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Old 15-11-2016, 15:08
Mariesam
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In the last couple of days they have added Amazon music unlimited......now (you get a free first month), if you use just one echo you get 40million songs you can stream on the device for 3.99 a month....if you use other devices too (as well as tablets on another echo etc) its 7.99.....there are also other interesting deals like multiple family members etc.

So you can now say things to echo like, play the top hits of 1981 (for example), or play some happy pop tunes etc......interesting also I guess you could incorporate this into any quizzes you do at home, they can have a music specialist subject etc and they have to guess the song, you then ask echo whats the music that is playing and you get the answer.....then just say to echo next song.
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Old 15-11-2016, 16:02
ney
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It's the Spotify premium service I have been using since May.
So far the Amazon Echo seems good after 10 mins or so trying to set it up.
Have not fully used it as yet & still have to see how it will work with TuneIn radio. As well as one or twice apps.
I also find of you got the Amazon Echo sound very high then it don't always hear what you say.

Darren
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Old 15-11-2016, 21:02
Mariesam
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It's the Spotify premium service I have been using since May.
So far the Amazon Echo seems good after 10 mins or so trying to set it up.
Have not fully used it as yet & still have to see how it will work with TuneIn radio. As well as one or twice apps.
I also find of you got the Amazon Echo sound very high then it don't always hear what you say.

Darren
I find if a few different people are talking also it might not pick up your voice.....its best if its not near a wall even 20cm it says is a little close.....I found out that I could actually shout from upstairs and it responded to me, so it might take a bit of working out where the best place for it is.
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Old 15-11-2016, 21:49
Mark Smith
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I'm tempted by this, and though it's true it can't really do anything your phone or tablet can't do, it's more convenient because you can just shout at it across the room instead of having to reach for your usual gadget of choice. Great when washing up or something.

It would be even better if you could link it to your phone so Alexa announces who is calling and you can answer (or not) hands free.

I already have Philips Hue lights and a Harmony Hub so if I did get the Echo it would be great for controlling those.
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Old 16-11-2016, 08:15
GDK
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I'm tempted by this, and though it's true it can't really do anything your phone or tablet can't do, it's more convenient because you can just shout at it across the room instead of having to reach for your usual gadget of choice. Great when washing up or something.

It would be even better if you could link it to your phone so Alexa announces who is calling and you can answer (or not) hands free.

I already have Philips Hue lights and a Harmony Hub so if I did get the Echo it would be great for controlling those.
BIB: I think the ability to make and receive calls "hands free" via Alexa and the Echo Dot (à la Star Trek: The Next Generation) would be a killer app and a game changer. Whoever gets there first with that, be it Amazon, Apple, Microsoft or Google will have a great advantage in the marketplace. Things that enhance our ability to be social are incredibly successful. It should be possible to have conference calls too.

We're just at the beginning right now. Imagine the possibilities for those with disabilities.

Mine should be delivered today.
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Old 16-11-2016, 09:21
Mariesam
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BIB: I think the ability to make and receive calls "hands free" via Alexa and the Echo Dot (à la Star Trek: The Next Generation) would be a killer app and a game changer. Whoever gets there first with that, be it Amazon, Apple, Microsoft or Google will have a great advantage in the marketplace. Things that enhance our ability to be social are incredibly successful. It should be possible to have conference calls too.

We're just at the beginning right now. Imagine the possibilities for those with disabilities.

Mine should be delivered today.
there are quite a lot of apps around for it now, quizzes etc... all of these seem free atm, I wouldn't mind paying 2-3pounds if an app was really interesting or useful, as a one off payment.
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Old 16-11-2016, 13:33
blueisthecolour
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It sounds to me like a 'nice to have' but not essential bit of kit yet. I already have a Chromecast audio that links to £600 worth of hi-fi and a decent sony portable speaker. And because they legally can't put football radio commentary on-line I even have a digital radio sitting next to the sofa.

