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I have a remote control device sold at Christmas in wally world that will turn on/off up to three things, so having an alexa for that is a moot point to me. Granted it wont control the over or order to refill the fridge, but i LIKE grocery shopping.
Like you said, my phone can do all those things except tirn on/off lights and appliances.
My best friend has one and so far except having it play his favorite songs ( which he has to peogram in on the computer,) and asking time and weather, it has not more use for him.
I just dont get it.
Oh well.
Yeh, I figure if I can't get up to turn the light off or turn the thermostat up, then I must be pretty lazy. If I want food, there's the grocery store.
I can see it for people who have big houses on multiple levels or for people who are handicapped. But having downsized, the only use I think I would have for it is---MUSIC! Music is important though.
My friend uses hers to get tv channels, I think. That might be helpful after you ditch cable and you're stuck with a Roku remote and a tv remote. But I don't know if a lot of this is just a gimmick or if it really could be helpful.
When my phone and computer aren't nearby, I can ask Alexa something and she'll give me the answer immediately.
The appeal of it is...I don't have to move an inch. It's plain laziness, and I love it. We can be lying in bed at night watching TV, have a question about an actor in the show, yell downstairs to Alexa, and she gives us the answer. I don't have to look at the weather report, and I can just ask Alexa, and she gives me the weather. It's like having a Mom around when you're a kid...you ask, she answers.
It's just convenience, and I find it to be fun.
As long as you enjoy it, that's all that matters. And lord knows I spend an obscene amount of time googling information (), but I like to see the results and pick which one I want (such as source, etc.), I don't trust random information that an AI chooses (yes, I realize that is happening when I google it, but I can see a variety).
But fun is a huge portion of the equation and I understand that, just for me, not fun. /lol
PLUS, the bugger listens to you, which I don't like (even when you don't say "alexa"), and 9 times out of 10 I end up yelling at a device because it did not get my verbal command right.
We even covered up the camera on our kinect when it is not in use.
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I have seen the TV ads where they say, "Alexa, order toilet paper" or whatever. How does Alexa know how much to order, what kind, etc.? Do you have to input all this stuff for each command?
I have seen the TV ads where they say, "Alexa, order toilet paper" or whatever. How does Alexa know how much to order, what kind, etc.? Do you have to input all this stuff for each command?
I've only told her to order things that I've ordered before. She already has that information.
As long as you enjoy it, that's all that matters. And lord knows I spend an obscene amount of time googling information (), but I like to see the results and pick which one I want (such as source, etc.), I don't trust random information that an AI chooses (yes, I realize that is happening when I google it, but I can see a variety).
But fun is a huge portion of the equation and I understand that, just for me, not fun. /lol
PLUS, the bugger listens to you, which I don't like (even when you don't say "alexa"), and 9 times out of 10 I end up yelling at a device because it did not get my verbal command right.
We even covered up the camera on our kinect when it is not in use.
I rarely have a problem with her not understanding what I've said, unless my mouth is full or something. I don't ask her for serious information like drug details, etc., just fun stuff, things that pop into my mind all the time, like space questions--how big is the sun, wow, she really knows the answer to that one.
My laptop camera is always covered, and my microphone is turned off too, but I don't worry about Alexa listening in. If I was planning a bank heist or something, I'd turn her off.
I had never heard of Alexa until this past weekend. I visited a friend who has it/her.
All I know about it is that I loved having music. Ever since radio kind of died off, I miss having something to listen. So we had lots of fun telling her to play songs.
That is just about the only reason I would ever get an Echo.
We have XM at one house and I hate it. XM plays what its programmers want to play, not what I want to hear. No matter what channel I select.
Turn lights off and on? When we are on vacation I can control them for anywhere in the world. Since, in the foreseeable future, ours are going to be two a year in Europe I find it to be a must. It allows me to alter the on/off times so they are not consistent.
I'm a big fan of internet radios and have a few, but the best user interface for a radio tends to be, well, a radio.
Privacy issues aside, if the AI were further along I'd like to have one. I could ask peculiar questions that pop to mind.
Maybe if they mounted an Alexa to a Roomba they might have something.
Ha! I love my roomba. What's an internet radio? I listen to my favorite radio station over the computer but the sound isn't too good and it keeps going off. I think it may want me to pay for a subscription. With a regular radio, I can't get my stations, just junk.
So there's a such thing as an internet radio? And there's a such thing as getting your radio over the internet but it doesn't work that well or sound that well. Maybe I could get one Alexa, set her on top of the bedroom dresser and holler to her from all over the house. This being only a 4 room apartment, I bet she could hear me yelling at her. From the living room--Alexa, play __________ (music.) From the bedroom at night--Alexa, play WBZ radio. And you can tell her to play it louder or softer, a feature that I like.
You can also hook it up to 911 in case you have an emergency. My friend is going to do that in her basement where she does her laundry.
When my phone and computer aren't nearby, I can ask Alexa something and she'll give me the answer immediately.
The appeal of it is...I don't have to move an inch. It's plain laziness, and I love it. We can be lying in bed at night watching TV, have a question about an actor in the show, yell downstairs to Alexa, and she gives us the answer. I don't have to look at the weather report, and I can just ask Alexa, and she gives me the weather. It's like having a Mom around when you're a kid...you ask, she answers.
It's just convenience, and I find it to be fun.
I use google.com for all those questions every day - all day and all night! I have a LOT of questions every day which come to mind constantly - so I just google for immediate answers - as I have my laptop computer next to me all day.
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), but I like to see the results and pick which one I want (such as source, etc.), I don't trust random information that an AI chooses (yes, I realize that is happening when I google it, but I can see a variety).
From the living room--Alexa, play __________ (music.) From the bedroom at night--Alexa, play WBZ radio. And you can tell her to play it louder or softer, a feature that I like. 
