Yep – HERE

We’ve called our dog ‘Alex’

This has caused us no end of problems with our ‘Alexa’

So much so we’ve had to get rid!

House smells much better and no more walks or poo picking and don’t have to get up to switch radio on.

Win win.

DTRL are a very very good thing, agree they should have taken the opportunity to include the rear lights too.. but hey, maybe take all decision making from the blob out of the equation too.

@Tiger6791: …or you could have just changed the Alexa wake word to something else…

I tried to get Alexa to work via my kindle for playing Deezer through my Audio Pro speakers. It just kept defaulting to albums that I’d bought on Amazon ages ago. At that point I basically rage quit and haven’t attempted to use it since. Might give it another go at some point.

So for the echo ists amongst you – can i change the name of devices without having to use the mobile ap? (Eg through the web interface.) If i can I’m damned if i can figure it out.

DTRL are a very very good thing, agree they should have taken the opportunity to include the rear lights too.. but hey, maybe take all decision making from the blob out of the equation too

I wonder if they decided not to as they might impair the visibility of brake lights? Bear in mind they are designed to be very bright to be seen during daylight hours.

More likely the manufacturers didn’t want the cost. Maybe that’s just me being cynical.

No reason for them to be retina singeing bright. Volvo manage it. A slight aside (from this aside), when we went to Iceland a couple of years ago we rented a car. Driving away from the airport I noticed that every car had its lights on in the middle of the day so thought I’d better turn ours on. Turned out it was a legal requirement but the car hire company forgot to tell us.

Turned out it was a legal requirement but the car hire company forgot to tell us.

Turned out it was a legal requirement but you neglected to check what was needed before you drove in a foreign country? (-:

Turned out it was a legal requirement but you neglected to check what was needed before you drove in a foreign country?

Yep :oops

many are happy for corporations to gather data on us for the purposes of selling us “stuff” (which is actually the business model behind Alexa)  but seem not to be if that data were used for personal, societal, national security and safety.

Amazon &co publish terms and conditions to which you agree. You are protected by law if they transgress (in theory). You know what they are using it for.

National security services are opaque for obvious reasons.

You’ve misread what I was saying. I’m not saying Amazon would pass the data on – in fact there’s a case reported on the BBC at the moment where they are refusing to provide such data to a court for a murder trial unless the proper legal request is made.

People appear fine for Amazon et al. to use data about them to sell them “stuff” but not if the security services had a similar data collecting device and used similar data to keep them safe.

People appear fine for Amazon et al. to use data about them to sell them “stuff” but not if the security services had a similar data collecting device and used similar data to keep them safe.

How do you know that? What information do you mean? Like my spending habits? Or my Music tastes? I think you are stretching a point there. As above it’s not a listening device.

How do you enable porn mode, you know, clear the cookies and delete history, etc, once you’ve finished?

People appear fine for Amazon et al. to use data about them to sell them “stuff” but not if the security services had a similar data collecting device and used similar data to keep them safe.

I wouldn’t be totally against some sort of government snooping device in my house but it would have to either be terrorism etc. was so rife it made a difference for national security or had some other tangible benefit.

I’m perfectly aware Amazon collect and analyse data, it’s their core business and yes there’s a certain amount of trust involved that when they say they only record data after the wake word activation etc. that that’s what they’re really doing (such companies don’t have a great track record when it comes to trust but directly violating something like that would do serious damage to their business for probably little reward as there would be too much data, with little context, to analyse in a meaningful way).

If Amazon packages started arriving at my door that Alexa had ordered automatically as she thought I might need them that would be a step too far (I’m not talking Dash buttons here) but even then I’m sure it would be a feature you could turn off.

People appear fine for Amazon et al. to use data about them to sell them “stuff” but not if the security services had a similar data collecting device and used similar data to keep them safe.

I’m not sure the security services knowing I’ve just put red onions on my shopping list will keep me safe.

Wow this thread (previous page at least) just seems to be a bunch of grumpy old men whinging about technology/privacy. I was hoping for some tips n tricks for Alexa.

I have an Echo Dot & Philips Hue system arriving today. Hopefully I’ll be able to automate some of the lights, so they come on before I get home and turn on certain lights when we’re not home. I’ve ordered a new LED strip controller so I’ll be able to add that to the Hue system too.

I’ll be having a play with the system this weekend, as I know you can set a timer and have the lights blink. I’m trying to think of a real world use… Maybe have the lights blink red when another person gets home, I’m struggling for an automated use.

Obviously I’ll be doing the standard stuff with Hue, set moods/groups. Turning off lights at night, having bedroom lights increase in brightness in the morning. Get the bulbs to turn to a warm white at night and have a few automated for movement & light level.