I suppose you would become accustomed to being able to ask quick questions and getting a responses. It would be useful but maybe not £150 useful.
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Old 16-11-2016, 13:57
GDK
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It sounds to me like a 'nice to have' but not essential bit of kit yet. I already have a Chromecast audio that links to £600 worth of hi-fi and a decent sony portable speaker. And because they legally can't put football radio commentary on-line I even have a digital radio sitting next to the sofa.

I suppose you would become accustomed to being able to ask quick questions and getting a responses. It would be useful but maybe not £150 useful.
BIB: You may well be right, but the Echo Dot provides the same "clever" functionality with just a basic speaker for feedback. It's just £49.99 and it can be connected to existing sound systems using a 2.5mm jack.

For me, that's cheap enough to get one now, in anticipation of improvements in its capabilities, and start experimenting. Even if competitors ultimately win the day, it's not a lot of money to put at risk.
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Old 16-11-2016, 14:35
noise747
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Can´t see any advantage to my life if i buy Amazon Echo.
For me it´s just another Gadget which you buy and soon you get borred of. How many times you really wanna know the weather or how long the supermarket is open?
If it could be a real electronic help for me it had to control all my other electronic devices, like "Alexa start the washmachine."
why would anyone want something like this that monitora everything you say?
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Old 16-11-2016, 14:54
GDK
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why would anyone want something like this that monitora everything you say?
Depends on your level of concern about privacy or paranoia. If you're one of those who are worried about mobile phones being used to track your location then this is probably not the device for you.

We all give up some level of privacy to do the things we enjoy. It's just a matter of what level you're comfortable with.
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Old 17-11-2016, 22:38
ney
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The TP Link Smart Plug arrived this afternoon from Amazon.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and I'm going to try and set It up tomorrow with my living room lamp to see if it works then see if it will sync with the Echo.
The Amazon Echo that I ordered for my sisters Christmas from QVC with the deal and with 3 easy payments was sent out yesterday. I have now also ordered her one of them TP Link Smart Plugs to go with it.
She seems to like the Echo so far when I showed her it yesterday.
So she will be happy when she sees at Christmas that I have also got her one.
Hope Amazon will keep improving the Echo and have more software updates for it.
Also hope in time more apps will be added with in the Alexa app.
So far for music it understands 95% of what I ask it to play from Spotify and from TuneIn radio.
BT also need to find a fix so its much easier to set up the Echo. For it tane me as I said at the start of this thread 5 or 10 mins to set up.
Only minor problem I have found is that now and again I have to log out of the Alexa app then log back in again to get some of the settings to save or to remove a card.
I downloaded for free an Amazon Echo user Guide for free from IBook store.

Darren
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Old 18-11-2016, 09:42
GDK
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I set mine up yesterday. Setup was straightforward and only took a few minutes.

I was soon adding skills to it. There are already lots available, though at a quick glance they're mostly "play" things like quizzes unless you already have compatible devices around the house, like lighting and central heating thermostats.

The various trivia quizzes are some of the easiest to quickly try out Alexa's voice recognition. They don't need compatible hardware or a subscription to a compatible service. Voice recognition is impressive.

I look forward to more useful services becoming available and the possibility of using it to control my TV, Hifi, and personal music collection. Eventually I expect to use it to control lighting and central heating when I get the necessary compatible hardware for that.

Hope there's going to be something to allow you to receive and make phone calls hands free around the house, I think that would be a "killer" app that would drive take up.
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Old 19-11-2016, 17:52
noise747
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Depends on your level of concern about privacy or paranoia. If you're one of those who are worried about mobile phones being used to track your location then this is probably not the device for you.

We all give up some level of privacy to do the things we enjoy. It's just a matter of what level you're comfortable with.
I turn location off on my phone, so maybe you are right it is not the device for me.

There is giving up privacy and there is giving up privacy.
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Old 19-11-2016, 20:45
ney
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Have been using the Echo nearly 4 days now and I'm just over 95% happy with it.
I also have the TP-Link Wi-Fi smart plug that I got yesterday set up and synced with the Echo and it seems to work 9 times out of 10 with the Echo.
I have not full used some of skills on it as yet.
I'm sure over the months to come Echo will get better and that Amazon will also make improvements to the Alexa app.
Well give my sister the Echo and the TP-Link WI-FI smart plug I got for her at Christmas.
I may get myself another one of the TP-Link smart plugs at a later date.

