Amazon Echo people

[trafficgirl]

Tell me why it's awesome.

It looks pretty awesome, and I do think we would use it. I have Prime and use Audible quite a bit. But I'm not 100% convinced.

[trafficgirl]

8675309 - your post about you buying it for yourself inspired this. Tell me why you are stoked!

[gretchenindisguise]

I can say "Alexa -play the Okee Dokee Brothers" And she does. No buttons to push. I can do it while washing dishes or drinking my glass of wine.

H ordered it before it was released, and I joked with him that it was going to be a $100 paperweight. Joke's on me. We use it daily mostly for music.

[ginap]

Alexa, shuffle Adele 25. Alexa set a two minute timer. Alexa tell me a knock knock joke. Alexa add Pop Tarts to the shopping list. I love it so much.

[8675309]

Nov 30, 2015 18:04:12 GMT -5 trafficgirl said:

8675309 - your post about you buying it for yourself inspired this. Tell me why you are stoked!

Because it actually hears you and does what you say. Because I can do the following by just telling Alexa:

1. Play any and all kinds of music thanks to free Amazon Prime Music Streaming (A feature I never used before.)
2. Set Timers when I am cooking.
3. Asking it random questions and it answers better than Siri!
4. Set Calendar appointments that go directly to my phone.
5. Create grocery lists that go directly to my phone.

I don't have it yet but my BFF showed me how she uses it and I was screaming inside with excitement. I am sure there are many more things it does like turn on and off lights in your house but for $150? I AM TOTALLY SOLD!

The sound quality is amazing too. BUY IT! It will never be this low. 

ETA: Spend about an hour and read all the reviews to find out how other people are using it. It's pretty cool!

[trafficgirl]

Nov 30, 2015 18:11:55 GMT -5 8675309 said:

Nov 30, 2015 18:04:12 GMT -5 trafficgirl said:

8675309 - your post about you buying it for yourself inspired this. Tell me why you are stoked!

ETA: Spend about an hour and read all the reviews to find out how other people are using it. It's pretty cool!

This is what I'm doing now

And peachy - no to Spotify. Just Amazon Prime Music, Pandora, IHeartRadio, and TuneIn.

ETA - this is according to reviews and such. Though it sounds like there is a workaround?

[8675309]

Also, it is constantly adding features and since it's connected to the cloud you dont have to upload anything. SMARTEST thing ever.

Here's what it says about that:

"We are always adding new capabilities to Echo. Recently, we’ve added local search from Yelp, streaming music from Pandora, audiobooks from Audible, Google Calendar access, live sports scores and schedules, traffic reports, Amazon.com re-ordering, control of connected devices with WeMo, Philips Hue, SmartThings, Insteon, Wink, and more."

[amberlyrose]

Alexa turns on and off my lights, plays music, and gives me weather info

[8675309]

Nov 30, 2015 18:47:16 GMT -5 amberlyrose said:

Alexa turns on and off my lights, plays music, and gives me weather info

Can you tell me more about this? I have to buy compatible parts right? Like a plug in thing? You don't need special bulbs do you? I got overwhelmed when I clicked on that part. 

It is super duper dark when I come home with the kids and usually my hands are full with school crap. Would love to use this feature but not if it's going to cost $50 to set up.

[slcjess]

Ooohh thanks for asking this. I've been debating buying this for h all day. Does everyone have the remote? I also want to know about the lights thing.
I'll go read reviews now cause i want to make sure h will use it and he sure isn't making grocery lists or timing cooking. Lol. Can you hook more than one phone with the app up to it?

[candreco]

So dumb question, can you change its name? My daughter's name is Alexa, and I don't see it going well when we tell her to get her butt to the table for the third time.

ETA : Nevermind, I see you can use Alexa or Amazon. 

[trafficgirl]

Nov 30, 2015 19:17:48 GMT -5 candreco said:

So dumb question, can you change its name? My daughter's name is Alexa, and I don't see it going well when we tell her to get her butt to the table for the third time.

From what I've read, you can, but the only other option is "Amazon"

[slcjess]

Nov 30, 2015 19:14:43 GMT -5 chilerellanos said:

Nov 30, 2015 19:10:32 GMT -5 slcjess said:

Ooohh thanks for asking this. I've been debating buying this for h all day. Does everyone have the remote? I also want to know about the lights thing.
I'll go read reviews now cause i want to make sure h will use it and he sure isn't making grocery lists or timing cooking. Lol. Can you hook more than one phone with the app up to it?

