Anyone here got Amazon Echo Plus, Alexa?

[Martin King 2Participant @martinking2]

Hi all,

Heard one of these at a friends house recently and my missus loves her music.

Thinking about getting her one, but wonder how useful it is for other stuff, certainly seems a popular toy!.

Does anyone here have one? If so what are their impressions of it please?

Cheers,

Martin

[Martin King 2Participant @martinking2]

[Tony – CHUKParticipant @tony-chuk]

Hi Martin,

I use the Google Home Mini, cost me £34.00 on offer and it is wonderful. I use it on a daily basis! It helps that I also have Spotify, the music player, and they work wonderfully together. You can ask to play music (Hey Google, play music) and she will pick up from where you left off, or you can be more specific and ask to play a specific play list, song, artist or even radio station. As well as ask questions, such as the other day I had one hand covered in glue and the other holding some pieces of wood together, I asked what time my local B&M closed I instantly had the reply without having to stop what I was doing!

So in my opinion, well worth the money, especially for a music lover.

Hope this helps,

All the best,

Tony

[FMESParticipant @fmes]

Anything digital isn't for a music lover, its simply a tool for for stopping you from getting up off your backside.

Look on ebay and see how many second hand ones are for sale.

And don't forget – it eavesdrops!

Regards

Lofty

[Ketan SwaliParticipant @ketanswali79440]

I was given an Amazon Echo on my birthday. Initially it was a lot of fun. Later on, it would just come on by itself and say something random. Creepy. So, I have turned it off.

Ketan at ARC.

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

They don't make money from selling you these things, they make money from the data they collect about you. Are you willing to have an AI listening in your home?

I'm becoming a paranoid Android in my old age, but with the latest Facebook news caution is advisable.

[Ketan SwaliParticipant @ketanswali79440]

Well, the Echo tries to make money from you indirectly. If you ask it a question, for example meaning of something, it does sometimes suggest an Amazon shopping partner, and if you connected it to your Amazon account, then you could order the thing you asked about. So, in my case i didn't give it any of this information at time of set-up, but it still keeps suggesting shopping partners.

Ketan at ARC.

[IanTParticipant @iant]

Lofty – if I installed a "bugging device" in my home I'd be seriously concerned about the Health & Safety issues.

After all, I was well aware of the potential for serious ear-ache before I got married – but some young Amazon employee might accidentally have their hearing damaged without the in-built protection that only years of selective listening can give you…..

IanT

[SamsarandaParticipant @samsaranda]

I agree with the comments posted, yes it is a listening device and you will be surprised how many “random” adverts will appear on your media connection. I have an Alexa, given as a present by my daughter and yes you can be quietly watching the tv and Alexa will come out with some random utterance which means nothing, yes spooky. These days it is impossible to avoid being under “surveillance” from a number of directions, how many of us have loyalty cards, Nectar etc. these perform a similar surveillance of our lifestyle habits and all this data is collated. Impossible to avoid being spied on unless you go totally ‘off grid’ which is nigh on impossible, so if you want one then get one.

Dave W

[Roger Provins 2Participant @rogerprovins2]

The paranoid should first read this

There are also many other web articles on the subject to soothe your nerves.

Maybe you should also check up on what your maid is doing when you're not about.

 

Roger (who has two Alexas!)

Edited By Roger Provins 2 on 05/04/2018 10:40:24

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

I nearly got one when a colleague over ordered and had an extra. But I checked and my 3yr old Android tablet was not updatable to the version that was essential even for activating the thing.
Then the streamed radio will use up your download allocation and may impact other services if you have a poor connection so you are much better off using a regular radio.
Other streamed music only works if you pay a lot for the service or have lots of adverts.
The home automation functions only work with a few designated high end (expensive) devices.

Unfortunately more devices will connect to the internet and use this technology (voice activation) for control. Soon your TV will not come with a remote just a microphone (tenth the cost of a remote) which will be advertised as a special advanced feature upping the price. In fact it will then know precisely your viewing habits and streamed TV services already insert targeted advertising on a per user basis.

[Roger Provins 2Participant @rogerprovins2]

I guess it all depends on what sort of internet connection and provider one has. No download limit on my 100Mb broadband service, plays more or less anything I tell it to – by genre, artist or track. Shuffled and endlessly if so required. Hundreds of radio stations, albums and countless free apps. Home automation has quite a few available devices and the number is growing. Control is either by voice or touch screen. Sure there is some extra paid for stuff but there's nearly always a free alternative.

When on the internet if I'm going to get advertising anyway I'd much rather it was targeted at stuff that I may conceivably be interested in than just random ads.

Roger

[Martin King 2Participant @martinking2]

OK, Thanks!

What about sound quality? Not looking for some super HiFi just pleasant listening quality. It apparently has an aux audio out so is there any point in getting a decent external speaker of better quality perhaps? If so, any suggestions please.

I cannot see myself (or us) getting paranoid about someone somewhere listening , if thats all they have to do I pity them having to listen to us two banging on about this or that!

