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Post by jardiniere on Jul 16, 2022 17:58:37 GMT 1
Any advice about buying an Echo, please? From people who've tried it, not people who haven't but have opinions about it. Above all it would be for a memory aid and listening to music.
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Post by lapourtaider on Jul 16, 2022 18:06:42 GMT 1
Ideally you need to have an account with something like Spotify, otherwise the choice of music is very limited.
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Post by chrisell on Jul 16, 2022 19:06:48 GMT 1
It depends on what exactly you want it to do. The more you have linked the more useful it is. It won't play music you have on a home network easily- it will connect to a phone/iPod however and allow you to basically use it as a speaker. It will play Amazon music for free but that's very limited - for 10'ish a month there are various music streaming sources and you can then ask for pretty much anything.
You can use it as a Google search or download skills that improve its use a lot. Buy a cheap one in the sales and see - it's a 20 quid Bluetooth speaker if you don't like it. Worth reading on the pro/cons versus Google home. We use it more than I expected
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Post by landmannnn on Jul 16, 2022 19:21:25 GMT 1
At a basic level of is quite handy. What's the date, what's the weather tomorrow, give me a recipe for a spanish omelette, set a reminder for 10pm.
Most radio stations have internet radio, so you can ask to play a radio station.
Slightly more advanced, you can cheaply buy Alexa enabled plugs. Give them a name such as sidelight and then ask Alexa to turn it on or off or even ask Alexa to turn it on at dusk and off at midnight every day for example.
Beyond that I have done loads more, everything from adjusting the heating, changing TV channels, controlling home sound system, turning on the oven/coffee machine/kettle but you probably aren't interested in that bit.
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Post by houpla on Jul 16, 2022 19:35:29 GMT 1
I don't know who this Alexa is, but would she be game to get up at 6am to feed the cats and chickens? Oh and make a cappuccino... That would be sooo useful  |
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Post by landmannnn on Jul 16, 2022 19:57:53 GMT 1
I don't know who this Alexa is, but would she be game to get up at 6am to feed the cats and chickens? Oh and make a cappuccino... That would be sooo useful The simple answer is yes. |
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Post by jardiniere on Jul 16, 2022 22:16:06 GMT 1
Beyond that I have done loads more, everything from adjusting the heating, changing TV channels, controlling home sound system, turning on the oven/coffee machine/kettle but you probably aren't interested in that bit. I might well be! |
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Post by jardiniere on Jul 16, 2022 22:17:28 GMT 1
I don't know who this Alexa is, but would she be game to get up at 6am to feed the cats and chickens? Oh and make a cappuccino... That would be sooo useful The simple answer is yes. and water the garden! Right now that would be such a help. |
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Post by houpla on Jul 16, 2022 22:21:21 GMT 1
Thing is....what can she do that a rather hunky Frenchman couldn't?  It's just finding one that can spare time from admiring himself and rambling or cycling.....  |
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Post by jardiniere on Jul 16, 2022 22:24:15 GMT 1
Thanks for your helpful replies. Having decided to get one as a trial - it's not going to break the bank - I've just thought about the language aspect. May be a very silly question but here goes. I would want to ask questions in English and ask for news headlines etc in English. Would it be a problem buying in France?
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Post by pcpa on Jul 17, 2022 0:19:19 GMT 1
No but it may take you some time to get used to the accent and pisprononciation And it will not work between 12 and 14.30, weekends, jour fériés, July and August and most of May! |
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Post by chrisell on Jul 17, 2022 0:42:50 GMT 1
Thanks for your helpful replies. Having decided to get one as a trial - it's not going to break the bank - I've just thought about the language aspect. May be a very silly question but here goes. I would want to ask questions in English and ask for news headlines etc in English. Would it be a problem buying in France? Yes - you set your language during set up |
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Post by jardiniere on Jul 17, 2022 11:53:11 GMT 1
Thanks. One final question. I keep my shopping list on my Android mobile and then take it shopping. If I put stuff on my list with Alexa will that synchronise with my mobile?
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Post by crabtree on Jul 17, 2022 12:55:20 GMT 1
Thanks for your helpful replies. Having decided to get one as a trial - it's not going to break the bank - I've just thought about the language aspect. May be a very silly question but here goes. I would want to ask questions in English and ask for news headlines etc in English. Would it be a problem buying in France? Once you have set it up you might want to register it to a UK address to get UK news. |
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Aardvark
Non-gamer
Living in soggy 22 and still wondering what's going on.
Posts: 2,172
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Post by Aardvark on Jul 17, 2022 19:04:55 GMT 1
I can't imagine how such a small gadget can reproduce music in any sort of satisfying way but if that's all you've got then good luck.
Thankfully I can still manage to switch things on and off in the old fashioned way, with a finger.
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It's just finding one that can spare time from admiring himself and rambling or cycling..... 
