Amazon Echo

Forums › Gadgets, robotics, home automation, electronics (including wearables) › Amazon Echo

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6 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1662996 2-Nov-2016 22:24

Blanch please read up the thread. KiwiOne has loaded the link to the APK which you just need to launch on your device. I did it and it works great now.

xbmcnut

494 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1663006 2-Nov-2016 23:36

Blanch:

Well this is a good start, Amazon Alexa app !This item isn't available in your country. :(

You can also set them up here http://alexa.amazon.com/spa/index.html

RS820+, DS223, CoreELEC on Odroid N2+, 3 x Echo Dot & 7 x Google Homes connected to Home Assistant on Beelink SEi12.

Blanch

254 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1663115 3-Nov-2016 09:34

xbmcnut:

Blanch:

Well this is a good start, Amazon Alexa app !This item isn't available in your country. :(

You can also set them up here http://alexa.amazon.com/spa/index.html

Thanks Sip Tank and xbmcnut, it was the look on my sons face who was setting it up and the wife asking why I had brought something that didn’t work, that I was finding amusing.

xbmcnut

494 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1663236 3-Nov-2016 11:53

Blanch:

xbmcnut:

Blanch:

Well this is a good start, Amazon Alexa app !This item isn't available in your country. :(

You can also set them up here http://alexa.amazon.com/spa/index.html

Thanks Sip Tank and xbmcnut, it was the look on my sons face who was setting it up and the wife asking why I had brought something that didn’t work, that I was finding amusing.

Don't forget to set the time zone to Pacific/Auckland so the time and calendar functions work. Adding events to our house Google calendar is a killer feature. Also, get Todoist for your devices and integrate that with Alexa. In Todoist, make your Alexa Shopping List the default list that opens when you start Todoist. Now can can have a spoken shopping list shared with the family. Todoist opens in less than a second, way faster than the Alexa app. If you have IOS, you can't sideload the Alexa app anyway so having Todoist makes shared lists across platforms possible. If you want home automation, I can't recommend ha-bridge enough. It's rock solid, easy to configure through a web interface (video coming) and is pretty easy to install if you have a spare Raspberry Pi.

RS820+, DS223, CoreELEC on Odroid N2+, 3 x Echo Dot & 7 x Google Homes connected to Home Assistant on Beelink SEi12.

richms

28191 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1663237 3-Nov-2016 11:54

Is anyone else now getting a pause at the end of tracks when playing spotify frequently? Its about 1 second long, and happens 2-3 seconds before the track end and the next one starts.

Richard rich.ms

Blanch

254 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1665913 8-Nov-2016 17:41

xbmcnut:

Blanch:

xbmcnut:

Blanch:

Well this is a good start, Amazon Alexa app !This item isn't available in your country. :(

You can also set them up here http://alexa.amazon.com/spa/index.html

Thanks Sip Tank and xbmcnut, it was the look on my sons face who was setting it up and the wife asking why I had brought something that didn’t work, that I was finding amusing.

Don't forget to set the time zone to Pacific/Auckland so the time and calendar functions work. Adding events to our house Google calendar is a killer feature. Also, get Todoist for your devices and integrate that with Alexa. In Todoist, make your Alexa Shopping List the default list that opens when you start Todoist. Now can can have a spoken shopping list shared with the family. Todoist opens in less than a second, way faster than the Alexa app. If you have IOS, you can't sideload the Alexa app anyway so having Todoist makes shared lists across platforms possible. If you want home automation, I can't recommend ha-bridge enough. It's rock solid, easy to configure through a web interface (video coming) and is pretty easy to install if you have a spare Raspberry Pi.

