[ctviggen]

We just got an Amazon Echo, mainly for my wife to use to keep a grocery/shopping list, and for timers.  However, it also controls my Insteon lights (light switches that communicate using wireless), so I can now say "Alexa, turn off the living room table lamp", and it does it!  I have a small number of Insteon lights, but now I'm thinking of getting more.  I could say "Alexa, turn off all outside lights" (or "all inside lights" or "run nighttime program") and have all my lights turn off.  That's much better than having to find the iPad, find the light(s) or program and run that.

In fact, I'm trying to convince my wife to add some speaker cable into the house to set up a sonos network (sonos is kinda like a Squeezebox replacement, but also includes some nice functionality and the ability to have multiple speaker zones independently controlled).  However, with Echo, now my wife pretty much uses it to listen to local radio stations and other music.  I can't convince her to spend a bunch more money for similar functionality, only with no talking interface (currently, sonos works through apps).  And even I have a hard time convincing myself to install wires when I can't say "Alexa, play WXYZ radio station in living room using Sonos". 

Plus, the ability to keep shopping lists and have them sent to your phone, and to have timers and other information simply by speaking is pretty cool.

I'm not overly fond of having Amazon know even more about me than they already do, but that's the price I have to pay I guess.

Does anyone else have an Echo, and if so do you like it?

[avta]

I have had one for about a month and enjoy it. We use it mostly for keeping the shopping list but also to listen to music. I have it setup to connect with my Ooma phone as well so I can check voice mail but haven't used that function yet.

[sebrof]

This would be a FANTASTIC Holiday gift  - Amazon Echo Dot 2nd Gen $49.99.
If you are unfamiliar with what it is google a video or two.

I just got an Amazon Echo Dot. Where the Echo is 9.3" high, the Echo Dot is about 1.5". Main difference is the Echo has about 7" more speaker than the Dot, and the Dot has an Aux out (3.5mm) because they expect you'll connect a bigger speaker (which you can also do via Bluetooth). Functionally they are identical.

$50 for the Dot, $179 for the Echo. (If you have or do not need a good Bluetooth speaker, the Dot is the way to go, no need to buy the Echo)

This thing is really cool. No need to ever touch it, just talk to it. And it can hear you from far away while you speak in a normal voice.

For music I have Pandora and iHeart Radio and it plays them no problem, I just say the words (Alexa play Pandora radio Ben Harper) and it plays. I also got the trial of Amazon Music Unlimited which will cost $3.99/month, but I can only play that on the Dot. Everything I asked for so far has been available on Amazon Music. Example Illinoise Jacquet Swings the Thing, I asked it to play the album and bam, first song to last song immediately starts.
The built-in speaker is OK for just chilling and listening, like maybe a lot better than a good phone speaker.

For weather, traffic, sports, news it works amazingly well. Say "Alexa what's the weather" and it answers immediately. Did the Raiders win last night? "Last night the Raiders beat the Texans 17 to 10 (or whatever it was) at whatever stadium." For news say Alexa what's in the news and it starts playing whatever news feeds you set up (not everything you might want is available).

I haven't tried the home automation stuff yet, but looking at the online videos it looks like it works well for that stuff, too. This is what the IoT (Internet of Things) is all about.

It doesn't necessarily do anything I can't do with my phone, but everything it does it does so well it's a lot easier via the Echo Dot. I almost never speak requests into my iPhone or Android phone because I have it in my hand and it just seems easier to type stuff in. With Echo, it works so well and so seamlessly it's really a lot easier than picking up my phone. If I had to stand in front of the Echo and speak loud and slow I'd probably just use my phone, but with the Dot I just say in a normal voice and it does its thing.
Can't go wrong for fifty bucks.

[Stercom]

Very cool. Thanks for the info!

[jtwrace]

I had one and returned it.  I wasn't really all that impressed nor did it make anything easier.  I think the best thing I was able to use it for was weather while I made lunch for the day.  Other than that, not for me. 

[zybar]

I just got an Echo to primarily use with a bunch of Casetta switches to allow for easy use of lighting sciences.

I needed a way to better control the 29 in ceiling lights in our Great Room and I am hoping this combo will be the solution.

