Amazon Echo

Bobbyaro · **Joined:** 18th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 11520

http://www.amazon.com/oc/echo

Some sort of voice activated spying system telling Amazon all about your life system that does stuff; there is a video on the site above:

Also here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkOCeAtKHIc&app=desktop

Quote:

JUST ASK
Echo is always ready, connected, and fast. Just say the wake word, "Alexa," for:

News, weather, and information: Hear up-to-the-minute weather and news from a variety of sources, including local radio stations, NPR, and ESPN from TuneIn.
Music: Listen to your Amazon Music Library, Prime Music, TuneIn, and iHeartRadio.
Alarms, timers, and lists: Stay on time and organized with voice-controlled alarms, timers, shopping and to-do lists.
Questions and answers: Get information from Wikipedia, definitions, answers to common questions, and more.
More coming soon: Echo automatically updates through the cloud with new services and features

Alternatively there is this video which has some slight modifications:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GijLoiVkmYI

asfish · **Joined:** 5th Dec, 2010 **Posts:** 3277

I would get one of those just for the measurement conversions, my wife is always asking to look up how my grams in a cup etc etc

Trooper · **Joined:** 4th Mar, 2010 **Posts:** 19228

Interesting. If it was more connected to other services and devices i'd have a go, but I expect that will come.
"Alexa, play some AC/DC"
"Alexa, record Sharknado next time it comes on"
"Alexa, start the next episode of Gotham on the lounge TV when I leave the kitchen"

All that should be possible, but not with the device as it currently stands as far as I can tell.

Doctor Glyndwr · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 30654

Trooper wrote:

Interesting. If it was more connected to other services and devices i'd have a go, but I expect that will come

Except many of those other services and devices are in competition to Amazon's mobile devices.

Cras · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 46552

See me not being able to watch Prime Video on my Apple TV.

asfish · **Joined:** 5th Dec, 2010 **Posts:** 3277

Its $199 in the US and $100 if you have Prime

No doubt this will be months away for the UK live the Fire TV was

Trooper · **Joined:** 4th Mar, 2010 **Posts:** 19228

Doctor Glyndwr wrote:

Trooper wrote:

Interesting. If it was more connected to other services and devices i'd have a go, but I expect that will come

Except many of those other services and devices are in competition to Amazon's mobile devices.

Then Alexa will fail...

Lonewolves · **Posted:** Sat Nov 08, 2014 15:38

Cras wrote:

See me not being able to watch Prime Video on my Apple TV.

Or Netflix on the NowTV box, which killed the idea for me.

asfish · **Joined:** 5th Dec, 2010 **Posts:** 3277

Discovered that Siri can do most of the conversions my wife wants for cooking!

That said this thing is supposed to be able to sit in the corner of a room and take orders, so I might still get one when its available here.

Trooper · **Joined:** 4th Mar, 2010 **Posts:** 19228

It's nice just being able to talk to my watch to get conversions, set timers etc... But that whole, lifting up your arm thing is so tiring. This device would solve that

BikNorton · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 8840

Hire someone on a zero hour contract, minimum wage.

'Some Cunt, make me a sandwich.'

asfish · **Joined:** 5th Dec, 2010 **Posts:** 3277

Bump...

Anyone ordered one yet?

I just ordered Hive for the heating and the Echo will work with that. It won't work with my smart lights (Easybulb) though.

Also looks to work with Kodi although you need to set up a web server, there looks to be something for Plex as well although this isn't ready yet.

Quite tempted to get myself one for Christmas

Findus Fop · **Joined:** 14th May, 2009 **Posts:** 1970

The new Amazon music service will make this more compelling. Apparently the library is expanding to rival spotify, and will be available to Echo users for something like £3 per month.

If it packs the smarts of Spotify's Discover playlists, daily mixes and radio, then I could have my head turned.

TK-421 · **Joined:** 27th Feb, 2009 **Posts:** 244

The new AmazonMusic for Echo is ace.

"Alexa, play '80s thrash"

A thrash and speed metal playlist kicks off with Judas Priest.

I also have it working with Kodi which is fucking great. It only really works with titles in your library and no addons, but find an addon that allows you to link to your library* and you're golden.

*Specto is great for this.

Grim... · **Posted:** Sat Jan 07, 2017 4:51

Back on your post, TK421.

That's a solid civil-war-the-complete-event wait, what? I said "chunk". That's the oddest autocorrect ever.

It's a solid chunk of change for an automatic music player. What else does it do?

asfish · **Joined:** 5th Dec, 2010 **Posts:** 3277

Quote:

I also have it working with Kodi which is fucking great. It only really works with titles in your library and no addons, but find an addon that allows you to link to your library* and you're golden.

How did you get this working? I found a link that detailed setting up web servers and other stuff on Kodi, did you do that or is there something easier out now?

TK-421 · **Joined:** 27th Feb, 2009 **Posts:** 244

Grim... wrote:

Back on your post, TK421.