Thanks xbmcnut, I've got Pacific/Auckland, Google calendar, Todoist, Harmony Hub and Belkin Wemo sorted. Now it's time for ha-bridge, using your blog I was going to install ha-bridge on the same Raspberry pi 3 I have Openhab on (might be a good time for me to upgrade to Openhab 2).

nurcopolics

144 posts

Master Geek

#1666001 8-Nov-2016 19:56

Got the new Echo Dot Version 2 today. Unfortunately you can't use the old method of changing the timezone to NZ. Has anyone found a way to change the timezone?

Sharesies

Trade NZ and US shares and funds with Sharesies (affiliate link).

Blanch

254 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1666024 8-Nov-2016 20:19

nurcopolics:

Got the new Echo Dot Version 2 today. Unfortunately you can't use the old method of changing the timezone to NZ. Has anyone found a way to change the timezone?

http://www.echotalk.org/index.php?topic=228.0

I used the above link

xbmcnut

494 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1666075 8-Nov-2016 22:06

Blanch:

Thanks xbmcnut

You're welcome. I have ha-bridge installed on the same Raspberry Pi2 that is running Home Assistant in a virtual environment and it works a treat. Have just added my first PUT request to control a Home Assistant script using an API and it was very easy and works great. I can now toggle two devices that are on Home Assistant and one that is still on my Vera with Alexa. Going to order a Google Home now and give that a try.

RS820+, DS223, CoreELEC on Odroid N2+, 3 x Echo Dot & 7 x Google Homes connected to Home Assistant on Beelink SEi12.

tripp

3848 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1666157 9-Nov-2016 05:45

So am I right in thinking that the dot is just a cut down of the Echo?

I.e. I don't need an echo to just use a dot?

xbmcnut

494 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1666197 9-Nov-2016 08:45

tripp:

So am I right in thinking that the dot is just a cut down of the Echo?

I.e. I don't need an echo to just use a dot?

Correct. Does everything the same without the big speaker. So if you don't need a powerful bluetooth speaker, DOT all the way.

RS820+, DS223, CoreELEC on Odroid N2+, 3 x Echo Dot & 7 x Google Homes connected to Home Assistant on Beelink SEi12.

lchiu7

6476 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#1666481 9-Nov-2016 13:31

I have a Dot and just bought another one. I have used the hack described above to change the timezone to NZ. I suspect if the second Dot uses ths same account as the first, then I don't need the hack again?

As aside I also run OpenHAB and HABridge on the same Pi3. This is because I have Insteon devices and the international versions are not supported by the Dot (or Echo) and so using OpenHAB and HABridge I can make them look like Phillips Hue bulbs. The same applies to Dlink switch modules which don't have full Smarthome support but I have found out, Dlink have now rolled out Smarthome support so you can tell "Alexa, turn on the bedroom etc.) and the switch obeys.

Staying in Wellington. Check out my AirBnB in the Wellington CBD. https://www.airbnb.co.nz/h/wellycbd PM me and mention GZ to get a 15% discount and no AirBnB charges.

xbmcnut

494 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1666486 9-Nov-2016 13:33

lchiu7:

then I don't need the hack again?

Nope, you need to 'hack' each one unfortunately. Ask the 2nd one the time and you'll quickly find out.

RS820+, DS223, CoreELEC on Odroid N2+, 3 x Echo Dot & 7 x Google Homes connected to Home Assistant on Beelink SEi12.

mattwnz

20164 posts

Uber Geek

#1666529 9-Nov-2016 13:54

xbmcnut:

tripp:

So am I right in thinking that the dot is just a cut down of the Echo?

I.e. I don't need an echo to just use a dot?

Correct. Does everything the same without the big speaker. So if you don't need a powerful bluetooth speaker, DOT all the way.

So does it still have a speaker in it? If so is it loud enough?

Disrespective

1926 posts

Uber Geek

#1666531 9-Nov-2016 13:57

Figured i'd jump on the Dot bandwagon. It seems like a nice tradeoff for me as my house is small, I don't need another speaker, and I have a Sonos speaker in the kitchen already that (apparently) i'll be able to pair the dot with for playback.

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