[Doublej]

I care. Heck I might even splurge and spend $35 (Black Friday pricing) to upgrade my Echo Dot to get the one with the display, but I do wonder if the display will negatively impact the sound quality.

Spotify free now works with your Alexa device.

https://techcrunch.com/2019/11/20/spotifys-free-music-service-will-now-stream-on-alexa-devices-plus-bose-and-sonos-smart-speakers/

Enjoy!

[mresseguie]

My wife likes our Echo Dot. She cares. 

[JakeJ]

Also for those with a premium Spotify account you are eligible for a free Google Home Mini to stream music.

[mix4fix]

You buy the device and you get free music?

[Doublej]

You buy the device and you get free music?

Yes free iTunes, iheartradio, pandora, spotify and I believe basic Amazon music. All for $22 on Black Friday, $14 if you want the Echo without a speaker. They have an analog out so you can feed it to a pair of powered speakers or an amplifier and it also acts as a bluetooth receiver so you can stream directly from your phone.

[rollo]

  Does Echo spy on you ?


charles

[Doublej]

  Does Echo spy on you ?


charles

Define spy. It's constantly listening unless you turn off the microphone by pressing the microphone off button on the top of the unit. I keep the microphone off until I want to play music. 

[JakeJ]

You buy the device and you get free music?

Hi M4F, Sorry I missed this, I was in a class all day at work and my reply was posted on my all too brief lunch period.

I got an email from Spotify that I was eligible for a free Google home mini because I have a premium acct (like $12 and change with state sales tax).  I clicked the button in the email, took me to Spotify and I stepped through the online requirements.  There was a popup message that said I'd have to pay $7.43 for WA state sales tax.

I don't know what all I can streaam yet, other than Spotify obviously.  I'm more interested in controlling smart home devices such as lights and thermo.

Just showed up in the mail today.

Oh, I forgot to mention the mini has an off switch for the microphone.  Nice!

[rollo]

Define spy. It's constantly listening unless you turn off the microphone by pressing the microphone off button on the top of the unit. I keep the microphone off until I want to play music.

  Does it record you ? Curious not being a PIA.

charles

[Doublej]

If the microphone is left on I believe it is constantly listening and recording. What happens to the recording and for how long they are retained I do not know. I think it's a while as there has been mention in the press of police wanting to get access to a recording to help solve a crime.

Nowadays, you can tell Alexa to delete your voice recordings and in theory they are deleted from Amazon's servers. Google it. There is a fair amount of press on the topic and also the use of humans to listen to these devices (Amazon, Apple, Google, etc.) to improve the quality of the service.

I use mine like a receiver. I keep the microphone turned off until I want to listen to music. Then I turn the microphone on (press the microphone button on top) and tell it what to do. I typically leave the microphone on while the music is playing but one could turn it off and just turn it back on momentarily when you want to stop the music.

You could also unplug it when not in use though it takes about a minute when you plug it in to be ready for use.

Heck it's all of $22 for an Echo Dot 3 on Black Friday special or $14 for the Echo Input (no audio speaker or cool light ring, just another source in your audio system) so IMHO its worth it just to understand how this technology works.

And you can use it for whole house audio. You put multiple units (kitchen, living room den) into a group name (mi casa) and then tell it to play on the whole group.

Alexa, play blues music on Pandora on the group mi casa and viola! blues music is playing on the three speakers from the Pandora station.

You can also set a pair up to play in stereo.

[stlrman]

I have an extra AMAZON show  if you are interested.
If my wife will agree to sell it .
Pm if interested.

[Doublej]

An audiophile review of the Echo Dot 3 with clock. 


https://www.pcmag.com/review/371359/amazon-echo-dot-with-clock

[mix4fix]

Is there a device that has better audio output to be integrated into a stereo system and be wired into your network?

[Doublej]

Is there a device that has better audio output to be integrated into a stereo system and be wired into your network?

There most certainly is but it will cost more than $22.  Research streamers. Here's a bunch from NAD.


https://nadelectronics.com/products/sources/streamers/

[rollo]

Cool thanks, enjoy the toy.


charles

[mix4fix]

Have concerns about the privacy and security of using a product like this. Is their a device that streams free music but does not spy on your life?

[Doublej]

Have concerns about the privacy and security of using a product like this. Is their a device that streams free music but does not spy on your life?

Yes it is called FM radio.

If you use anything that requires an account you are being spied on/ All of your activity is tracked, analyzed, sold, combined with other data repackaged and resold.

Use a smartphone? You are being spied on.
Use a computer? You are being spied on.
Use a credit or debit card? You are being spied on. Does your credit card allow you to tap to pay for something? Unless you keep it in an RFID blocking sleeve it is possible you are being spied on when you carry it in your wallet.
Use a customer loyalty card? You are being spied on.
Buy anything online? You are being spied on.
Use a free email service? You are f'ed. The contents of messages you have sent or anyone has sent to you has been opened, analyzed, and added to your secret profile.

The point is you have to do things that you are not likely to want to do to not be spied on:

Don't use email.
Don't use a smartphone? A flip phone is being spied on too.
Don't use a computer or any device connected to a network.
Don't use a credit or debit card.
Don't do anything that requires an account. No Amazon, No eBay, no Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc. etc.
Don't drive a car. It's being spied on if you use a toll road or drive through a town with cameras.

I am sure I missed a whole bunch of other things spying on you.

Security of devices is a whole different issue.