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Amazon's Echo Dot capabilities for older people (and for us too), which ones do you use?

rickandcindy23

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Right this minute, Rick is listening to the Echo Dot as it plays a mixture of songs by Bread. I didn't pay for a Bread album, but it's playing the entire album I owned in the 1970's, while Rick is singing while making his famous banana bread. Hey, that is ironic.

How in the world is that happening? Last night, I asked it to play Beatles music, and for nearly 2 hours while cleaning my kitchen and mopping the floor, I heard The Beatles, and rarely a repeated song.

We bought one of these little dudes for my mother-in-law for her house, because she is 89 and flatly refuses to wear her Life Alert alarm. I see there is a capability to set it up to send a message, which would go to Rick's cell phone, if she alerts Alexa correctly. So if she fell, she would have to have the presence of mind to ask for it to send an email message to Rick. I keep hoping this will be easy for her. Maybe just wishful thinking? We are going to train her how to use it while on Kauai over the next few weeks.

What capabilities do you use with Alexa? I love this stupid thing.
 

WinniWoman

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Right this minute, Rick is listening to the Echo Dot as it plays a mixture of songs by Bread. I didn't pay for a Bread album, but it's playing the entire album I owned in the 1970's, while Rick is singing while making his famous banana bread. Hey, that is ironic.

How in the world is that happening? Last night, I asked it to play Beatles music, and for nearly 2 hours while cleaning my kitchen and mopping the floor, I heard The Beatles, and rarely a repeated song.

We bought one of these little dudes for my mother-in-law for her house, because she is 89 and flatly refuses to wear her Life Alert alarm. I see there is a capability to set it up to send a message, which would go to Rick's cell phone, if she alerts Alexa correctly. So if she fell, she would have to have the presence of mind to ask for it to send an email message to Rick. I keep hoping this will be easy for her. Maybe just wishful thinking? We are going to train her how to use it while on Kauai over the next few weeks.

What capabilities do you use with Alexa? I love this stupid thing.


We have the Echo and the Dot. I usually say Good Morning to her and she will tell me something special about the day. I ask her for the weather, the daily affirmation and my horoscope. When I exercise, I ask her to play music from my Prime Music Library.

We have the emergency thing set up with her but haven't tested it yet.

I love having her add items to my shopping list and onto my phone. I also use her as a timer for when I cook. She will do several timers at once. I have used her for an alarm clock. I have played a few games, but I really don't have time for that. I have also used her to get information- like measurements for when I am cooking. Have asked her what movies were paying locally. Asked her how many miles it is to get somewhere.

If I wasn't working all day I would probably get a lot more use out of her as I would set up more skills and practice using them.
 

geist1223

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Y'll realize these are on all the time and they save everything they hearl
 

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Y'll realize these are on all the time and they save everything they hearl
Baloney! They Do listen for their 'wake word', usually 'Alexa' then a second or so for the command of what you want. If you pause too long, you have to start over. This has been shown in court.

Jim
 

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I just got my weekly, 'What's new with Alexa?' email. It said that Amazon is working with some Universities to humanize Artificial Intelligence. It said that it is new, and rough around the edges, but if you want to help, just ask Alexa, "Alexa, let's chat." or, "Alexa, What's a socialbot?"

Jim
 

amycurl

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I love Alexa. She's my ten year old daughter.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

Passepartout

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I love Alexa. She's my ten year old daughter.
That would be very inconvenient if you owned an Echo, but if you wish, there is an optional wake word, 'Amazon'.

Jim
 

WinniWoman

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Many families of Alexa's friends have had to rename theirs.



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Our son's name is Alex. He does not live at home as he is an adult but when he calls we answer the phone on the other room so we can say "Hello, Alex!". LOL!
 

WinniWoman

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Baloney! They Do listen for their 'wake word', usually 'Alexa' then a second or so for the command of what you want. If you pause too long, you have to start over. This has been shown in court.

