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Introducing the Amazon Echo (Smart Speaker) (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter Buddy Ball 2K3
- Start date
Buddy Ball 2K3
Footballguy
Wink Hub
Smart Plugs
Smart Bulbs (These have gone on sale quite a few times at Target)
Smart Outlets
I went into just trying it out and now regret doing it that way. I wish I would have planned better. The lighting for us is fantastic. During Christmas dinner the lighting in the dinning room and living room was too bright. So... Alexa dim all lights to 25 and boom. Perfect dinning light.
I am now planning things out and watching pricing on the needed items to attack this in a much smarter way.
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Otis
Footballguy
You're just scratching the surface with this stuff by the way. Have a look on Amazon at all the Zwave and Zigbee devices you can control from one of these hubs (not sure wink does, but I assume so -- smartthings hun definitely does: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B010NZV0GE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_Z6rGwbERD090Y )
You can connect wall switches, motion sensors (to control lighting or security), door locks, relays to open and close your garage door, water sensors (a basement that floods often), window and door sensors (to detect whether you've left a door open, for security, to mind the liquor cabinet), temperature sensors, thermostats, etc.
I did this in my old home, there is a thread somewhere. It was pretty awesome. It was different because I did a hack job setup of my own using a system called Hometroller and an app screen I set up for our phones that controlled everything. Not nearly as polished as an interface like Alexa. Then again I sometimes wonder if I will miss the ability to customize as much as I did then.
In any event, the whole home automation setup I had was pretty awesome. Automatically turned off and on all the lights at specific times. Motion sensors on the basement lights so my wife and kids couldn't always leave the lights on constantly down there. At night j had everything set to shut off all the lights, lock the house doors and close the garage door. If you ever heard a "thud" at night, I could look at the app and see whether there was any motion in any rooms on the first floor. I haven't installed any of this stuff in the new house, but I've been tempted. Echo seems like a nest way to interface with it all.
NutterButter
Footballguy
Echo sounds neat but home automation in general is still at the gadgety stage for me. I'm waiting for something thats a little more life changing.
![[icon]](/data/avatars/m/5/5167.jpg?1660313464){kind=avatar}
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Insoxicated
Someone needs to make wifi microphone/speaker for this. Instead of adding a new unit to each room, a small mic and speaker combo should run $30-40 and would interact with the main unit. Wouldn't be good for music listening, but for those simply seeking ability to command or get info, could be handy.
Or have a better speaker version in the $75-100 range and you could save the money on logic board/etc.
Play XYZ song in this room / whole house would be nice functionality for those lookin for Sonos-type functionality.
Or have a better speaker version in the $75-100 range and you could save the money on logic board/etc.
Play XYZ song in this room / whole house would be nice functionality for those lookin for Sonos-type functionality.
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Insoxicated
Got my brother and his wife a couple switches and outlets for their unit this Christmas.
They raved about this thing for a while after getting it. However, I have Been staying here for 4 days and they've used in 2x... Only to play background music.
Maybe that will change with home automation options.
They raved about this thing for a while after getting it. However, I have Been staying here for 4 days and they've used in 2x... Only to play background music.
Maybe that will change with home automation options.
Buddy Ball 2K3
Footballguy
Yeah the wink does most of these as well. I already have lighting programs setup via the link. This worked out extremely well when we were out of the country on vacation. Check the app to make sure the lights were on at home at the right time of day etc.
My plans as of right now are to add the following:
Replacing Flood Lights
Thermostat
Video Doorbell
Smoke Alarm
Front Door Lock
Buddy Ball 2K3
Footballguy
IC FBGCav
Footballguy
I got one for Xmas and played with it for a half hour and have not picked it back up. The music part is cool and probably the only part that will come in handy except for a traffic update on my way out the door. The kitchen seems like the place I will keep it. Only other use I see is the hot tub. To be able to listen to specific music by just asking for it would be really cool but the tub does have a radio and ipod player built in already.
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James Daulton
Footballguy
Ok, I love this thing.
IC FBGCav
Footballguy
I hope you do, my wife bought me it off this thread. She probably has faith in icon, Her going to his house and all, F U Matt! j/k.
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Buddy Ball 2K3
Footballguy
NutterButter
Footballguy
What is some interesting home automation you'd like to see? Nothing really comes to mind. Probably not home automation, but wireless electricity throughout the house would rule; no more having to worry about device battery level. Combine that with being able to just pull your car into the garage or maybe even just the driveway and have it charge.
James Daulton
Footballguy
I unpacked it yesterday and was cooking dinner and talking about our NYE menu with the wife. Instead of having to sync my phone and bluetooth speaker, open pandora and pick a playlist, I just asked Echo to play what I wanted from Pandora and it did. I was able to switch playlists effortlessly. I also created my shopping list while cooking freaking dinner. It was seriously awesome and would be awesome if this was all Echo could do. Plus, the speaker sounded better than I was expecting.
jwb
Footballguy
Agreed. To me, Echo is as good as any BT speaker I have heard.
I'm serious about sound when it comes to my audio gear / vinyl / amps / floor speakers / etc, and can see discussing the differences. But there's a point where a little BT speaker can only do so much. The upper level all seem to have that "full" Bose-like sound - differentiating at that point with one little speaker for streaming music almost seems silly. Echo sounds just fine.
skol asylum
Footballguy
This thing would never work in my house as my 11 year old is named Alexa.