I have a few things I want to try, restarting my server can be a pain, no screen or keyboard, so I will try and get Alexa to do that. Apparently Alexa can work with Plex too, which might be handy as the app seems quite slow on the TV. Hopefully I can get Alexa to work with my 3D printer, it currently messages me when it’s finished or there is an error, but it would be nice if it sounded this out through Alexa as I generally don’t have my phone with me around the house.

Hopefully with the Harmony Hub that I’ve never used, I’ll add commands to turn on the TV/Amp and set volume, mode, etc. Eg. “Alexa Blackout mode”… dim living room lights, turn on TV & amp, change amp to game mode and set volume, not sure it can turn on the PS4. Hopefully I’ll also be able to add something “Alexa set TV to night mode” which will reduce the screen brightness, turn the colour to a warm white, etc”. I may be able to automate some of these tasks, so in the morning it turns it back to daytime colours/brightness/etc and then I can manually enable night mode.

Got loads to try, most of it not essential, but definitely easier than me pressing a million buttons a night trying to set it, thinking to myself “why can i not automate this with something like a macro, in 2018 it should be possible”. Maybe it is now 😉

My parents have a smart washing machine.  They are bemused by the concept, it jsut came free with the machine they wanted.  But I can see how it might be useful – load the machine up before you go out for the day, and have it start the cycle when you are say 90 mins from home so the washing doesn’t end up sitting in there for too long.

Could also work for ovens.  I also fancy having a smart socket on my coffee machine so it switches on to warm up at 7am and turns off at 9 if I’ve forgotten to turn it off.

Hopefully with the Harmony Hub that I’ve never used, I’ll add commands to turn on the TV/Amp and set volume, mode, etc

Interested to see how easy you find it. I bought a Harmony in last year’s Black Friday sale, got as far as plugging it in but not actually configured or used it yet :p

If you’re just starting off with Hue stuff be prepared to get annoyed at other people turning off the light switches

But I can see how it might be useful – load the machine up before you go out for the day, and have it start the cycle when you are say 90 mins from home so the washing doesn’t end up sitting in there for too long.

To me, as an STW approved luddite, that does seem like really trying to find a reason for it to be smart. E.g. I just set our washing machine to come on at 5.30am and put the washing out first thing when I get up to feed the cats at 7am. When I come home from work it’s dry. Now a washing line which could take the washing in if it starts raining, might be of use. And before any suggests, I have tried training the cats but they’re just not remotely interested.

To me, as an STW approved luddite, that does seem like really trying to find a reason for it to be smart.

Take the next step in that, with a smart meter and/or solar/batteries it can work out when you have enough charge or the price is lower and start high load activities like washing machine and dishwasher, or sequence them so they only use renewable rather than grid electric

I just set our washing machine to come on at 5.30am and put the washing out first thing when I get up to feed the cats at 7am. When I come home from work it’s dry.

Yeah, me too, but life doesn’t always run as clockwork.  Sometime you need ad-hoc capabilities.

But the point is, it’s trivially cheap to fit this capability, and if you fit it eventually someone will find a use for it.

Hopefully with the Harmony Hub that I’ve never used,

Post how you get on with it – I read that it can be slow so you can say something, wait, wait, say it again, then it responds. Twice.  As someone who spends a lot of time looking for remotes, voice control would be handy

I have a £1000 mobile phone with Siri on it. I do not see the need to spend another £200 or whatever to buy something that does the same thing.

A 2nd Gen Echo Dot is £20 in the Black Friday sale!

3rd gen is £25.

I’m going to put this tech to the test – mk3 Dot arriving today along with a Smart Plug. Current thinking is to start by connecting the Dot to a bluetooth speaker. As i don’t want the speaker powered up all the time i’ll use the Dot to turn it on at the plug (need to remind myself what happens when the speaker is plugged into the wall) then connect to it. Any flaws in that plan (other than the part about the speaker beign powered up)?

*not really, i’ll barely scratch the surface until the toddler takes over

Think that should work @legend. I have a Mk2 Dot and it is perfectly usable without an external speaker so you’ll probably find you only bother powering up the speaker when you want some loud music.

My Harmony arrived yesterday. I gave it quick setup last night but not fully, I can now command the TV by voice without looking for the voice remote, it also controls my PS4. The harmony located all smart lights in the house so I can control even the ones not linked to my Alexa.

Looking good so far.

Think that should work @legend. I have a Mk2 Dot and it is perfectly usable without an external speaker so you’ll probably find you only bother powering up the speaker when you want some loud music.

Makes sense, will see how it gets on without the speaker to start with – then I’ll need to find something else to attach the plug to though 🙂