Amazon Echo

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Discussion

Hoofy

76,253 posts

281 months

Thursday 7th January 2021
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Gadgetmac said:
Desiato said:
We have a Flex on the landing for controlling the upstairs lights, works well.
Not too sure on the USB port, there is a motion sensor and a nightlight available that can plug into it but not sure about anything else.
I’ve tried to get the Motion Sensor which would be a great add-on but can’t get it from Amazon or anywhere else ie e-bay.

“This item is currently unavailble and we don’t know when it will become available again”.

frown
That's a shame. Would be great to link it to a smart plug that controls something that can move and create noise.


irob

121 posts

149 months

Friday 8th January 2021
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Quick question about multi room music playing.
If I was to buy the echo flex plug or echo input and pair it to a Bluetooth speaker. Could that speaker be added to my downstairs group and play simultaneously with my other devices?

xeny

4,260 posts

77 months

Friday 8th January 2021
quotequote all
irob said:
Quick question about multi room music playing.
If I was to buy the echo flex plug or echo input and pair it to a Bluetooth speaker. Could that speaker be added to my downstairs group and play simultaneously with my other devices?
https://www.techjunkie.com/set-up-multi-room-music-alexa/ says no for Bluetooth, but yes for via 3.5mm audio jack.

Bluetooth tends to introduce a small delay, hence not being an option.

irob

121 posts

149 months

Friday 8th January 2021
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Ok, I get it. Cheers.

kingston12

5,473 posts

156 months

Friday 8th January 2021
quotequote all
xeny said:
https://www.techjunkie.com/set-up-multi-room-music... says no for Bluetooth, but yes for via 3.5mm audio jack.

Bluetooth tends to introduce a small delay, hence not being an option.
Thanks for that link. I tried multiform with Alexa for the first time recently and I couldn't work out why Bluetooth wouldn't work, I didn't realise it was a feature.

I play music using the Echo Show in my kitchen through external Bluetooth speakers all the time, but when I grouped it with any other device, it would revert to using it's built-in speaker.

Semmelweiss

1,590 posts

195 months

Saturday 9th January 2021
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Echo Gen 2
Echo Gen 3
Dot Gen 2
Dot Gen 3

Not grouped

BBC Sounds will not play on any of them, consistently. Have to play Times Radio, and sometimes ask "her" to play BBC Radio 4 and then they work. Mostly, require multiple retries using the Times Radio alternate, and then pull the plug and reboot. BBC World Service on TuneIn always works.

What a crock of tulip is BBC Sounds. Designed, built and supported by effing Snowflakes. The old BBC skill was faultless.

KingofKong

1,965 posts

42 months

Saturday 9th January 2021
quotequote all
Semmelweiss said:
Echo Gen 2
Echo Gen 3
Dot Gen 2
Dot Gen 3

Not grouped

BBC Sounds will not play on any of them, consistently. Have to play Times Radio, and sometimes ask "her" to play BBC Radio 4 and then they work. Mostly, require multiple retries using the Times Radio alternate, and then pull the plug and reboot. BBC World Service on TuneIn always works.

What a crock of tulip is BBC Sounds. Designed, built and supported by effing Snowflakes. The old BBC skill was faultless.
If I say ‘Alexa, ask BBC to play Radio 1 Dance’ she’ll play it ok, but the app doesn’t play in stereo or even from more than one speaker in a group, she’ll only play on one Dot which is annoying.



james_TW

16,287 posts

196 months

Monday 11th January 2021
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Multi room doesn't work with BBC Sounds anyway - They haven't enabled (developed) that skill

james_TW

16,287 posts

196 months

Wednesday 13th January 2021
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Has anyone got Alexa to shut down a PC at all? I know turning it on is more complex, but it's be handy to shut it down ...

illmonkey

18,111 posts

197 months

Wednesday 13th January 2021
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james_TW said:
Has anyone got Alexa to shut down a PC at all? I know turning it on is more complex, but it's be handy to shut it down ...
Alexa, turn off the PC...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/amazon-smart-plug-works-w...

B'stard Child

28,320 posts

245 months

Wednesday 13th January 2021
quotequote all
illmonkey said:
james_TW said:
Has anyone got Alexa to shut down a PC at all? I know turning it on is more complex, but it's be handy to shut it down ...
Alexa, turn off the PC...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/amazon-smart-plug-works-w...
Yeah that would work - windows might not be happy on restart but it would work biggrin

Hoofy

76,253 posts

281 months

Wednesday 13th January 2021
quotequote all
biggrin

james_TW

16,287 posts

196 months

Thursday 14th January 2021
quotequote all
illmonkey said:
james_TW said:
Has anyone got Alexa to shut down a PC at all? I know turning it on is more complex, but it's be handy to shut it down ...
Alexa, turn off the PC...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/amazon-smart-plug-works-w...
hehe

louiebaby

10,651 posts

190 months

Thursday 14th January 2021
quotequote all
james_TW said:
illmonkey said:
james_TW said:
Has anyone got Alexa to shut down a PC at all? I know turning it on is more complex, but it's be handy to shut it down ...
Alexa, turn off the PC...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/amazon-smart-plug-works-w...
hehe
I'd thought about plugging the only Alexa in the house into one of those.

Would you get a "I'm sorry, I can't do that Hal" or similar?

james_TW

16,287 posts

196 months

Thursday 14th January 2021
quotequote all
louiebaby said:
I'd thought about plugging the only Alexa in the house into one of those.

Would you get a "I'm sorry, I can't do that Hal" or similar?
Haha - Oddly enough, I did this for my mum as she didn't want it on sometimes and it seems to work hehe Turning it back on was simple enough using the native app.

Jinx

11,343 posts

259 months

Thursday 14th January 2021
quotequote all
james_TW said:
Has anyone got Alexa to shut down a PC at all? I know turning it on is more complex, but it's be handy to shut it down ...
idea

"Alexa ask Cortana to shut down the PC please"?


Hoofy

76,253 posts

281 months

Thursday 14th January 2021
quotequote all
Jinx said:
james_TW said:
Has anyone got Alexa to shut down a PC at all? I know turning it on is more complex, but it's be handy to shut it down ...
idea

"Alexa ask Cortana to shut down the PC please"?
"I'm sorry but we're not on speaking terms."

illmonkey

18,111 posts

197 months

Monday 25th January 2021
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Anyone else having issues today? Kept telling me it can't play music, it's finally working but buffers loads and stops after a few songs.

Internet is fine

B'stard Child

28,320 posts

245 months

Monday 25th January 2021
quotequote all
illmonkey said:
Anyone else having issues today? Kept telling me it can't play music, it's finally working but buffers loads and stops after a few songs.

Internet is fine
Mrs BC was grizzling this morning before I left for work - internet was fine but every 5 mins she was having to ask Alexa again to play Radio 1...........

Hoofy

76,253 posts

281 months

Monday 25th January 2021
quotequote all
Unplug it, wait for 10 seconds, plug it back in.

Otherwise, router reboot. Actually, I'd do this first but I cba to edit this post. biggrin