Amazon echo / Alexa

StN · 20th September 2016, 21:33

Yeah, so after seeing it on Mr Robot and then seeing it on Amazon, anyone here used one? I've ordered one on impulse, but it should still be useful even if not linked to Amazon Prime and their music services.

Short of fiddling with the power adapter, any other tweaks required to get them to work here?

DrTiTus · 20th September 2016, 21:48

Speak with an American accent? :P

I've been tempted, but after getting excited about Cortana and then suffering region lockout, I didn't want to go through the same with Alexa. I look forward to your review and analysis though!

kRAdENkO · 20th September 2016, 23:53

Have a unit at work. I found it understood what I was saying well.

However, it seems to be limited use in NZ. Well, it was 6 months ago anyway.

Doesn't natively support NZ last time I checked. I couldn't specify NZ as its home location.

I could ask it things like 'what is the weather forecast?' and it would respond with the forecast in what ever state I had selected.

Nothing stopping you from asking 'what is the weather in Auckland, New Zealand?' and it would respond correctly.

As a stand alone device, its novelty will wear off quickly. If you can integrate with other products that support it, it may be useful.

StN · 21st September 2016, 07:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by kRAdENkO

As a stand alone device, its novelty will wear off quickly. If you can integrate with other products that support it, it may be useful.

Yeah - I think the daughter might get hooked on seeing what she can make Arduino connected things do with it. That and some of those $58 dimmable LED WiFi bulbs might be handy.

StN · 6th October 2016, 21:57

Hmm - apart from a monumental amount of phaffing to get a US based AppleID to download the app to configure it, and remembering to add "...in Christchurch, New Zealand" to any regional requests, I'm quite impressed. Easy to set to metric for temp and distance. Yet to work out how to mine iTunes or some other media server for local music rather than Amazon Prime / Spotify.

Apparently the ability to say "Alexa, add milk to the shopping list" and have it appear on her phone is going to be life changing.

Now to convince her we need a butt load of WiFi LED bulbs...

Jenza · 7th October 2016, 09:46

I'm rolling out Hue lighting then integrating it with Alexa to have voice controlled lights. Works straight out of the box for voice control with Siri as well.

ZoSo · 7th October 2016, 14:22

Seriously tempted to set one up with Kodi, since just about every remote I have atm is annoying in some way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ycw5Kj_qya0

StN · 11th October 2016, 20:11

I saw a blog on how to do Kodi integration, and I see that there is a ticket in the Serviio queue for Echo support - just waiting for the first to do nice DLNA support. Using it as a BT speaker seems a bit of a waste. It *should* be able to talk to the BT Marantz interface. Need to look into the home automation "Skills" stuff now - I've got some BT Arduinos coming and a set of relay boards and some el cheapo remote controlled plug adapters - that will sort out he Xmas lights and table lamps.

And next week the little one should ship.

DrTiTus · 12th October 2016, 21:52

This one's for you StN - I know you're a fan of junk^H^H^H^Hretrocomputing. I was too young to have known about these computers. Did you ever play with one?

http://www.classic-computers.org.nz/...cquisition.htm

StN · 21st November 2016, 21:17

Heh - sorry I missed this post. Didn't have one, didn't use one, but did hear about them (and see the ads).

Terry swooped on those quick - and another chap picked up the rest of the locker. Turns out the guy quitting them was an old school edu person - and kept almost everything when they were lifecycled. I might still be getting an old Apple out of it

StN · 21st November 2016, 21:20

Yay! I can now lay down at night and not even bother to reach for the second light switch! I just say "Alexa, Bedroom lights off!"

Living in the future! (The bit where the boy was phaffing around with the remote at 01:30 on Sunday trying to turn the lounge off and ended up flashing the whole house was just a hiccough)

Ali-Express Mi-Lights FTW - Oh, and the WiFi bridge controller and a Raspberry Pi in the mix too. Next stop, getting an Arduino and relay setup to control some radio power dongles...

crocos · 21st November 2016, 22:55

StN's lightbulbs are probably DDOSing some server right now

StN · 22nd November 2016, 07:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by crocos

StN's lightbulbs are probably DDOSing some server right now

Almost - the bridge box maybe. The webcams I haven't installed yet probably definately!

StN · 25th January 2017, 13:58

Interestingly (I don't think anything I was trying to hack a few weeks ago did anything) it looks like Amazon are constantly changing the way the phone app talks back to Amazon for doing settings updates. Previously you could intersect the Submit codes and inject your own details (say to select locations not provided for in the drop down lists) to get around restrictions in the UI. Now it looks like they have added TimeZone after Address - so I can get it to NZ time (And it knows about DST) without fudging. Still wants a US Zip code though, so I still have to add "in Christchurch New Zealand" to weather requests.