Mine came with a remote but I have honestly never used it because I use voice for everything.

It told me I should add a remote for like $20 extra. Wtf, no. Lol. I'll get it for him for our anniversary in a few months if for some reason we can't live without it, I think. Thanks! 

[jigsy]

Do any of the current users know if it can:
1 - Play from a podcast app/service
2 - Take notes - so if I have an idea for a hilarious TV show, I can just tell it to Alexa and she will note it...somewhere.

[Deleted]

Shit, now i want one.

[lilac05]

Nov 30, 2015 20:03:48 GMT -5 @ameliapond said:

Shit, now i want one.

Me, too.

I didn't even know it existed before this thread, and now I think I need it.

Does it communicate well with iPhones/iPads?

[Faevantastic]

My bro is getting one for my H as his Xmas gift. I got SmartThings and compatible light bulbs to go with it so we could tell the echo to turn lights on/off. It's like the modern clap-on!

[candreco]

Oh, God, I am so sucked down the home automation hole now.

[cayl]

Nov 30, 2015 19:14:43 GMT -5 chilerellanos said:

Nov 30, 2015 19:10:32 GMT -5 slcjess said:

Ooohh thanks for asking this. I've been debating buying this for h all day. Does everyone have the remote? I also want to know about the lights thing.
I'll go read reviews now cause i want to make sure h will use it and he sure isn't making grocery lists or timing cooking. Lol. Can you hook more than one phone with the app up to it?

Mine came with a remote but I have honestly never used it because I use voice for everything.

I keep the remote in the bedroom and Alexa is in the living room. When I'm in bed and H's video games are too loud I say into the remote "Alexa, say "Turn down the damn video games!" and she yells at my husband for me.

[noodle]

Thanks to this thread, I just ordered it for H for Xmas. And then added some WeMo outlets to the order so we can tell it to turn off lights.

[elleblue]

Nov 30, 2015 20:03:48 GMT -5 @ameliapond said:

Shit, now i want one.

ME TOO. 

[rachers]

Can you move it around? Probably a dumb question but could we keep it in the kitchen and periodically move it into the garage?

[AHappierHour]

Now I want one!!

[rachers]

Nov 30, 2015 21:58:54 GMT -5 chilerellanos said:

Nov 30, 2015 21:58:29 GMT -5 rachers said:

Can you move it around? Probably a dumb question but could we keep it in the kitchen and periodically move it into the garage?

Yes! It's easy! Once it's set up, you don't have to reset it up when you move it.

I might be sold! Thanks for the info!

[badgergrl]

I ordered one. I am such a sheep. Baa.

[swarley]

I just saw this and I'm guessing there was a deal on it yesterday. What was the price? I see it's $179 today.

[FastHands]

So paranoid wet blanket, but is anyone else creeped out by the fact that it's *always listening*, and connected to the cloud or whatever?

[eponinepontmercy]

Nov 30, 2015 21:41:37 GMT -5 cayl said:

Nov 30, 2015 19:14:43 GMT -5 chilerellanos said:

Mine came with a remote but I have honestly never used it because I use voice for everything.

I keep the remote in the bedroom and Alexa is in the living room. When I'm in bed and H's video games are too loud I say into the remote "Alexa, say "Turn down the damn video games!" and she yells at my husband for me.

This made me realize how much I need this thing in my life.

[pagas]

I had my parents order me one for Xmas. Exciting!

[lobster]

We just got one a few months ago. We use it for music or weather reports periodically. We use it every day for the home automation stuff. I have it set up on several lights that I can turn on/off with voice. I just moved one of the switches to the Christmas tree and have it on a timer so it's already on when I get home from work. It can also connect to home security sensors or cameras. The next thing on my list to add is a thermostat so that can be controlled better remotely. It just recently came out with some safety type things that sounded a lot like life alert. You say a particular command and it notifies whoever you set up as your contacts (husband/parents/police, etc). I haven't set that up, but that's another nice feature.
I get an email about once a week of new things that have been added. There are usually 4-5 enhancements each time.