Amazon Echo - anyone have one?
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Soldato
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I'm having some problems with my Echo Dots. There's a few of them dotted around the house and they're mostly used for turning lights on and off. Over the last couple of weeks it's taking multiple attempts to get it to work, I'll say "Alexa, turn on lounge lamps" and it'll say that there's several devices with that name and for me to specify which one I mean. So I then say 'lounge lamps' and it works.
I assumed it was us not saying the words clearly enough but I did a test at the weekend. I recorded myself saying "Alexa, turn on lounge lamps" then copied that recording and cropped it so that it said just "lounge lamps" Then I played the full recording and without fail it'll always ask me to clarify which lights I mean. So then I played the second recording and without fail it works.
So it's not how the words are said, it seems incapable of getting it right first time.
I assumed it was us not saying the words clearly enough but I did a test at the weekend. I recorded myself saying "Alexa, turn on lounge lamps" then copied that recording and cropped it so that it said just "lounge lamps" Then I played the full recording and without fail it'll always ask me to clarify which lights I mean. So then I played the second recording and without fail it works.
So it's not how the words are said, it seems incapable of getting it right first time.
I don't think it's available in the UK yet. It's like a lot of things, Amazon release the updates in the us and it then takes months for those updates/functions to appear on UK devices. Sometimes the functions never appear, really annoying.
Soldato
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Does anyone actually use their Echo for anything meaningful? All I ever see is people using their devices to set timers, add items to a shopping list, turning lights on and off or asking random pub quiz like questions, all of which are very jejune.
So is there any really beneficial purpose to these devices yet or are they all hype at this point?
So is there any really beneficial purpose to these devices yet or are they all hype at this point?
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We use them for lighting, logitech harmony, smarthings devices, alarms and so on. For me, it's the go to amatuer home automation voice command device. Plus I can use it to order fish and chips!
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So it can be useful if you also purchase a host of other gear that hooks into it? What about as a stand-alone device without any of that additional stuff (which I should imagine is what the vast majority of people will have)?
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Yes - as for standalone no idea. Not the best sounding bluetooth speaker - would not recommend it for that purpose alone.
So to be clear, you're asking how useful a device that controls other things is, if you don't have other things?
Soldato
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I wouldn’t say controlling other things is the primary purpose of an Echo. It’s certainly not sold as such.
And I don’t think many Echo owners would have any of the other equipment anyway. So are you saying the Echo is pretty useless as a device on its own?
I would disagree. Controlling things with voice is a reasonably heavy element of the Echo. It's mentioned in the device description a couple of times along with playing music and answering questions.
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Ok so it’s strength is when paired with other equipment you either already own/have to buy?
I often wonder what all these millions of people are actually doing with their Echos. There’s either a much bigger market for home automation than anyone realised or most Echos are sitting doing very menial tasks.
I got an Echo Dot when I had a £10 voucher for Prime Now. I last spoke to it about 6 months ago. I just can’t think what I’d actually use it for. Any suggestions?
I would personally say so, yes.
Can I ask why you say that? There's home automation stuff coming out or being announced all over the place. Do you perhaps mean a bigger market than you realised? I grant you I don't have facts or figures to back anything up, but I think the home automation market is one of the faster expanding markets over the last year or so.
Maybe I'm just misunderstanding you though.
I was offered a deal with home contents insurance. Free echo dot of if I switch. The policy is same price and cover add my current.
Sooooo, since I rent I can't really automate my home, is there anything useful I could use a dot for? If it was a full size one I could at least use it for music (we don't have a hifi). If not I'll just stick with my current provider.
Sooooo, since I rent I can't really automate my home, is there anything useful I could use a dot for? If it was a full size one I could at least use it for music (we don't have a hifi). If not I'll just stick with my current provider.
Soldato
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What I meant was for all the mass-hysteria around the Echo devices, there doesn’t seem to be the equivalent mass-hysteria around home automation. Either the amount of press the Echo gets is out of proportion to its actual success or home automation isn’t getting very much press despite its success. Either way, it’s very unbalanced at present and I think a large scale study into what people are actually using the Echo for would be really interesting to see whether it’s living up to expectations or if it’s all just hype.
Soldato
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And here’s just such a study!
https://www.geekwire.com/2016/people-using-amazon-echo-new-study-reveals-surprising-patterns/
So it looks like for those who use Echos on a regular, ongoing basis, playing music and controlling lights are the 2 main uses. The study seems to be suggesting there might be a massive contingent of users who try functionality on their Echos once or twice, then simply stop using it. The study definitely supports the notion that you have to invest in other products and services to make the Echo useful and as a stand-alone device, it’s not very compelling.
https://www.geekwire.com/2016/people-using-amazon-echo-new-study-reveals-surprising-patterns/
So it looks like for those who use Echos on a regular, ongoing basis, playing music and controlling lights are the 2 main uses. The study seems to be suggesting there might be a massive contingent of users who try functionality on their Echos once or twice, then simply stop using it. The study definitely supports the notion that you have to invest in other products and services to make the Echo useful and as a stand-alone device, it’s not very compelling.
For me, the Echo is very limited past controlling things (lights, thermostat) as I don't use Spotify or Amazon's music hence I moved to a Google Home. At least it's better at understanding what I'm asking and better at then being able to give me an answer.
Every day I use it to turn on lights, change their brightness and turn them off. Almost everyday I'm watching something on my TV by saying "Hey Google, play Narcos on Andy's TV'. Love that. It is actually a lot quicker and easier than opening the app, waiting for the Chromecast icon to show, linking up, play the next episode.
Every now and then I use it for things like 'Hey Google, how many milliseconds are in a day' (Comes up quite a lot when programming) or 'Hey Google, what's the time in Chicago?' or 'Hey Google, will it rain tomorrow in Leicester' but these examples can sometimes be weeks apart.
Every day I use it to turn on lights, change their brightness and turn them off. Almost everyday I'm watching something on my TV by saying "Hey Google, play Narcos on Andy's TV'. Love that. It is actually a lot quicker and easier than opening the app, waiting for the Chromecast icon to show, linking up, play the next episode.
Every now and then I use it for things like 'Hey Google, how many milliseconds are in a day' (Comes up quite a lot when programming) or 'Hey Google, what's the time in Chicago?' or 'Hey Google, will it rain tomorrow in Leicester' but these examples can sometimes be weeks apart.
How did they get that data?
I use mine for Lights\TV\SmartThings\Music\Books\ audio from your Ring Video Doorbell "Alexa, show my front door camera." ect. and loads more