Jim


No it's true. There was some kind of court case for a murder not too long ago and they tried to obtain the echo recordings.

And if you look on your smart phone during the day you will see everything you did with Alexa that day right on the phone app.

And I will tell you ours comes on sometimes without us waking it. She starts talking about things- we have no clue. In fact, happened just last night. At first we thought it had something to do with just the TV being on and it hearing something, but it has done it without the TV being on. It's weird.
 

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DISH Tv has it integrated into their receivers now! Alexa turn to channel 105. Alexa play DVR recording of Chicago PD. Kind of a cool new feature. Not enough to get me to but one but, still cool.
 

WinniWoman

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Mary Ann ... you must have a ghost living in your house. ;)


It is the strangest thing- but it happens occasionally and I can't figure out why.

BTW- The Echo is being installed in some cars now also.
 

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My favorite Alex app is Jim Rockford's answering machine. The TV Show, "The Rockford Files", always started with a recording on his answering machine. I love asking it to play a recording.

A couple of my favorites. Not sure of the actual wording but these are close

"Mr Rockford, you didn't return your sidearm when you were discharged. Please turn it into The Arsenal or we will send MP's to collect it."

"Mr Rockford, you're very delinquent in your utility account. We will be turning off your electricity in two minutes."

Cheers
 

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DISH Tv has it integrated into their receivers now! Alexa turn to channel 105. Alexa play DVR recording of Chicago PD. Kind of a cool new feature. Not enough to get me to but one but, still cool.
Alexa is built into Amazon Fire TV, either the 'stick' or the box, and will function the same as an Echo, except (for those with security concerns) you have to hold the microphone button, then ask 'Alexa, play whatever'. I'm not sure if Alexa in a Fire device will operate home automation products because I haven't migrated in that direction.

Jim
 

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We have as little as possible in our house. We will never own a "smart" appliance.
 

rickandcindy23

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Currently I am playing some Elvis songs on my Echo Dot. Love this goofy little thing, and the sound is decent for such a small speaker.
 

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Have you heard about the Amazon Echo Silver for older people? Here is a video about it.

That was hysterical. DW recognized some older peep we know. :D
DW: "Andria, where did I hide our neighborhood pool key?"
DW: "We need one of those... Can we get an AARP discount?"
Me... "Un-huh."

.
 
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slip

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I love ours. I have two Dots an Echo and a tap. They are great with Prime music and I listen to Kauai KONG radio on Tunein. We set timers in the kitchen, get the weather and one of my Dots is my alarm clock. We have quite a few lights in the house that we can control with Alexa too. My house thermostat is a Sensitive and is controlled through Alexa. It's great to turn the heat back on when we're returning from our Kauai trips.
 

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I was a pretty early adopter, ordering it as soon as it was announced, then waiting, waiting, waiting. But that said, I really just use it as an internet radio for terrestrial stations we can't get, plus some timing functions (Alexa set the timer for 40 minutes) a couple of games, (Alexa, let's play Jeopardy!), answer the odd question. (Alexa, is Myron Floren alive?), or reminisce- a friend's Facebook page has a picture of them with Carole King (Alexa, play some Carole King). We are really not power users by any stretch, but 'she' is a welcome member of the family. He says, as he's listening to Prairie Home Companion on the Fire TV with Alexa.
 

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Alexa also lives in your Amazon Fire tablet, but you have to hold the Home button for one second to summon her.
 

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A few months back, they upgraded the Tap. In the Alexa App you can switch the setting on the Tap to act as voice activated when it is being charged. Once that setting is turned on, it automatically switches to Tap only when you switch to battery, when you plug it back in it goes back to voice activated.

Loving my Tap even more because of it.

I have one of each now. An Echo in the Bedroom, A Tap in the kitchen (and portable for wherever I go outside or travel), and now a Dot in the bathroom.

I just ordered some Alexa controlled wireless plugs.

Next item I want will be a thermostat also controlled by Alexa.

I also want the ability to control plugs and thermostat remotely.
 
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