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Insoxicated
skol asylum
Footballguy
Artoo would be better.
leftcoastguy7
Footballguy
Amazon out of stock until Jan 21. That sucks, I was going to buy one.
Foosball God
Foos
Buddy Ball 2K3
Footballguy
Otis
Footballguy
Bogart
Footballguy
IC FBGCav
Footballguy
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jhib
Footballguy
The new Jeopardy skill is pretty simple, but neat. Asks you six new Jeopardy questions each weekday and you respond to answer, then it tells you how many you got right.
I had an issue (which, reading the reviews, a lot of people have) where when I'd use the words it says to open the skill, it would play the song "Jeopardy" instead. I unplugged the Echo and closed and restarted the Alexa app and it works fine now. I'm not sure if just doing one or the other works. Later skills I added work fine now without having to restart, so I wonder if it's just something you need to do when you enable your first skill. Also added Cat Facts and Dog Facts because my kids will like them.
Anybody find any skills they think are useful and/or cool?
I had an issue (which, reading the reviews, a lot of people have) where when I'd use the words it says to open the skill, it would play the song "Jeopardy" instead. I unplugged the Echo and closed and restarted the Alexa app and it works fine now. I'm not sure if just doing one or the other works. Later skills I added work fine now without having to restart, so I wonder if it's just something you need to do when you enable your first skill. Also added Cat Facts and Dog Facts because my kids will like them.
Anybody find any skills they think are useful and/or cool?
cstu
Footballguy
cstu
Footballguy
The Verge argues that Amazon has no interest in ruling a holistic smart home by itself. Alexa is an open platform for companies to build it into their hardware. The companies build new skills for Alexa to grow, according to an Amazon spokesperson. This symbiosis allows Amazon to weave itself into more smart home gadgets as startups do the heavy R&D lifting. It’s similar to how the smartphone has become the most important device we own by letting just about anyone program an app.
http://www.newsweek.com/smart-homes-amazon-echo-becoming-central-hub-413628
http://www.newsweek.com/smart-homes-amazon-echo-becoming-central-hub-413628
3C's
Footballguy
Bob Loblaw
Footballguy
Is it possible to turn Alexa's volume up/down other than "Alexa louder"? From what I've read in this thread, volume is 0-10. If volume is at 3, can I just say "Alexa volume 8"?
3C's
Footballguy
Bogart
Footballguy
Yes, I use "Alexa Volume [number]" all the time. I know that "2" is where I need it for bedtime, "5" is where I need it if in bedroom, "8" if I'm listening from the bathroom in the shower.
Bob Loblaw
Footballguy
I was streaming Spotify via Echo BT this weekend. I forgot that it was Spotify and commanded Alexa to skip. She was able to skip the song. Pretty cool as I thought that with Spotify the only functionality was volume.
squidrope
Footballguy
You can say "Alexa volume up" or "alexa volume down" Twist the ring on top to adjust the volume manually,
Bob Loblaw
Footballguy
3C's
Footballguy
Otis
Footballguy
A few hiccups along the way, but my setup coming along. I wired up a z-wave relay to my garage door opener, and now I can say "Alexa, open the garage," and boom garage door opens. Also have some lights in the kitchen and living room connected on it. Also have motion sensors and temp sensors in my girls' rooms, which I will eventually get routined up with the Smartthings hub to up the thermostat one degree if their rooms get too cold. That sort of thing. Also have some motion sensors downstairs so it knows if people are in the center hall. Also set up a motion sensor in my office so that if there is motion, all of the lamps go on. Set them to shut themselves off if no activity for 30 minutes. Never have to deal with walking around and reaching to all the lamps to turn them on or off. In the evening, all the lights go off; certain ones come on in the morning. Also have door sensors so I can see when the garage and two main house doors are opened or closed.
Looking to put smart door locks on the two doors we use, but the only thing keeping me waiting is we may get new hardware or totally new doors on those, and I don't want to have to buy a different finish in 6 months. We'll see, I can probably just have the guy swap these onto the new doors, provided I get the right finish.
Unfortunately, some of the switches and outlets I bought are difficult to install because I either don't have a neutral wire (old wiring) or the box in the wall is too small and won't fit the switch (again, old house, old electrical). Spent some frustrating hours trying to get these installed. May just get an electrican in and have him swap out a buttload of switches all at once. I installed them myself at my old house, but it's hard in this one.
Also bought a second Echo for the living room, should arrive any day. Loving this so far, looking forward to getting it set up.
Looking to put smart door locks on the two doors we use, but the only thing keeping me waiting is we may get new hardware or totally new doors on those, and I don't want to have to buy a different finish in 6 months. We'll see, I can probably just have the guy swap these onto the new doors, provided I get the right finish.
Unfortunately, some of the switches and outlets I bought are difficult to install because I either don't have a neutral wire (old wiring) or the box in the wall is too small and won't fit the switch (again, old house, old electrical). Spent some frustrating hours trying to get these installed. May just get an electrican in and have him swap out a buttload of switches all at once. I installed them myself at my old house, but it's hard in this one.
Also bought a second Echo for the living room, should arrive any day. Loving this so far, looking forward to getting it set up.
leftcoastguy7
Footballguy
Any reason to get the Samsung Hub over the Wink Hub?
The Wink hub is half the cost of the Samsung on Amazon right now.
The Wink hub is half the cost of the Samsung on Amazon right now.
