Amazon Echo

[HaloMagic]

Anyone have one? Mine came last week. So far I've been impressed with two things.

First, it's amazing all the things I thought this thing could do without realizing it isn't JARVIS. It's not going to know what year Bill Clinton graduated college. I just assumed that since the internet knows it, Echo would. But it can't really decipher all the information on the internet. Finding obscure facts like that is just outside of its current range. It's clear at some point it will get there. Maybe not this current version, but the world is definitely moving towards it. But I imagined, without thinking, that it could do stuff like that right out of the box. It can't.

Second, I'm blown away with how useful I can see this thing becoming over time. Being able to just walk into a room and tell it to set my alarm, or set a timer, or play some music. And it can link up with home automation such as WeMo to control lights and heaters with just your voice. No need to even pull out a phone. And being able to just tell it to play music and having it play from Amazon Prime means I'll finally get some use out of that part of my membership.

Anyone with it? Thoughts? Things you like? Things you wish it could do?

Edited June 1, 2015 by HaloMagic

[RallyMo]

It looks awesome, but I'm waiting for something of a similar nature from the big, bad Googs.

[Lou]

i've never really found setting an alarm or playing music all that taxing

[HaloMagic]

i've never really found setting an alarm or playing music all that taxing

Cool. I'll let Amazon know.

[nate]

Is this for people that don't have siri or whatever the android version of it is on their cell phones?  Seems kinda pointless.

[HaloMagic]

WTF. Don't you have an iWatch? And you think this is pointless?

[HaloMagic]

Is this for people that don't have siri or whatever the android version of it is on their cell phones? Seems kinda pointless.

I think it's for people who think taking their phone in and out of their pocket is a pain in the ass.

Taking my phone in and out of my pocket is a pain in the ass.

[nate]

I don't have an iWatch, and this hardly seems convenient.

[HaloMagic]

How is walking into your house and telling a little box on the way in to turn on the kitchen lights, set a timer for the streak you're about to take out, and play some Barry Manilow all while you're hands are still full with groceries/children/strippers not convenient?

[Lou]

i don't have kids

 

and the strippers carry the groceries

[nate]

Well mostly because none of what I own is connected in a way that it would happen.

 

My Nest changes the temp on its own.

Edited June 1, 2015 by nate

[HaloMagic]

It doesn't play your Barry Manilow, though.