That's a solid civil-war-the-complete-event wait, what? I said "chunk". That's the oddest autocorrect ever.

It's a solid chunk of change for an automatic music player. What else does it do?

As already stated, I have mine linked to Kodi but you can also configure it to work with smart thermostats and light systems such as Philips Hue and LifX.

Logitech have recently released an update to their Harmony hub and it now works with that.

asfish wrote:

Quote:

I also have it working with Kodi which is fucking great. It only really works with titles in your library and no addons, but find an addon that allows you to link to your library* and you're golden.

How did you get this working? I found a link that detailed setting up web servers and other stuff on Kodi, did you do that or is there something easier out now?

I followed this guide for the most part as I found it easier than the main github article linked at the bottom of that page. The github link is more up to date and goes in to more detail, which was handy for some parts.

Mr Russell · **Joined:** 6th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 11685

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01 ... exa-order/

A girl accidentally used Echo to order a dollhouse (because purchasing is enabled by default). The news reported it and it caused loads more viewers to also have dollhouses ordered. Nice.

MaliA · **Posted:** Mon Jan 09, 2017 11:18

Mr Russell wrote:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/08/amazon-echo-rogue-payment-warning-tv-show-causes-alexa-order/

A girl accidentally used Echo to order a dollhouse (because purchasing is enabled by default). The news reported it and it caused loads more viewers to also have dollhouses ordered. Nice.

This is how it begins.

Mr Russell · **Joined:** 6th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 11685

MaliA wrote:

Mr Russell wrote:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/08/amazon-echo-rogue-payment-warning-tv-show-causes-alexa-order/

A girl accidentally used Echo to order a dollhouse (because purchasing is enabled by default). The news reported it and it caused loads more viewers to also have dollhouses ordered. Nice.

This is how it begins.

Anyone who's got anything for sale on Amazon should be getting in live TV broadcasts and shouting "Alexa, order [my product]" at every opportunity.

devilman · **Posted:** Mon Jan 09, 2017 11:34

MaliA wrote:

Mr Russell wrote:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/08/amazon-echo-rogue-payment-warning-tv-show-causes-alexa-order/

A girl accidentally used Echo to order a dollhouse (because purchasing is enabled by default). The news reported it and it caused loads more viewers to also have dollhouses ordered. Nice.

This is how it begins.

Attachment:

king.png

Mr Russell · **Joined:** 6th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 11685

Bravo!

asfish · **Joined:** 5th Dec, 2010 **Posts:** 3277

Ordered an Echo Dot which turned up a couple of hours ago.

Found that the app which is needed to set the device up and any skills was not working well on my phone, so a reboot fixed that. Might be something to do with the profiles on my phone as its a work one.

The Echo is pretty impressive, its never failed to understand anything I've asked it. Only took a couple of minutes to add in Hive and Harmony remote skills and all that works no problem.

Only thing I've found to be a bit crap is the Radio station play back. I tell it to play RTE Radio One, then it repeats back what I've said (so I know it understands me) and asks me to confirm, then I get an error saying it can't find the station on TuneIn.

Other thing to note it comes set up with an address it uses as location for weather, news, travel etc. This will be you main Amazon delivery address which in my case was work, this can be easily changed in the app though

Lonewolves · **Posted:** Thu Jan 12, 2017 14:25

The Amazon Echo sounds like a South American local newspaper.

GazChap · **Posted:** Thu Jan 12, 2017 15:02

Oh shit, you can use it with Harmony remotes? Must look into this.

Findus Fop · **Joined:** 14th May, 2009 **Posts:** 1970

asfish wrote:

Only thing I've found to be a bit crap is the Radio station play back. I tell it to play RTE Radio One, then it repeats back what I've said (so I know it understands me) and asks me to confirm, then I get an error saying it can't find the station on TuneIn.

Might be a TuneIn issue. The only 'plug in' my Sonos ever has any difficulty with is TuneIn, frequently failing to load certain radio stations (Classic FM in particular).

Doctor Glyndwr · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 30654

GazChap wrote:

Oh shit, you can use it with Harmony remotes? Must look into this.

Only the newer/more expensive ones that have the Harmony Hub.

GazChap · **Posted:** Thu Jan 12, 2017 16:28

Ah, poop.

asfish · **Joined:** 5th Dec, 2010 **Posts:** 3277

GazChap wrote:

Ah, poop.

If you are in the market for an upgrade you can pick up a compatible remote with hub and the Echo Dot for £130 on Amazon

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Logitech-Harmo ... +companion

Jem · **Posted:** Fri Jan 13, 2017 11:04

asfish wrote:

GazChap wrote:

Ah, poop.

If you are in the market for an upgrade you can pick up a compatible remote with hub and the Echo Dot for £130 on Amazon

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Logitech-Harmo ... +companion

He's most definitely not in the market for any more gadgets.

Be Excellent To Each Other

Amazon Echo

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