echo Show at some point.
 
Yup. That's a damn good price for it.
I picked up a fourth Dot....

Suspect there may be a V2 coming soon if they're selling them that cheap.
 
I've just ordered a fourth Dot, it'll go in the study. I don't really need one, as there's a dot in the kitchen which is very close but for £35 I thought I may as well get another.

I did consider an Echo but I've got a pair of Sonos Play 1's in my study so the Echo won't be used for music or anything that will be limited by the cruddy speaker in the dot so a dot it was.

Edit - I've ordered a couple more TP-Link smart plugs too. For £16 or so each it seemed rude not to.
 
Ironic seen as I am the OP but I've reserved a Google Home for £99. Does everything Echo does but also understands me better and can answer more questions. I think Alexa is too integrated with the US and we miss out on features. I still can't get named timers to work... Voice recognition for differing users is a big plus too.
 
Kemik said:
Ironic seen as I am the OP but I've reserved a Google Home for £99. Does everything Echo does but also understands me better and can answer more questions. I think Alexa is too integrated with the US and we miss out on features. I still can't get named timers to work... Voice recognition for differing users is a big plus too.
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Where from for £99 please?

Just ordered an Echo and a Dot but you have me thinking now lol
 
azibux1 said:
Where from for £99 please?

Just ordered an Echo and a Dot but you have me thinking now lol
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Not sure if allowed to say. I usually setup filters on hotukdeals to find special offers like this. Not sure when it ends but was still on last night.
 
I picked myself up a Dot yesterday and hooked it up last night, the missus liked it and bought us another one for upstairs! I've hooked it up to Plex and Hue so far, although I've only got a v1 Hue Bridge so I'm limited in what I can do with that.
 
Had a dot for a few months. I generally use it like a glorified timer and alarm clock, plus I've got my aquarium lights on a belkin smart plug which I have wired up. I've just bought the Philips Hue starter pack from Prime sales yesterday so I'm looking forward to making my flat a bit too flamboyant as I go about discovering all the settings on that. "Alexa, make my flat look like a brothel", essentially.
 
Bought a dot on the prime sale - wasn't sure why just saw it was on offer and I am a sucker for marketing.

It will hopefully play nice with my Hive setup and play me some nice music!
 
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