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Cool Amazon Echo Functions

Posted on 12/29/17 at 8:03 am
Posted by Randazel
Prairieville, La
Member since Dec 2014
123 posts
Posted on 12/29/17 at 8:03 am
I received the Amazon Echo Dot for Christmas. Still playing with it and learning what all it can do. It's actually pretty awesome once I learned how to enable the Alexa "skills" to operate my thermostat, tv and other smart devices around my house. What are some cool functions that you use Amazon's Alexa for?
This post was edited on 12/29/17 at 8:04 am
Posted by CAD703X
Liberty Island
Member since Jul 2008
77947 posts
Posted on 12/29/17 at 8:27 am to
How many tablespoons in a cup?

I have 6 dots and being able to intercom dot to dot is amazing.

My daughters play games on them.

You can make names for timers so when I'm say, cooking chicken I say "set a chickety China the Chinese chicken have a drumstick and your brain starts cricken timer for 45 minutes" and it amuses me to no end that she repeats the entire thing. my wife hates my timers.

And I use Alexa to control my Sonos all over my house.
Posted by TigerinATL
Member since Feb 2005
61438 posts
Posted on 12/29/17 at 8:31 am to
They've recently added a lot of controls for many of the TV streaming services, so Echo + FireTV + PS Vue is how I use mine most LINK People with families and big houses put Echoes in other rooms and use them as intercoms.
This post was edited on 12/29/17 at 8:33 am
Posted by CAD703X
Liberty Island
Member since Jul 2008
77947 posts
Posted on 12/29/17 at 8:36 am to
They need to seriously fix the Plex integration. That's all I use on my fire TV.
Posted by TigerinATL
Member since Feb 2005
61438 posts
Posted on 12/29/17 at 8:39 am to
I finally got mine to start opening Plex again, then I asked it to play a movie, it told me it was partially played already asked if I wanted to resume or start over from the beginning. I told Alexa to start over from the beginning and she couldn't On the plus side some of the problems she's run into she says she's going to alert the Plex team, so she seems to send error reports when she thinks there's an error.
Posted by CAD703X
Liberty Island
Member since Jul 2008
77947 posts
Posted on 12/29/17 at 8:48 am to
I haven't tried Netflix through Alexa on fire TV. Can you fire up a movie from a dot or do you have to use the stupid remote connected to the fire TV itself?

Eta I don't want to have to use the remote to control with my voice.
This post was edited on 12/29/17 at 9:07 am
Posted by TigerinATL
Member since Feb 2005
61438 posts
Posted on 12/29/17 at 8:54 am to
I've had it open pause and resume NetFlix. According to this article you can launch shows now as NetFlix was part of the many services that got added functionality in November LINK / I've never done that because I'm not sure how it would handle profiles as my wife and I have separate profiles.
Posted by HailToTheChiz
Back in Auburn
Member since Aug 2010
48895 posts
Posted on 12/29/17 at 9:05 am to
Here:

LINK

"Guidemaster: Everything Amazon’s Alexa can do, plus the best skills to enable

Make the most out of Alexa by using these features and skills each day."
This post was edited on 12/29/17 at 9:06 am
Posted by Teddy Ruxpin
Member since Oct 2006
39553 posts
Posted on 12/29/17 at 11:30 am to
A relative bought us one and now I'm probably going to rope myself into getting compatible peripherals to make it do more.

Son of a...
This post was edited on 12/29/17 at 11:31 am
Posted by HailToTheChiz
Back in Auburn
Member since Aug 2010
48895 posts
Posted on 12/29/17 at 11:34 am to
quote:

A relative bought us one and now I'm probably going to rope myself into getting compatible peripherals to make it do more.


my same situation
Posted by TigerstuckinMS
Member since Nov 2005
33687 posts
Posted on 12/29/17 at 5:10 pm to
quote:

A relative bought us one and now I'm probably going to rope myself into getting compatible peripherals to make it do more.

You need to get smart lights yesterday. Being able to dim lights is one thing, but if you want to take the plunge, I recommend going with something full-on like a Philips Hue bridge and Color and Ambiance bulbs. You can also go with different brands and a HA hub if you wish, but I've found the Hue system to be perfect for me.

I'm frankly shocked at how much I enjoy being able to dial in the perfect color for my mood, the time of day, or a particular activity. I got a starter kit thinking I might use them every now and then, but that quickly turned into outfitting the whole house once I saw what the possibilities were, especially paired with scripting tools like IFTTT and Stringify.
This post was edited on 12/29/17 at 5:14 pm
Posted by jimithing11
Dillon, Texas
Member since Mar 2011
22471 posts
Posted on 12/30/17 at 9:36 am to
I got the bridge for Christmas with two basic white bulbs. Do they make any bulbs (a la carte) that are stronger than 60w? I want to add a few more that have a little more brightness

I'm also thinking of getting a spotlight for outside that can be controlled/dimmed/set on a timer by Alexa
Posted by TigerstuckinMS
Member since Nov 2005
33687 posts
Posted on 12/30/17 at 12:35 pm to
I don't think they make bulbs for standard sockets that are brighter than 60W incandescents.
Posted by Korkstand
Member since Nov 2003
28703 posts
Posted on 12/30/17 at 2:35 pm to
quote:

You can make names for timers so when I'm say, cooking chicken I say "set a chickety China the Chinese chicken have a drumstick and your brain starts cricken timer for 45 minutes" and it amuses me to no end that she repeats the entire thing. my wife hates my timers.

My God you are such a fricking dad
Posted by LSU-MNCBABY
Knightsgate
Member since Jan 2004
24343 posts
Posted on 12/31/17 at 7:42 am to
I have a bunch of the bulbs installed, but mainly just use them when having people over. To integrate with the echo does the switch need to be on at all times? Then you can just remotely turn the lights on and off?
Posted by Hogkiller10
LP
Member since Jan 2010
1529 posts
Posted on 12/31/17 at 8:23 am to
yes
Posted by CAD703X
Liberty Island
Member since Jul 2008
77947 posts
Posted on 12/31/17 at 11:50 am to
quote:

My God you are such a fricking dad

Posted by Box Geauxrilla
Member since Jun 2013
19116 posts
Posted on 12/31/17 at 1:36 pm to
quote:

chickety China the Chinese chicken have a drumstick and your brain starts cricken


The line is “...and your brain stops ‘tickin”
Posted by TigerstuckinMS
Member since Nov 2005
33687 posts
Posted on 12/31/17 at 2:05 pm to
quote:

I have a bunch of the bulbs installed, but mainly just use them when having people over. To integrate with the echo does the switch need to be on at all times? Then you can just remotely turn the lights on and off?

Light switches have to remain on to power the radios and the hardware of the bulbs. Alexa has to be connected via a skill to either your HA hub or the Hue bridge (depending on if you went with Hue or a more generic solution). Once Alexa can see your bridge or hub and the bridge or hub is properly connected to its lights, and the lights are powered, then you should be able to use Alexa to directly control the lights by voice, routine, IFTTT or Stringify script, etc.
Posted by HailToTheChiz
Back in Auburn
Member since Aug 2010
48895 posts
Posted on 12/31/17 at 2:59 pm to
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