Author Topic: Amazon Echo  (Read 6032 times)

Offline tmazz

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Amazon Echo
« on: October 27, 2015, 08:52:38 AM »
Has anybody else gotten an Amazon Echo yet. I bought one for my wife for her birthday and we are loving it. The best way I can describe it is a cross between Siri and a Squeezbox. It is a 3 1/4 inch round, 9 1/4 high cylinder with self contained speakers. It gives you voice controlled command of your itunes library, your Amazon library, Pandora, iHeart Radio and if you are an Amazon Prime member,free access to a library of 1000s of albums. In addition to music it can also connect you to news, traffic, weather and sports reports and to all kinds of non-audio things, like keep a shopping list for you and connect to home automation devices. And more functionalities are being developed and added all the time.

It seamlessly connects to the net over wifi and is small enough to fit most anywhere in the house without getting in the way.

No it is not an audiophile device, there are not outputs at all to connect it to a separate audio system, so it is not going to become your goto music source, but it is easy to use and the sound quality is not bad at all for casual listening. my wife cannot cook without it playing anymore and just loves the fact that she can change the music or the volume without having to stop and clean off her hands before touching any knobs.

And best off for her is she can get the music going without having to get involved with turning up my stereo, which also involved a trip into the other room whenever she wanted to change anything.

And so far we have pretty much used it for nothing but music. There are all kinds of other things left for us to explore.

Quite a fun toy. And all for $179!
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Offline rollo

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Re: Amazon Echo
« Reply #1 on: October 27, 2015, 12:56:20 PM »
  That sounds like a cool device. It needs footers and a power cord of course  :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:


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Offline richidoo

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Re: Amazon Echo
« Reply #2 on: October 27, 2015, 06:44:43 PM »
Does it read and compose emails?

Can technologically terrified elderly peeps deal with it?

Nice review, Tom. Thanks

Offline BobM

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Re: Amazon Echo
« Reply #3 on: October 28, 2015, 03:50:33 AM »
The reviews say it is good at what it does, basically anything Amazon excels at. But if you want true Siri-like Q&A then you have it right on your cellphone, be it Google based voice control on your Android, or Apple Siri. I can't say I've really tried that whole voice command thing much though.
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Offline ejk

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Re: Amazon Echo
« Reply #4 on: October 28, 2015, 04:38:52 AM »
The reviews say it is good at what it does, basically anything Amazon excels at. But if you want true Siri-like Q&A then you have it right on your cellphone, be it Google based voice control on your Android, or Apple Siri. I can't say I've really tried that whole voice command thing much though.


This is true but with things like Siri you have to hold your phone and press a button. I believe with the Echo it is always listening so when you walk into the room you just speak to it. I could be wrong but I don't think so.
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Offline jimbones

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Re: Amazon Echo
« Reply #5 on: October 28, 2015, 05:14:01 AM »
Does it read and compose emails?

Can technologically terrified elderly peeps deal with it?

Nice review, Tom. Thanks

you mean we're not technically terrified elderly peeps?!  :shock: Whew!
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Offline richidoo

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Re: Amazon Echo
« Reply #6 on: October 28, 2015, 07:40:23 AM »

you mean we're not technically terrified elderly peeps?!  :shock: Whew!

Not like my parents! :P

Offline tmazz

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Re: Amazon Echo
« Reply #7 on: October 29, 2015, 07:23:46 AM »
The reviews say it is good at what it does, basically anything Amazon excels at. But if you want true Siri-like Q&A then you have it right on your cellphone, be it Google based voice control on your Android, or Apple Siri. I can't say I've really tried that whole voice command thing much though.


This is true but with things like Siri you have to hold your phone and press a button. I believe with the Echo it is always listening so when you walk into the room you just speak to it. I could be wrong but I don't think so.

Evan you are correct. The Echo is always listening. It's code word is Alexa. So to do anything you simply say Alexa, and then what you want to do, either as a command or a question. For example you could say Alexa, play Pink Floyd and the echo would search your libraries and the Amazon Prime free collection for Pink Floyd music to play. Or if you asked this morning Alexa, what is the score of the Mets game, the Echo would respond The Mets are not playing tonight, but last night they lost to the KC Royals by a score of 7-1.

It is very easy to use. But it has become somewhat of an amusing problem in our house as my son's girlfriend is named Alexa so every time her name comes up ion conversation near the Echo it jumps to attention and either tries to interpret what ever is said immediately follow her name as a request or simply jumps in and asks How can I help you.  :lol:
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Offline tmazz

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Re: Amazon Echo
« Reply #8 on: October 29, 2015, 07:29:40 AM »

you mean we're not technically terrified elderly peeps?!  :shock: Whew!

Not like my parents! :P

Rich my mother still has trouble wrapping her head around the fact that she has to change the channel on the cable box to switch shows on the TV. All I keep hearing from her is "Why cant I change the channel on the TV, I'm not watching the cable box." I gave up trying to explain it about 10 years ago.  :roll:
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Offline richidoo

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Re: Amazon Echo
« Reply #9 on: October 29, 2015, 12:59:08 PM »
I can understand her confusion with that. What a stupid concept of splitting up an entertainment device into separate components! :D

I think my dad would unplug it, worried Jeff Bezos was listening all the time. No matter how easy to use they'd find a reason to not use it. My mother can program her VCR like a pro, but afraid of iPhone.

I've been thinking about a garage music device, something I can talk to with glue on my fingers would be nice. When the buy gold commercials come on I can say "mute for 30 seconds!" Or switch stations etc.

This seems like a dumb question, but can you shop by voice on Amazon with it? I guess it will take dictation to make a list? Close enough.

Offline tmazz

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Re: Amazon Echo
« Reply #10 on: October 29, 2015, 08:32:25 PM »
As of right now you can only reorder items that you have previously purchased via Amazon Prime. But they are expanding and updating the echo constantly so it would not surprise me if the shopping capabilities are expanded in the future. You can use it to make a shopping list.

Below is a link to the Amazon page which describes the echo and its features:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00X4WHP5E
Remember, it's all about the music........

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Offline richidoo

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Re: Amazon Echo
« Reply #11 on: October 30, 2015, 11:13:20 AM »
Thanks... pretty cool!   8)

Offline tmazz

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Re: Amazon Echo
« Reply #12 on: October 30, 2015, 12:00:00 PM »
Considering that it cost less than I have paid for most of my interconnects, it's a fun toy.
Remember, it's all about the music........

• Nola Boxers
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• McIntosh MC 275
• ARC SP-9
• VPI HW-19 Mk IV/SDS/SME IV/Soundsmith Carmen Mk II ES
• Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 DAC/Rasp Pi Roon Endpoint
• DigiBuss/TWL PC&USB/MIT Cables

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Re: Amazon Echo
« Reply #13 on: October 30, 2015, 12:29:50 PM »

This is true but with things like Siri you have to hold your phone and press a button. I believe with the Echo it is always listening so when you walk into the room you just speak to it. I could be wrong but I don't think so.

Actually... not quite true... I think it's been buried in earlier iOS versions, but when I upgraded my phone & w/iOS9, it took me through the "Hey Siri" setup.

At the moment, I primarily use it when I'm grilling to verbally set a timer when my hands are all covered in some glaze or chicken guts and don't have anything to whip my hands off.

Offline rollo

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Re: Amazon Echo
« Reply #14 on: November 03, 2015, 08:06:26 AM »
   I hear an echo or was that Watson ?


harles
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