[Closed] Amazon Echo 2 Pre-Order £89 + Other Stuff

Annoyingly, the most interesting thing announced won’t be coming to the UK. So **** Amazon for that.

Well it will, but not until 2018.

I did mean to edit that in, but that damn 15min window.

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 [i]really[/i] need it!)

[i]Other things dropping are a new FireTV for 4K fancy pants, and an Echo Show.[/i]

Rather amusing story yesterday - Google removing youtube support from the Echo Show. Be a bit crap without that eh? 😆

What's the Echo Plus and Smart Hub about then? Like Rockhopper I'm struggling to see how an Echo can enhance my domestic environment.

Home automation is the big/obvious one for me, trouble is you then have to spend £££ on interfaces or new smart devices to get the most out of it!

Apparently this is coming with Alexa soon...

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0-100 with Alexa in a few weeks.

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

On the video for the new echo the woman says “play my playlist EVERYWHERE”... does that mean ‘multicasting’ is coming???

DrP

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'?

Etc etc

I guess you register the lights with the hub and give them an associated name/group name which you can then use when issuing voice commands.

Oh right. So spending hundreds of pounds to be even lazier. 😐

Don't buy one then Grandad 😉

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.

Oh right. So spending hundreds of pounds to be even lazier.

Alexa, what car should I buy?

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.

You now have Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Spot, Echo Plus, Echo Buttons, the list goes on.

I dunno. I think you listed them all 🙂

Echo Show?

I can't wait for Echo Echo.

On the video for the new echo the woman says “play my playlist EVERYWHERE”... does that mean ‘multicasting’ is coming???

DrP

Already available [url= https://www.cnet.com/uk/how-to/how-to-setup-multiroom-playback-across-all-of-your-alexa-devices/ ](Link)[/url] 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 🙁

[i] "Alexa, turn on lounge lights" etc[/i]

Surely "Alexa turn lounge lights [i]off[/i]"? (Although being an American thing you probably have to tell it to turn the lights [i]out[/i] 😕 )
Why would you want to turn on the lights if you're not in the room?

Because you've been sitting there a while and its now gone dark so you need the lights on.

Re SONOS integration - I fancy that but if you have the music volume at a sensible level will Alexa be able to hear your commands?

Re SONOS integration - I fancy that but if you have the music volume at a sensible level will Alexa be able to hear your commands?

Alexa dips the volume when it hears its keyword.

YoKaiser - Member
I can't wait for Echo Echo.

Echo and the Bunneymen?

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!

DrP

[i]Because you've been sitting there a while and its now gone dark so you need the lights on.[/i]

Ah yes of course - so dark you can't see where the light switch is! I want one now! 😆

Dez... We've a few echo and dots about the house..I use them to turn lights on as I walk into the room..

See, this is what I don't get. You paid money to avoid pressing a light switch. Surely just a gimmick.

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.

[quote=Kryton57 said]

See, this is what I don't get. You paid money to avoid pressing a light switch. Surely just a gimmick.

You realise that they do lots more than turn lights on/off, yes ? 😀

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.

Oh right they're basically speakers?

Kryton and pal, earlier today:

[img] [/img]

Also, can someone explain twitter to me please?

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.

Cool - thanks. It's actually quite hard to find a concise list like that within the 1 minute Google I give to understand a product USP.

You can also change it's name from "Alexa" to "Computer" if you want to go all Star Trek...

Currently I have a Sonos Play 5 in the kitchen which I use with Spotify. Am I right in thinking that if I bought an echo Dot then I would be able to connect it to the Sonos speaker via a 3.5mm stereo cable and then access Spotify via voice commands?

Currently I have a Sonos Play 5 in the kitchen which I use with Spotify. Am I right in thinking that if I bought an echo Dot then I would be able to connect it to the Sonos speaker via a 3.5mm stereo cable and then access Spotify via voice commands?

I believe so.

I recently bought an Echo and use it to:

1. Turn on the radio (just by asking)
2. Check the weather forecast (just by asking)
3. Add stuff to my shopping list (just by asking)
4. Play stuff from my music library (just by asking)

If that's all it did I'd be happy at the £99 I paid for a "smart speaker", but the fact it will soon allow [url= https://www.amazon.co.uk/l/14072704031 ]making/receiving of calls and messages[/url] (just by asking) makes it a bargain. I was surprised by how much I (still) love it.

You can also change it's name from "Alexa" to "Computer" if you want to go all Star Trek...

Not sure if it still does but at one point the Google Home would respond to "hey Jarvis", so you could live out your Tony Stark fantasies.

[quote=Alphabet said]Currently I have a Sonos Play 5 in the kitchen which I use with Spotify. Am I right in thinking that if I bought an echo Dot then I would be able to connect it to the Sonos speaker via a 3.5mm stereo cable and then access Spotify via voice commands?

Not sure about the Spotify integration but you could buy a cheapo bluetooth dongle which plugs into the Sonos av/in and have the Dot stream music to the Sonos without wires.

This type of thing.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/162617130126

Needs USB to power, I guess the Sonos has that ?