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Old 19-11-2016, 23:32
GDK
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I turn location off on my phone, so maybe you are right it is not the device for me.

There is giving up privacy and there is giving up privacy.
There's paranoia and there's paranoia.

Sure, there's a microphone in your room, just as there has been a microphone in your mobile and before that in your landline telephone for decades. So, there's always been potential there for the security services or other "black hats" to tap into citizen's conversations.

Seriously, unless you become a "person of interest" no-one will be listening in, just like no-one taps into your phone for the same reason.

If you're that concerned, just unplug Alexa when you don't want to use it or if you're going to do something that could be held against you. Simple.
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Old 22-11-2016, 11:18
noise747
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There's paranoia and there's paranoia.

Sure, there's a microphone in your room, just as there has been a microphone in your mobile and before that in your landline telephone for decades. So, there's always been potential there for the security services or other "black hats" to tap into citizen's conversations.

Seriously, unless you become a "person of interest" no-one will be listening in, just like no-one taps into your phone for the same reason.

If you're that concerned, just unplug Alexa when you don't want to use it or if you're going to do something that could be held against you. Simple.

Landline phones microphones normally shut down when the hand set is replaced on the phone, sure there is always a way of stopping it, but it is not that easy. My mobile phone do not hear anything when it is locked, normally,

Amazon echo and the Google one is always listening and their microphones and more sensitive than the one on my mobile phone.
As for turning it off, what would be the point of them if people did that?

I like the idea and it is something that when I was younger I thought would have been with us long before now, the problem now is that we know more about the world, and more about what our government and security services gets up to and how much control they want over us.
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Old 22-11-2016, 14:45
GDK
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Landline phones microphones normally shut down when the hand set is replaced on the phone, sure there is always a way of stopping it, but it is not that easy. My mobile phone do not hear anything when it is locked, normally,

Amazon echo and the Google one is always listening and their microphones and more sensitive than the one on my mobile phone.
As for turning it off, what would be the point of them if people did that?

I like the idea and it is something that when I was younger I thought would have been with us long before now, the problem now is that we know more about the world, and more about what our government and security services gets up to and how much control they want over us.
You'd turn it off because you were concerned about privacy? Or because you had something to hide?

Your smart phone's hardware is driven by software. If someone really wanted to hear what you're saying they could (at least in theory) hack your phone's software so they could remotely turn on its microphone and record every word. All the time.

The published behaviour of Alexa is that it's only listening for the trigger word "Alexa" and only keeps a record (in the cloud) of your voice commands. As the user, you can review the logs and play back what the Echo Dot's microphone picked up - but only your voice commands. In theory someone could change that behaviour by software to record everything it hears. Just like they can with your mobile.

The point is, you'd have to do something first to make you a "person of interest" that "they" noticed before "they" would consider going to the effort of bugging you.

I'm not denying there's a real possibility of "others" listening in using Echo Dot and similar devices but the reality is there's not much to fear for the average citizen - as long as proper checks and balances are in place like there are for today's phone taps.

Another point is it could be used a bit like dash cams - to help people prove their innocence. If you did, by some mischance, come to "their" attention in the course of their enquiries for some reason, your conversations would soon show that you're a perfectly ordinary citizen and they could eliminate your from their enquires and transfer their attention elsewhere without you even knowing you'd been checked out.
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Old 24-11-2016, 20:08
Z Stardust
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My "Dot" was delivered today, Look forward to spending the weekend playing around with it.
Just hope it can understand me!
Set phasers tae "Malky"!
https://youtu.be/bLxLmFhROqY
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Old 25-11-2016, 07:39
Mark Smith
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Damn you Black Friday! I've just ordered one for £30 off the normal price from Amazon, delivery on Monday. I was hoping it would be discounted back to the original price for Prime members when it was up for pre-order but £30 off still better than nothing.
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Old 01-12-2016, 14:06
Tavis75
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I've had an Echo for a while now, but finally started to get it up and running properly as I've been without internet for a few weeks.

