Amazon Echo

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#2316464 12-Sep-2019 11:57

My 'invite' to purchase an Amazon Echo Auto arrived today, and I'm now questioning whether I really need (or even would get much benefit from) one of these; it looks like others have reached similar conclusions...

Since I requested the invite I've gone down the path of Google smart home products, so this would be the only Alexa device I use.

Are there any particularly strong benefits of this product over just using Google Assistant on an Android phone?

rogercruse

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#2316474 12-Sep-2019 12:29

danepak: ...Just not for me...

I gave up using it after a couple of days. Why?

No space to set it up in my car
It already getting busy with a holder / charger for my phone... got to grow up sometime!
I've got Alexa on my phone if I need it
And I've not really used this feature.
I simply couldn't think of enough things for it to do

I now have another device that I can use to collect dust with

chimera

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#2316481 12-Sep-2019 12:53

rogercruse:

danepak: ...Just not for me...

I gave up using it after a couple of days. Why?

No space to set it up in my car
It already getting busy with a holder / charger for my phone... got to grow up sometime!
I've got Alexa on my phone if I need it
And I've not really used this feature.
I simply couldn't think of enough things for it to do

I now have another device that I can use to collect dust with

1. Get a bigger car :-)

2. Sure, if you're happy to press the button to 'wake' Alexa up, so not quite hands free

3. "If you’ve got an AUX jack in your car the Echo Auto doubles as a Bluetooth audio adapter and speakerphone so you can easily stream music and take calls in your car and also comes with a 12V adapter with a second 3.0A charging port for your phone". I would say that if you have a home automation system with Alexa integration already, this could be highly convenient - eg: Alexa close the garage door, Alexa arm my alarm, Alexa turn on the porch lights, Alexa, add XYZ to my shopping list/todo list, Alexa, call Joe Bloggs, etc (although I hear SMS reading/sending is only available via Android phones)

I would suspect that being it's an invite only release, that once the full version is released to public that a lot more developers will add skills that integrate with the Echo Auto better. It's fairly early days for now.

I guess if you already have a "smart" audio system in your car, perhaps apple car play for instance, then it's probably not for you.

jonathan18

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#2316492 12-Sep-2019 13:36

chimera:

1. Get a bigger car :-)

2. Sure, if you're happy to press the button to 'wake' Alexa up, so not quite hands free

3. "If you’ve got an AUX jack in your car the Echo Auto doubles as a Bluetooth audio adapter and speakerphone so you can easily stream music and take calls in your car and also comes with a 12V adapter with a second 3.0A charging port for your phone". I would say that if you have a home automation system with Alexa integration already, this could be highly convenient - eg: Alexa close the garage door, Alexa arm my alarm, Alexa turn on the porch lights, Alexa, add XYZ to my shopping list/todo list, Alexa, call Joe Bloggs, etc (although I hear SMS reading/sending is only available via Android phones)

I would suspect that being it's an invite only release, that once the full version is released to public that a lot more developers will add skills that integrate with the Echo Auto better. It's fairly early days for now.

I guess if you already have a "smart" audio system in your car, perhaps apple car play for instance, then it's probably not for you.

Nothing there really sells it to me, noting my question at the top of the page - ie, what benefit does Echo Auto offer over using Google Assistant on my phone?

GA already responds to a voice command, so no button-pushing required. All my home 'smarts' are GA-controlled, so no role in it controlling those... I think I'll give this a pass, and I'm always looking for reasons to buy a new toy!

chimera

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#2316508 12-Sep-2019 14:15

jonathan18:

Nothing there really sells it to me, noting my question at the top of the page - ie, what benefit does Echo Auto offer over using Google Assistant on my phone?

GA already responds to a voice command, so no button-pushing required. All my home 'smarts' are GA-controlled, so no role in it controlling those... I think I'll give this a pass, and I'm always looking for reasons to buy a new toy!

All I'm saying is you cannot denounce something purely because it does not personally work or fit your own needs.

I could ask the same thing - what does Google Assistant offer over Alexa? But again, it is entirely irrelevant.

Basically, if one already utilises and has integrated Alexa with the rest of their home automation, has Amazon Echo's throughout their house, then the Echo Auto makes total sense - it's familiar and integrated. If you have Apple Carplay and/or are using Siri and have integration elsewhere with that, well then it makes little sense at all to use an Echo Auto.

prob

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#2357040 19-Nov-2019 06:19

Alexa no longer playing Radio New Zealand National. Any and all combinations of words invoke the RNZ orchestra instead. Anybody else having the problem?

freitasm

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#2357047 19-Nov-2019 07:00

What are you using? IHeart Radio or TuneIn?

