Amazon Echo

[anonymous-user]

ecsrobin said:

Apple Music coming to echos later this month https://www.macrumors.com/2018/11/30/apple-music-e...

Seems a surprising but good decision? Will many people prefer amazon music to Apple Music?

[LoonyTunes]

Doesn't Amazon have the far bigger music library?

[RizzoTheRat]

Probably but Apple has the far bigger user loyalty. (says the man with an Echo, Echo Dot, Fire TV and Kindle)


I'm currently paying £3.99/month for Amazon music on my Echo, but now having bought a Dot as well I'm wondering if I should upgrade to the full Amazon Music Package, Amazon Prime (smaller music catalogue but would also get a lot of TV content on my fire stick), or switch to Spotify which many people reckon has better playlist management than amazon.

[Zod]

I wish they'd add a digital audio output to the Echo Dot.

[juice]

I just bought a load of Teckin Smart plugs as we tend to use a lot of lamps for our lighting rather then ceiling lights.

So I have the Xmas trees, the lounge, hall, landing, Study and a tall standard lamp in the dining room all connected and grouped into rooms. Then enabled the Smart Life skill in Alexa.
Finally I put another Echo in our bedroom so can switch off all the lights downstairs when I go to bed. It's brilliant !

Next, our driveway is dark. So next on the list is to sort this out. Going to look into the Lightwave RF stuff as I read it links to Alexa easily. Being able to switch the driveway lights on by command will be fantastic !

[Cotty]

juice said:

Next, our driveway is dark. So next on the list is to sort this out. Going to look into the Lightwave RF stuff as I read it links to Alexa easily. Being able to switch the driveway lights on by command will be fantastic !

Of use a motion sensor, not sure of the Philips one can be used outside though.

[tenohfive]

Cotty said:

juice said:

Next, our driveway is dark. So next on the list is to sort this out. Going to look into the Lightwave RF stuff as I read it links to Alexa easily. Being able to switch the driveway lights on by command will be fantastic !

Of use a motion sensor, not sure of the Philips one can be used outside though.

Voice command for lighting has it's uses but automation is far more useful in practice. Be it motion sensors, presence sensors (including your phone/household members phones via geofencing), or contact sensors. It's better that the lights come on before you realise you need them, particularly outside where turning them on means getting your phone out (at least.)

[juice]

Thanks - I read a bit more and the Hue seems to have advantages. With the bridge it links in to an Echo, but the geofencing as you said is a major plus. I have some bifold gates that I have to open each night, having the lights already on as I arrive home so I can see would be massive.

[sybaseian]

juice said:

Thanks - I read a bit more and the Hue seems to have advantages. With the bridge it links in to an Echo, but the geofencing as you said is a major plus. I have some bifold gates that I have to open each night, having the lights already on as I arrive home so I can see would be massive.

Geofencing with IFTTT - I have it set up to automatically open and close my gates when I enter or leave the area. Would be easy to set something similar to turn on your lights at night.

[davek_964]

Getting a bit annoyed with one of my Echo's.

For some reason, it's stopped using the radio for the morning alarm. I can tell it to play the radio at any time and it will - but it refuses to use the radio for the alarm, and just uses the default alarm sound. Deleting the alarm and setting a new one to wake to radio doesn't solve it - and I've confirmed in the app that it's set to use the radio.

It was working fine last week.

On the other hand, being able to switch the Christmas tree lights on / off by voice is dead handy!

[Bonefish Blues]

davek_964 said:

On the other hand, being able to switch the Christmas tree lights on / off by voice is dead handy!

Just get some lights that have the different flashing settings, shirley?

[JimbobVFR]

ecsrobin said:

Agreed it’s an expensive addiction!

In my small home I have:

8 hue bulbs
2 hue lightstrips
1 hue switch
1 hue motion sensor
1 echo
2 echo dots
3 TP-Link smart plugs

And yet I am still looking at offers today to expand my collection......

You're making me think either I have a serious problem or you're not trying hard enough.

I have:

- Around 40 Hue lights (that includes 2 hue strips and 2 installations of strips using an FLS-PP unit)
- 6 Hue dimmer switches and 3 motion sensors
- Nest thermostat and 2 Nest protect smoke alarms.
- 3 TP-Link plugs
- 1 Google Home Hub
- 1 Google Home
- 3 Google Home Minis
- 3 Chromecast Audios and 2 Video Chromecasts
- Raspberry Pi running Home Assistant for some automation and also alloeing IR control using Philips Pronto Remotes.

Maybe we should start a help group for addicts.

[Blown2CV]

Bonefish Blues said:

davek_964 said:

On the other hand, being able to switch the Christmas tree lights on / off by voice is dead handy!

Just get some lights that have the different flashing settings, shirley?

ha.

hey lights on, hey lights off, hey lights on, hey lights off.... etc etc till 6 Jan

[ajprice]

JimbobVFR said:

ecsrobin said:

Agreed it’s an expensive addiction!

In my small home I have:

8 hue bulbs
2 hue lightstrips
1 hue switch
1 hue motion sensor
1 echo
2 echo dots
3 TP-Link smart plugs

And yet I am still looking at offers today to expand my collection......

You're making me think either I have a serious problem or you're not trying hard enough.

