Amazon have just announced a load of new hardware, including an updated Echo for £89, which comes in several colours, and an Echo Plus (£139) which has a smart hub built into it. Available in less colours, but comes with a free Philips Hue Bulb on preorder.
Other things dropping are a new FireTV for 4K fancy pants, and an Echo Show.
There’s also a box of tricks to turn your existing echo into a voice controlled speakerphone and Echo buttons, but they’re not out till next year. Everything else is available October/November.
Add 3 devices and save £50 off your order with code ECHO3PACK
Add 2 devices and save £25 off your order with code ECHO2PACK
Annoyingly, the most interesting thing announced won’t be coming to the UK. So **** Amazon for that.
Can someone with an Echo give me some suggestions of useful things I can do with it other than asking her to tell me an anti joke which is actually quite funny!
As a fully paid-up Apple fanatic, I’m wondering whether Apple will ever sort themselves out with regards to price/functionality in this sector or just jump on board with Echo. Been running home automation for years with a creaky/bodgy X10 setup so voice control seems like a cool next step (not that I really need it!)
I now miss her when she’s not about and any computer that I can’t talk to is old hat IMO.
Alexa play bbc radio six
Alex turn the outside lights on
Alex do you have display port to hdmi adaptor
Alexa is it going to rain today
Alexa play some Pink Floyd
Alexa tell me about the cocker spaniels
So with this Echo Hub, am I right in understanding that I can put a few Philips Hue lights in around the house and I can say ‘Alexa, turn the lights down in the lounge’? If so, how would I set it up to know which light is which? And again, I assume that if I have a Fire Stick, I could say ‘Alexa, turn over to BBC1’?
Use the Phillips app and give your lights names and then group them into rooms if you want to. Add Hue to Alexa then just say “Alexa, turn on lounge lights” etc
I’m hoping that Sonos will allow better integration with Echo before too long – a quick search suggests that this may be coming. I quite like the idea of a small device (ideally with a screen) for lists and reminders, and voice activation for music and the like.
I think they have made the whole system far to confusing for your average consumer. Which Echo do I need? what features will each one give me? You now have Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Spot, Echo Plus, Echo Buttons, the list goes on.
On the video for the new echo the woman says “play my playlist EVERYWHERE”… does that mean ‘multicasting’ is coming???
DrP
Already available (Link) however it has limits. Apparently works with Amazon music which would make sense but if, like me, you have a Spotify account it isn’t supported…. Currently 🙁
Surely “Alexa turn lounge lights off“? (Although being an American thing you probably have to tell it to turn the lights out 😕 )
Why would you want to turn on the lights if you’re not in the room?
Dez… We’ve a few echo and dots about the house..I use them to turn lights on as I walk into the room..
Higher, this is via tp link plug controllers (bedside lamp/reading lamp)…
I really want to control the dimmable ceiling led lights, but there’s no real way to do that. A few companies make wifi wall switches, but I don’t think they’ll work.
A you know, I’m a fan of the echo integration!!
I can’t really justify a newer one, but they do look nice!
A few things appeal to me, aswell as voice controlled music etc, i like the thought of syncing with our tesco delivery to add food stuffs. Also sonoff switches can be used to control the immersion heater. And i believe it can be used with honeywell evo home.
She is really good to learn about things as she will read Wikipedia pages. Its certainly one of these things that you longer you have one the more you use it.
Can someone give me a quick run down of all the benefits of these type of products? I still don’t really get what they’re about.
Assuming that’s a serious question, here goes.
I don’t use Echo, I have Goggle home but same thing.
1. I use it a voice controlled music device that can play the same thing on multiple speakers around the house.
2. I control my lights by voice. When I leave the house or go to bed I can tell it to switch of all the lights and do not have to walk around the whole house turning off all the lights the kids have left on.
3. I use it to add products to my Tescos shopping basket.
4. Voice control my heating and hot water system (via a nest)
5. Tell me recipes whilst I’m cooking
6. Tell me local traffic info
7. Tell me when local shops are open
8. Tell me anything I want to know without having to type it into Google search.
You get the idea. I find it incredibly useful and so does my wife who was a massive skeptic when I bought it thinking it was a gadgety gimmick.