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freitasm

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#2357048 19-Nov-2019 07:00

Received the latest Amazon Echo Studio... It is amazing. Will post more on my laptop later.

stocksp

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#2357057 19-Nov-2019 07:18

Does anyone know if the echo show 8 is going to be released here at the same time as in the US?

filboz

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#2357074 19-Nov-2019 08:28

prob: Alexa no longer playing Radio New Zealand National. Any and all combinations of words invoke the RNZ orchestra instead. Anybody else having the problem?

You now have to say "play Radio New Zealand National on Tunein" and it works ....

stocksp

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#2357114 19-Nov-2019 09:50

filboz:

prob: Alexa no longer playing Radio New Zealand National. Any and all combinations of words invoke the RNZ orchestra instead. Anybody else having the problem?

You now have to say "play Radio New Zealand National on Tunein" and it works ....

or just set up a routine - I say ‘play radio’ and it starts rnz national

gnfb

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#2357216 19-Nov-2019 12:31

Dont know if there is a different thread but will start here.

I recently added tawk.to to one of my sites and was impressed by the fact that if there is a person who wants to chat It tells me on my series 5!

Which led me to thinking is there a skill for tawk.to? I havnt found one yet

Question

Do you know of a tawk.to skill?

If you are one of the clever ones who could make such a thing is it a big ask? ie expensive to make?

Is an English Man living in New Zealand. Not a writer, an Observer he says. Graham is a seasoned 'traveler" with his sometimes arrogant, but honest opinion on life. He loves the Internet!.

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prob

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#2357499 19-Nov-2019 21:44

stocksp:
filboz:

prob: Alexa no longer playing Radio New Zealand National. Any and all combinations of words invoke the RNZ orchestra instead. Anybody else having the problem?

You now have to say "play Radio New Zealand National on Tunein" and it works ....

or just set up a routine - I say ‘play radio’ and it starts rnz national

Thanks but PITA. Will consider setting up routine but will give feedback and see if I can get this working again.

freitasm

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#2357626 20-Nov-2019 08:22

As per my previous post, I was invited to attend the Amazon Echo Studio launch for the AU/NZ market. On leaving we each got one of the new devices.

The demonstration was really well done - an underground jazz club in Sydney, with the stage prepared for a band - but in fact the only sound was from the Echo Studio. It is an amazing sound, with deep bass and nice mid ranges. The Amazon Echo Studio also has Zigbee built-in so you can create routines for your local devices. It also automatically test the acoustics in the room and set the equaliser to get the best sound depending on location and room design.

It also has an optical input - so I've it plugged to my TV and tucked behind it - the sound in movies and shows is amazing - comparable to a soundbar and you can control the volume with voice commands.

Also launching was the Echo Dot with Clock - the sound is obviously not as big as the Echo Studio but the clock (and temperature) display is pretty cool - great for a bedroom or office - and the Amazon Echo new generation.

These devices can all be setup in a multi-room music group - it is incredible how they can sync and play music as if from a single source.

All these devices are now available in New Zealand through usual retailers.

KaroriPete

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#2357654 20-Nov-2019 09:48

freitasm:

As per my previous post, I was invited to attend the Amazon Echo Studio launch for the AU/NZ market. On leaving we each got one of the new devices.

The demonstration was really well done - an underground jazz club in Sydney, with the stage prepared for a band - but in fact the only sound was from the Echo Studio. It is an amazing sound, with deep bass and nice mid ranges. The Amazon Echo Studio also has Zigbee built-in so you can create routines for your local devices. It also automatically test the acoustics in the room and set the equaliser to get the best sound depending on location and room design.

It also has an optical input - so I've it plugged to my TV and tucked behind it - the sound in movies and shows is amazing - comparable to a soundbar and you can control the volume with voice commands.

Also launching was the Echo Dot with Clock - the sound is obviously not as big as the Echo Studio but the clock (and temperature) display is pretty cool - great for a bedroom or office - and the Amazon Echo new generation.

These devices can all be setup in a multi-room music group - it is incredible how they can sync and play music as if from a single source.

All these devices are now available in New Zealand through usual retailers.

Can you configure two Studios as a stereo pair?

That was one of the key features that pushed me down the Sonos path a few years back. I don't understand why so many manufacturers of wireless speakers bang on about their amazing sound quality but think buyers will be happy with mono, or in some cases stereo speakers in the same tiny box with a few inches of separation. They do seem to sell heaps of them though so perhaps it's just me. Has stereo gone the same way as the 8 track and quadrophonic?

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