Cheers, Martin

[Roger Provins 2Participant @rogerprovins2]

I just plugged the aux out into my "HiFi" amp – sounds great to me and others who have heard it. But no doubt audiophiles would find fault.

[donkeyParticipant @donkey]

I have the google home mini. I think it is great I use it for radio streaming. just say "ok google play radio 2" other stations are available. it controls the heating via a hive hub, turns on wifi plugs by voice command and you can ask it questions that can save you logging in and finding out the hard way. they can and will be able to do many more things especially if you have google on your mobile phone as it knows when you are close to home and can turn up the heating for you when getting close or turn on an outside light when you are near to aid night time trips from the car. just check out the ifttt app. it stands for if that then this, and can link devices by logical operators. ie if it is 3 degrees in the room then turn on the heating or if you are close to home turn on the kettle and the hall light or just the kettle if it is daylight hours.I love it

brian

[Gordon WParticipant @gordonw]

I find all this very strange, and a bit surreal. I don't have a broadband service to support any of these systems so it's just for interest. Voice operated devices don't seem to recognise my accent so gave up years ago. There is no wonder that the population is getting obese if walking to a light switch is to much. I have a radio in most rooms so can just switch on if wanted, ok I have to move my arm and a finger. Please note I'm not knocking these devices, or the users, just bemused.

[davebParticipant @daveb17630]

I think I would pass on gadgets that make random noises. We had a cat toy some years ago, a ball, when it was moved it screamed 'Here kitty kitty', not amusing when it finds it's way into your bedroom and does it's thing at 3AM.

[Roger Provins 2Participant @rogerprovins2]

If you had broadband you'd find there is much more to them than using them to listen to a radio station or making cat noises.

Edited By Roger Provins 2 on 06/04/2018 09:49:44

[FarmboyParticipant @farmboy]

Most 'advances' in technology lately seem to involve somebody inventing something and then desperately trying to invent a 'need' for it. The saddest part is that they nearly always manage to convince the masses they can't live without the latest gadget

On the other hand, you can't imagine the time and energy I've saved since I fitted my new bathroom cabinet with its self-closing doors, it was such a chore having to close those doors every time I opened them in the past

[donkeyParticipant @donkey]

I am not saying they save time and energy but if you were disabled in any way they could be a godsend. a great use of technology. they should get better and with more uses added all the time.

who would have thought that most people would need a mobile phone a few years ago. now they are a great device to keep on you. and they get better all the time.

brian

[Roger Provins 2Participant @rogerprovins2]

Long time since I've had a mobile. Had them from my works, right from their beginning when they were like bricks, but since retiring have no need.. Cant say I miss not having one. Anyway Alexa is a much better toy

Edited By Roger Provins 2 on 06/04/2018 22:41:14

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

Alexa has spoiled my day, I asked her the cutting speed of aluminium and she replied with the cutting speed for aluminum. When I queried her she did admit that her pronunciation was not always correct. But I suppose it is the spelling that is incorrect from the British perspective.

Mike

Edited By Mike Poole on 17/12/2021 14:58:58

[Russell EberhardtParticipant @russelleberhardt48058]

A few months ago I got fed up with my 25 year old alarm radio's poor FM reception and looked at buying a new DAB radio for the bedroom. However it then occurred to me that the local radio I listen to as an alarm doesn't broadcast DAB. So I bought a Google Nest Mini to experiment with.

I found that I could set it up to play my local radio station (France Blue Rousillon) as a daily alarm to listen to the local news. It can also play all BBC radio, nice to listen in english sometimes. The conversational ability is remarkable and it can also act as a translator if required, useful for checking my French pronunciation!

The sound quality is much better than I expected but if I want HiFi quality I can tell it to play music to the television which is connected to my HiFi setup.

I now have one unit in the living room as well and as my car has Android Auto I can now message my wife hands free to tell her when I am on my way home.

If the CIA or MI5 can use it to spy on me they are welcome. They will get very bored! Remember, if you have a mobile phone it also has a microphone which could be turned on remotely.

Russell

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Don't worry, it won't be MI5 or CIA trying to decipher what "slide-valves" and "change-wheels" mean to what shadowy group trying to collapse the USA, but some advertising-agency trying to make them match the databases from their supermarket and fashion-company clients!

Your last sentence though… Do you mean the 'phone's microphone is on all the time, or that it receives a radio on/off command from the other equipment? Either way I'd wonder why you need turn the 'phone remotely sibnce you need it your hand to use?

(My portable 'phone cannot work like that, but anyway I have no remote-controller, eavesdropper or wire-less links on anything.)

[James AlfordParticipant @jamesalford67616]

I have one in the garage along with a "smart plug" which controls the lights. In theory, I can ask the Echo in the kitchen to turn the lights on in the garage, ready for when I get there and then off again from indoors. The trouble is that it is so unreliable that I frequently get told that it is not responding and end up going out again to switch the lights off manually. It is a really good concept, but seems to be unreliable at present.

Regards,

JAmes.

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