Currently controlling a few lights and central heating using LightwaveRF, which includes individual radiator thermostats in some rooms, and just installed the Yonomi app which should allow me to control my TV etc, via my Harmony Hub.

The voice control is really useful, especially if you're busy doing something else, setting a timer while you're cooking or turning on some music without having to mess around with remote controls or phones etc.

Also just added a Dot, so I now have the Echo in the bedroom and the Dot downstairs connected to my Hi-Fi via Bluetooth, love being able to find out the time in the middle of the night without having to roll over and try and focus on the clock!

I think without all the other attached stuff it would be less useful (though at only £40 for a dot at the moment even the basic functionality is probably worth it) but with new skills being added all the time and ongoing updates to the software I think it's only going to get more useful as time goes on.

Had Siri on my various devices for a while but find Alexa far more usuable as you don't need to find the device (by which point you might as well type) and it already seems to support more third-party hardware.
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Old 02-12-2016, 16:49
almostblonde
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What is the difference please, other than the price, between the echo dot and the Alexa? Is the sound vastly inferior? Looking to buy as a Christmas present but not wanting to spend over £100 ! Be grateful for honest feedback, thank you.
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Old 03-12-2016, 02:06
stylo
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What is the difference please, other than the price, between the echo dot and the Alexa? Is the sound vastly inferior? Looking to buy as a Christmas present but not wanting to spend over £100 ! Be grateful for honest feedback, thank you.
I've just unpacked 1 of each (together with a remote plug) as a gift pack for my elderly mom. I've opened the boxes and got them up-and-running for her (as she wouldn't have a clue how to do it herself!), so when she unwraps them on Christmas day there'll be no faffing about, just plug them in and they're ready to go.

I did the smaller Dot first, and having never seen or used any of this kit before, was expecting a 'tinny' or 'cheap' sound. As soon as it 'came to life' and played some music through it however, I was very pleasantly surprised with it. Much better sound than I had imagined.

Here, the Echo will be going in the living room, and the smaller Dot in her bedroom.
There's no way she would be using the full potential of the Echo model late at night in bed, or early morning. I know she'll have great fun with either model (which is what it's all about really!)

The larger 'Echo' model is a LOT heavier, and designed for better (and bigger) sound.
If listening to music is the main priority for the person you're giving it to, the Echo would be nice, but not essential. (You can actually connect the Dot to a HiFi with a cable if you want to).

That leads you to another dilemma.... you could buy THREE Dots for more-or-less the cost of an Echo, and TWO would be inside your budget (perhaps one for upstairs, one for downstairs etc!).

Seeing these for the first time, I have to say I would be more than happy to receive either model, so I wouldn't worry about it. (In fact I'd love a Dot for my own room!)
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Old 03-12-2016, 09:47
GDK
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What is the difference please, other than the price, between the echo dot and the Alexa? Is the sound vastly inferior? Looking to buy as a Christmas present but not wanting to spend over £100 ! Be grateful for honest feedback, thank you.
If music playback is your thing, I would still get an Echo Dot and connect to a hi fi. The Dot is much cheaper and functionality is exactly the same.

Rumour has it that a version with a display is being developed so Alexa would be able to present answers visually. Imagine Alexa integrated into a TV.
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Old 03-12-2016, 11:55
Z Stardust
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I've got my Dot connected to some Logitech 2.1 speakers. A must "do" if music will be a big part of what you use it for (like me).

I actually switched my music subscription from Apple Music to Amazon as it doesn't currently integrate directly with Apple Music.

I can come in from work now and just say, "Alexa, play some Joy Division" and will be playing whilst I get washed and changed out of my grubby work gear. I love it. It was worth the £50 to me just for the instant, hands free control of my music library. But Alexa can do so much more of course.

I couldn't decide between Harry Kane (home to Swansea) or Aguero (home to Chelsea) as my captain in the Fantasy League today. I asked Alexa to flip a coin. She said "heads" and that was Kane so it's Alexa's fault if it goes badly!
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Old 03-12-2016, 11:56
derek500
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Is the Dot OK for listening to speech radio in a kitchen/bedroom without external speakers?
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