I haven't seen this mentioned in any of the blogs - so either it's really really new or I broke it better.

StN · 30th January 2019, 21:21

Ok - first world problem - just unboxed a shiny new Dyson air thingy but I can't get Alexa voice comms to work - possibly because my local Echo nodes are set to English(AU) and Dyson app only speaks English(US) & English(GB).

Anyone know a fix? I was sure I left the lounge one with a yank accent so I could fudge this kind of thing

StN · 31st January 2019, 07:24

Righto - all sorted.

So there is some jiggery pokery required around the language of the node you use to activate he skill - needs to be English (US/GB) - NOT AU.

Also, once the skill is active, it doesn't use the device syntax, but skill (duh!):

<wakename> ask <skill> <device> to <perform action>

So now

"Alexa ask Dyson Fan to turn on" works.

"Alexa ask Dyson Fan for inside air quality" doesn't get info back... yet.

pxpx · 31st January 2019, 08:59

Why you havent changed the wakename to Jarvis already is beyond me.

pxpx · 31st January 2019, 09:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by pxpx

Why you havent changed the wakename to Jarvis already is beyond me.

Dammit, google tells me there's a limited set of wakename options.

StN · 31st January 2019, 09:24

^^ Yeah - it's limited to what they can put in the firmware, so I think there are only about 3 or 4? Alexa, Computer, Amazon and maybe Echo?

StN · 29th September 2021, 13:10

...Yeah, so I'm still Ok with Alexa, even though the Ring camera may be uploading to BigBrother. Got about 10 devices throughout the house, and can play synch'd music everywhere - even out to a UE Boom. And those little power plug adapters are scattered everywhere, so now I can do things like "Alexa, go Atomic!" and the Final Countdown starts playing (only in the office), and the UV lights set my Uranium glass collection aglow. "Alexa, celebrate" sets off the garage LEDs to cycle (precursor to the Xmas lights of course).

And there is another skill that plays Clarence Carter in the bedroom, but enough of that.

Now, I've just done the surveys to try and get a Ring Protect drone camera, and an Astro.

Lets see if my buying history helps with a trial!

StN · 29th September 2021, 17:20

crocos · 30th September 2021, 10:56

It looks like an eminently kickable ambulatory receipt printer.

20th September 2016, 21:33	#1
StN I have detailed files	Amazon echo / Alexa Yeah, so after seeing it on Mr Robot and then seeing it on Amazon, anyone here used one? I've ordered one on impulse, but it should still be useful even if not linked to Amazon Prime and their music services. Short of fiddling with the power adapter, any other tweaks required to get them to work here?

20th September 2016, 21:48	#2
DrTiTus HENCE WHY FOREVER ALONE	Speak with an American accent? :P I've been tempted, but after getting excited about Cortana and then suffering region lockout, I didn't want to go through the same with Alexa. I look forward to your review and analysis though! __________________ Finger rolling rhythm, ride the horse one hand...

12th October 2016, 21:52	#9
DrTiTus HENCE WHY FOREVER ALONE	(slightly off topic) This one's for you StN - I know you're a fan of junk^H^H^H^Hretrocomputing. I was too young to have known about these computers. Did you ever play with one? http://www.classic-computers.org.nz/...cquisition.htm __________________ Finger rolling rhythm, ride the horse one hand...

30th January 2019, 21:21	#15
StN I have detailed files	The stuff isn't hitting the fan... Ok - first world problem - just unboxed a shiny new Dyson air thingy but I can't get Alexa voice comms to work - possibly because my local Echo nodes are set to English(AU) and Dyson app only speaks English(US) & English(GB). Anyone know a fix? I was sure I left the lounge one with a yank accent so I could fudge this kind of thing

20th September 2016, 23:53	#3
kRAdENkO	Have a unit at work. I found it understood what I was saying well. However, it seems to be limited use in NZ. Well, it was 6 months ago anyway. Doesn't natively support NZ last time I checked. I couldn't specify NZ as its home location. I could ask it things like 'what is the weather forecast?' and it would respond with the forecast in what ever state I had selected. Nothing stopping you from asking 'what is the weather in Auckland, New Zealand?' and it would respond correctly. As a stand alone device, its novelty will wear off quickly. If you can integrate with other products that support it, it may be useful.