BTW, the Echo and Dot are now on sale as part of Amazon's Black Friday promotion.

Echo is down to $139 and Dot is $39.

George

[sebrof]

BTW, the Echo and Dot are now on sale as part of Amazon's Black Friday promotion.

Echo is down to $139 and Dot is $39.

George

Thanks I just ordered a 2nd for me and one for my Mom. I bought the first while visiting Mom for Thanksgiving and she loves it.

[TJHUB]

I have 3 2nd generation Dots around the house.  The one I have in the kitchen is used the most.  I now don't have to function as the family's weather man.  They can all ask Alexa about the weather as they run out the door.  The whole family loves the shopping list feature.  We've had issues for years that "we have no food in this house", and my wife would always say "I buy anything that's on the list."  The problem is no one would add to any list.  Now, if you think of something, or if you see we running out of something, you just ask Alexa to add it to the shopping list that magically shows up on my wife's phone.  It's also very cool to ask Alexa random things you'd normally need to search the Internet for on some computer or hand-held device.

I use all 3 Dots to control many light switches all over the house and outside.  I went with the GE/Z-Wave dimmers, on/off, and outdoor switches.  The dimmers work great, and I have the outside lights on automated routines to turn them on at sunset, and off at various times.  I even have automated routines ready to go for my outdoor Christmas lights.  I'm using a Samsung Smartthings Hub v2 to control the switches and run the automation. 

I have 2 Dots that slightly overlap coverage areas, so it's very cool that only the closest one responds to you.  I've had virtually no issues with the function or operation of the system.  I have more I want to do with lights and automation, but my next step is a new thermostat. 

We do use the Dots to play music, but just as background.  They work good enough for listening in a noisy kitchen, or while people are talking or multi-tasking.  Overall, I love what they done for our home and how we use it. 

[zybar]

Finally installed my Echo today.

I am initially using it to control lights (Lutron Caseta) and thermostats (Nest) and play music.

It's a little geeky, but I think it is cool.

I am putting a Dot in my bedroom as well.

Now I can turn on/off lights in the living room and kitchen from my bedroom.   

Will need to play with it to see what else I can do.

George

[sebrof]

As geeky as it sounds, and I am sure it exists today but I haven't seen it - Soon it will become common for new houses to not have any light switches on the walls. Home automation seems to be really taking off, and as easy as it is to speak to these things now I believe it is only a matter of time. Switches and such will be as odd and out of place as TVs that you walk up to to change the channel, and phones with cords.

[rif]

I have an echo and do like it very much.  But "OK google" gives better answers but echo is more convenient if you're not already using your Android device.

[ctviggen]

We use ours for a ton of stuff. For instance, we can say "turn off outside lights", "turn off downstairs lights", or "turn off nighttime lights", and certain lights will turn off. We can control many lights throughout our house, such as Christmas lights, bathroom lights, etc.

We use it all the time to listen to music, create shopping lists, find information, have it tell us jokes. I plan on integrating it with Kodi (which we use for movies) when I get the time.

The problem is that it does not interface with our music collection. So, there's no way for me to tell it to play our Christmas playlist. It's really built around selling you Amazon's products.

When my URC remote finally goes, I'm going to get a different remote that may have echo integration.

I also hate the way we're being tracked, but it's so much easier to tell Alexa to turn on and off lights than it is to go to a program to do the same thing.

[rif]

We use ours for a ton of stuff. For instance, we can say "turn off outside lights", "turn off downstairs lights", or "turn off nighttime lights", and certain lights will turn off. We can control many lights throughout our house, such as Christmas lights, bathroom lights, etc.

What devices do you attach to the lights to integrate with the echo?

[Phil A]

Here's one - https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Control-Devices-Anywhere-HS100/dp/B0178IC734/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1481722273&sr=8-4&keywords=echo

[Phil A]

Here's another - https://www.amazon.com/Philips-White-Starter-light-bridge/dp/B014H2OZAC/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1481722273&sr=8-8&keywords=echo

[ctviggen]

I'm using this:

https://www.amazon.com/Universal-Devices-ISY-994i-INSTEON-Automation/dp/B007JM29LU

Though I have the old Pro model. It appears I have to pay $49 every 2 years to be able to use the echo. I don't remember having to pay, but maybe I did. I also use Insteon switches, lamp switches, and motion sensors. I originally only had a few switches and other elements, but once we got the echo to work, I put more money into this. The ISY allows you to do things like turn on and off lights on a schedule, respond to motion sensors, etc. The combination of it with the echo is quite powerful. I was originally going to buy a program for the iPad, but I never had the time to buy the program and then program it. We use my wife's iPhone and she does a lot of the set up on her side. She is the one with the echo account, and I am the technology guy with the lights.