I have:

- Around 40 Hue lights (that includes 2 hue strips and 2 installations of strips using an FLS-PP unit)
- 6 Hue dimmer switches and 3 motion sensors
- Nest thermostat and 2 Nest protect smoke alarms.
- 3 TP-Link plugs
- 1 Google Home Hub
- 1 Google Home
- 3 Google Home Minis
- 3 Chromecast Audios and 2 Video Chromecasts
- Raspberry Pi running Home Assistant for some automation and also alloeing IR control using Philips Pronto Remotes.

Maybe we should start a help group for addicts.

Thankyou, I thought I was bad but I'm a mere beginner

3 Echo Dots
2 Hue white bulbs
TP Link plug
New TV with Chromecast and Google assistant built in
Chromecast (now spare)
Harmony remote and hub
Raspberry Pi with game emulators on it

Not being used/not working
2 Raspberry Pi Zeros currently doing nothing
Old TV now I have the new one
Old white MacBook with a dead battery

I'm thinking of setting up the old TV and one of the Raspberry Pis as a Media player/Game emulator in a different room. The TV still works, I don't want to junk it.

[Jinx]

ajprice said:

JimbobVFR said:

ecsrobin said:

Agreed it’s an expensive addiction!

In my small home I have:

8 hue bulbs
2 hue lightstrips
1 hue switch
1 hue motion sensor
1 echo
2 echo dots
3 TP-Link smart plugs

And yet I am still looking at offers today to expand my collection......

You're making me think either I have a serious problem or you're not trying hard enough.

I have:

- Around 40 Hue lights (that includes 2 hue strips and 2 installations of strips using an FLS-PP unit)
- 6 Hue dimmer switches and 3 motion sensors
- Nest thermostat and 2 Nest protect smoke alarms.
- 3 TP-Link plugs
- 1 Google Home Hub
- 1 Google Home
- 3 Google Home Minis
- 3 Chromecast Audios and 2 Video Chromecasts
- Raspberry Pi running Home Assistant for some automation and also alloeing IR control using Philips Pronto Remotes.

Maybe we should start a help group for addicts.

Thankyou, I thought I was bad but I'm a mere beginner

3 Echo Dots
2 Hue white bulbs
TP Link plug
New TV with Chromecast and Google assistant built in
Chromecast (now spare)
Harmony remote and hub
Raspberry Pi with game emulators on it

Not being used/not working
2 Raspberry Pi Zeros currently doing nothing
Old TV now I have the new one
Old white MacBook with a dead battery

I'm thinking of setting up the old TV and one of the Raspberry Pis as a Media player/Game emulator in a different room. The TV still works, I don't want to junk it.

I feel inadequate - Echo Spot, Echo Show and harmony Elite (so I can control all the AV equipment). Need some hues next....

[Sixpackpert]

Echo show (latest version)
Echo dot (1 2nd gen, 1 3rd gen)
Sonos soundbar (Alexa enabled)
16 Hive bulbs
Hive thermostat
1 Hive smart plug.
1 Ring2 Doorbell

All working flawlessly through Alexa.

Need more....

Edited by Sixpackpert on Wednesday 5th December 10:21

[Jonnny]

Do people find, when talking to others about Echo/Smart stuff - people are either a big fan, or people think it's pointless and lazy?

There seems to be no inbetween

[davek_964]

Jonnny said:

Do people find, when talking to others about Echo/Smart stuff - people are either a big fan, or people think it's pointless and lazy?

There seems to be no inbetween

It's definitely lazy - that's why I've got mine!

I think I've solved my alarm problem. For various reasons, I had to switch the upstairs power off Sunday afternoon, and again Monday and Tuesday evening. It occurred to me last night that perhaps something in the echo is forgetting it is supposed to use the radio after it's lost power - even though the app still shows it should use Radio 2 - so after switching the power on last night, I deleted the alarm and created it again.
This morning, it worked correctly and woke me to R2. (Although I'm thinking perhaps the monotone "beep beep beep" of the default alarm might actually be better than Vanessa Feltz).

[MrOrange]

JimbobVFR said:

You're making me think either I have a serious problem or you're not trying hard enough.

I have:

- Around 40 Hue lights (that includes 2 hue strips and 2 installations of strips using an FLS-PP unit)
- 6 Hue dimmer switches and 3 motion sensors
- Nest thermostat and 2 Nest protect smoke alarms.
- 3 TP-Link plugs
- 1 Google Home Hub
- 1 Google Home
- 3 Google Home Minis
- 3 Chromecast Audios and 2 Video Chromecasts
- Raspberry Pi running Home Assistant for some automation and also alloeing IR control using Philips Pronto Remotes.

Maybe we should start a help group for addicts.

Hmmm. Good idea. I too have 40 hue lights, 4 dimmers, 3 switches, 1 motion sensor, Nest Therm, 2 protects one external and 2 internal cameras and 2 TP plugs. But I’ll raise you 3 dots, 1 echo, 1 echo plus, 3 ATV, Ring doorbell, chime pro, external floodlight cam and stick-up cam. I use IFTTT for automation and make use of Geo-location for heating, lighting, cameras.

“Alexa, ask BMW to prewarm the car”

[ajprice]

I went into the settings on the Alexa app lastnight after leaving things alone for a long time. Now that routines have a wait function, I've set up a going to bed routine that will turn on the bedroom light but wait a minute before it turns off the living room light (so it won't turn it off straight away and leave me in the dark ) I'll try that one out tonight. Also set up a good morning routine to play the news, weather, traffic then 6 Music and a leaving the house routine to turn the stuff off.