6th October 2016, 21:57	#5
StN I have detailed files	Hmm - apart from a monumental amount of phaffing to get a US based AppleID to download the app to configure it, and remembering to add "...in Christchurch, New Zealand" to any regional requests, I'm quite impressed. Easy to set to metric for temp and distance. Yet to work out how to mine iTunes or some other media server for local music rather than Amazon Prime / Spotify. Apparently the ability to say "Alexa, add milk to the shopping list" and have it appear on her phone is going to be life changing. Now to convince her we need a butt load of WiFi LED bulbs...

7th October 2016, 09:46	#6
Jenza	I'm rolling out Hue lighting then integrating it with Alexa to have voice controlled lights. Works straight out of the box for voice control with Siri as well.

7th October 2016, 14:22	#7
ZoSo	Seriously tempted to set one up with Kodi, since just about every remote I have atm is annoying in some way. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ycw5Kj_qya0

11th October 2016, 20:11	#8
StN I have detailed files	I saw a blog on how to do Kodi integration, and I see that there is a ticket in the Serviio queue for Echo support - just waiting for the first to do nice DLNA support. Using it as a BT speaker seems a bit of a waste. It should be able to talk to the BT Marantz interface. Need to look into the home automation "Skills" stuff now - I've got some BT Arduinos coming and a set of relay boards and some el cheapo remote controlled plug adapters - that will sort out he Xmas lights and table lamps. And next week the little one should ship.

21st November 2016, 21:17	#10
StN I have detailed files	Heh - sorry I missed this post. Didn't have one, didn't use one, but did hear about them (and see the ads). Terry swooped on those quick - and another chap picked up the rest of the locker. Turns out the guy quitting them was an old school edu person - and kept almost everything when they were lifecycled. I might still be getting an old Apple out of it

21st November 2016, 21:20	#11
StN I have detailed files	Yay! I can now lay down at night and not even bother to reach for the second light switch! I just say "Alexa, Bedroom lights off!" Living in the future! (The bit where the boy was phaffing around with the remote at 01:30 on Sunday trying to turn the lounge off and ended up flashing the whole house was just a hiccough) Ali-Express Mi-Lights FTW - Oh, and the WiFi bridge controller and a Raspberry Pi in the mix too. Next stop, getting an Arduino and relay setup to control some radio power dongles...

21st November 2016, 22:55	#12
crocos	StN's lightbulbs are probably DDOSing some server right now __________________ Ξ √ Ω L U T ↑ ☼ N وكل يوم كنت تعيش في العبودية

25th January 2017, 13:58	#14
StN I have detailed files	Interestingly (I don't think anything I was trying to hack a few weeks ago did anything) it looks like Amazon are constantly changing the way the phone app talks back to Amazon for doing settings updates. Previously you could intersect the Submit codes and inject your own details (say to select locations not provided for in the drop down lists) to get around restrictions in the UI. Now it looks like they have added TimeZone after Address - so I can get it to NZ time (And it knows about DST) without fudging. Still wants a US Zip code though, so I still have to add "in Christchurch New Zealand" to weather requests. I haven't seen this mentioned in any of the blogs - so either it's really really new or I broke it better.

31st January 2019, 07:24	#16
StN I have detailed files	Righto - all sorted. So there is some jiggery pokery required around the language of the node you use to activate he skill - needs to be English (US/GB) - NOT AU. Also, once the skill is active, it doesn't use the device syntax, but skill (duh!): <wakename> ask <skill> <device> to <perform action> So now "Alexa ask Dyson Fan to turn on" works. "Alexa ask Dyson Fan for inside air quality" doesn't get info back... yet.

31st January 2019, 08:59	#17
pxpx	Why you havent changed the wakename to Jarvis already is beyond me.

31st January 2019, 09:24	#19
StN I have detailed files	^^ Yeah - it's limited to what they can put in the firmware, so I think there are only about 3 or 4? Alexa, Computer, Amazon and maybe Echo?

29th September 2021, 13:10	#20
StN I have detailed files	...Yeah, so I'm still Ok with Alexa, even though the Ring camera may be uploading to BigBrother. Got about 10 devices throughout the house, and can play synch'd music everywhere - even out to a UE Boom. And those little power plug adapters are scattered everywhere, so now I can do things like "Alexa, go Atomic!" and the Final Countdown starts playing (only in the office), and the UV lights set my Uranium glass collection aglow. "Alexa, celebrate" sets off the garage LEDs to cycle (precursor to the Xmas lights of course). And there is another skill that plays Clarence Carter in the bedroom, but enough of that. Now, I've just done the surveys to try and get a Ring Protect drone camera, and an Astro. Lets see if my buying history helps with a trial!

30th September 2021, 10:56	#22
crocos	It looks like an eminently kickable ambulatory receipt printer. __________________ Ξ √ Ω L U T ↑ ☼ N وكل يوم كنت تعيش في العبودية