I do have to say it's quite expensive.  For instance, each light switch is about $40. If you want to control a 4 way circuit, that's $120. You also need to have some knowledge of programming if you want to use the ISY.

[brj]

The problem is that it does not interface with our music collection. So, there's no way for me to tell it to play our Christmas playlist.

https://community.roonlabs.com/t/alexa-voice-control/10688

[sebrof]

I started integrating some lights to the Echo Dots. It's more of a curiosity, but actually is useful. When I listen to music I am usually in the dark, and when I want to get up to change the record or CD I find my way to the light switch. Now I just tell the Dot to turn on the lamp and I'm good to go.

I am using the Echo Dot and Philips Hue.
Everything integrated very easily, although you do need to use two apps to set it up (Philips and Alexa). Once it's set up and you have things configured the way you want (~3o min, depending on how many devices, etc.) it's just a matter of saying the words and lights come on and off, dim to whatever % you ask, etc. Very cool.

[ctviggen]

https://community.roonlabs.com/t/alexa-voice-control/10688

Thanks, I'll check that out.

Also, the Alexa is good for turning on and off individual lights, but (assuming you have the hardware to do it) is even more powerful for groups of lights.   For instance, we can say "turn off outside lights" or "turn off downstairs lights" and all those lights turn off.  I'm going to make a group for the kid's bathroom (three lights) so I can just say "turn off kids bathroom lights" and it will happen, instead of having to remember the names of three different lights.  Also, I plan on putting in a dot right near where we enter the garage on our way out of the house.  This way, we can say "turn off all lights", and Alexa will turn everything off.  This will take more adding of lights, as not all our lights are controllable.

You can also say (assuming you have the hardware), "Alexa, turn on the living room lamp at 50% power". 

I assume you can also have scenes, eg, "Alexa turn on watching TV scene", and lights will dim, turn on, turn off, etc.  I haven't tried this yet. 

If you have a thermostat that works with Alexa, I guess you could also say, "Alexa, turn on Away mode", and the thermostat would be set to Away.

Again, I'm using a Universal Devises ISY 994 and Insteon lights, which require a substantial investment in both money and time (for installing and configuring everything). 

By the way, we also use Alexa as a timer (especially for the kids) and for shopping lists. 

[Johnny2Bad]

An interesting circus toy that causes otherwise normal humans talk to themselves, quite loudly I might add, when no-one is in the room. Even if I was assured that the People-In-White-Coats would not come for me, as they surely should, I have no assurance that the device is not polluting the airwaves with unnecessary radio waves (what we audio people usually call Radio Frequency Interference, or RFI) and that it is secure and supported so as not to be one of the IoT devices that are attacking websites with DDOS attacks as we speak.

I explored Voice Recognition 19 years ago (1997) and it worked fine then, probably as well as it works now *. But I felt like an idiot interacting with it. Can't see that changing.

Of course that is ignoring that Alphabet, parent of Google, or "The Company Who Never Released A Product They Could Continue To Support" is part of the environment. I know Google is not Amazon, but none the less all I see there is a company throwing spaghetti at the 'fridge to see what sticks. And abandoning what doesn't.

Not for me.

I'm not a Luddite ... far from it; I've had a computer in my office or studio that I paid for with my money for almost 30 years now. But the Next Great Thing has to be something I actually find useful and if it is supposed to replace something, it has to work better than what it's replacing.

Not there yet; too much money to turn on a few lights with a bunch of extra ... like we don't already have enough ... RFI thrown in for good measure. We had X10 30 years ago, and that came with some extra interference on the AC line. But hey, it turned the lights off and on.

* The same as Optical Character Recognition. The 2016 version works about the same as the 1996 version. You would think 20 years of development would make a difference. Nope.