The Magic of Echo

[honda03842]

We received an Amazon Echo for Christmas.

It's an absolutely great device. You say it and ALexa does it. I just told it to play some 'Tuck and Patty' and it plays. I can't wait to hear how it works in the car tethered to my phone as we travel.

Right now it's a living room delight.

Norm

[honda03842]

It's absolutely a great device, a wonderful extension of YOU.

[Carl Pa]

These young people and all these new fangled gadgets. Have fun with it. Carl

[DeanCHS1980]

Hey!

Cool beans. I have seen the commercials for the Echo, but hadn't quite figured out what it is. NICE!

Happy Holidays,

Dean

[Burro Bill]

Some of this new technology is a little
creepy to me. Strangers know WAY to
much about us!
Merry/Happy _________ fill in the blank.

[Mike Magee]

Alexa should appeal to all the men who've been married for a while.
Finally, a female who does whatever we tell her to do!

[honda03842]

Echo is quite easy to use. You say “Alexa, play Tuck and Patti's music" and it does. In some way it's an extension of you.

Sent from my SM-N920T using Fiberglass RV mobile app

[Bobbie Mayer]

Originally Posted by honda03842

Echo is quite easy to use. You say “Alexa, play Tuck and Patti's music" and it does. In some way it's an extension of you.

Sent from my SM-N920T using Fiberglass RV mobile app

Besides playing music, what can it do?

[Eddie Longest]

It listens and connected to the internet. Boy Amazon (or Hackers) can find out everything about you. But with Windows 10 someone may already be listening.
Eddie

[Gourdamental]

I was an early adopter of Echo and have had mine for almost 2 years. I listened to news briefings, podcast, audible books and much music. I also ask for spelling of words, metric to imperial measurements, weather in various locations, etc. I love her but my husband is sure she is an instrument of "Big Brother" and refuses to have her in the living room or bedroom. He may be right. I use her in my read and craft area. I purchased the Dot for travel...haven't received it yet. The Tap by Amazon seems better for not "always listening" and reporting to the NSA.

[MarkyVasquez]

I've been using my Echo for about two years too. I also use it to control my lights and thermostat. I use it for music, sports scores, and news. I also order common items from amazon. They work really great. Google also has a personal assistant called Google Home. It seems to be the same thing.


Sent from my iPhone using Fiberglass RV

[Bobbie Mayer]

Hmm, I'll have to see if there is an accessory that would turn on the light which has an inconvenient switch.

[Raz]

I have one of these. No cloud needed.

https://www.amazon.com/First-Alert-P...B2YTV2J1NC8T2M

[CindyL]

Hubby gave me one for Christmas as well as the home environment controller. It will be nice when we are back home to set it up. We have one dining room light with a most inconveniently placed switch. Several years ago, we found a switch that ran off the signal of another, so we had switches on both ends of the room, but it died and is not being made anymore.

He also gave me a DVD player for the second TV he installed in our Silver Cloud, so now we have a TV at both ends. I was enjoying it last night; he was sleeping in the living room while I was sleeping through the DVD that was playing in the bedroom.

CindyL

[MarkyVasquez]

There's also a smaller echo called the dot. It's only $49. The sound is pretty good from the dot. We have dots in the bedrooms. Our whole house is computer controlled. I installed a server and wired every room with smart TVs. It's pretty cool to walk into any room and with a voice command turn on the lights, TV and change the temperature.
When we get into the driveway the outside and living room lights come in automatically. The thermostat switches to a lower temp when we leave the house saving energy. We can turn on the outside lights and look through our cameras if someone is outside. The cameras and motion sensors warn us when someone is approaching our house. When the grandkids come over and need to go to the restroom we can turn on the lights for them.
Motion sensors are great up until you don't move. Then the lights turn off. Imagine sitting on the pot and the motion sensor shuts off the lights! Lol welcome to the 21st century. The smart house is amazing!


Happy Camping!
Marky

[Mike Magee]

Tonight I heard a news report about a murder case in Arkansas. There was an Echo in the house. The prosecutor has obtained a warrant to search through any recordings made by the Echo, for evidence to use in the trial. So far, Amazon is resisting the attempt to obtain whatever pertinent recordings may exist.

Even if I were willing to place a listening device in my home, my wife is dead set against it. She even worries that there might already be a hidden mic on our television.

Who would have thought that people would one day invite "big brother" into their private homes, in exchange for convenience? I may have to re-read "1984", it's been a few decades since I last read that book.

[ShelbyM]

If you have a TV that responds to voice commands, there is a mic and it can be hacked. Sometimes we aren't paranoid, there is actually someone out to get us

[MarkyVasquez]

We don't live our life in fear. This so-called big brother knows everything about you already. You can't hide. When you get your drivers license, you give them all your information. When you do your income tax you put your employer, salary, dependents, where you work, age, what you drive, where you live, how much money you make and owe. Your insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, know exactly what is wrong with you, what medicines you take, who your doctor is, if you're having a child, what tests you've taken, what the results were, etc. The pharmacy has this information too. Your credit companies and banks also have all this information too. They know what you buy, what you eat, where you eat, what size clothes you eat, what type of underwear you use, what medications you take, where you like to go, what kind of movies to like to watch, what type of restaurants you like to go to, what your hobbies are, It's all on your statements. The grocery and department stores also have this information. Every time you pay your bills they have a record. You don't want to bring in technology into your home because of your privacy. Guess what, it's already there! They can hack your phone, your computer, your iPad, tablet, your cable box, Xbox, PlayStations, and get into the cameras and microphones. They're already listening to your phone conversations. The schools also have all your information too. Even your cable companies have this information. They know where you've been, when you're home, where you work, what RV parks you've been too, even if you're boon docking out in the middle of nowhere. Just by tracking your cellphone. There are cameras everywhere. Even on the street lights and on corners. They sell microphones to pick up conversations in your house. Anyone can buy infrared lasers that bounce off windows and detect the vibrations on the glass and convert it to sound and listen to your conversations. Anyone can fly a drone and look inside your home through a small crack on your window or where the rope goes through your blinds, and even pick up your conversation. There's technology to look inside you home, just like they do to detect any illegal cargo inside 18 wheelers. It's been around for years. If you don't want "Big Brother" to know about you I suggest you be born in a cave and never come out. They have satellites that can read a license plate, so they can see if you come out!


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[CindyL]

I find that having companies who know what you buy are creepier than government. My son interviewed for a job that used your cell phone GPS to follow where you were inside a department store to pop up adds on your phone based on where you are in the store. I laugh though when I get ads based on what I buy for other family members that conclude I wear that size.

Like Marky says, this is part of life today. I teach tech. It is what it is.

CindyL

[ShelbyM]

I'm interested in genealogy and DNA is becoming so helpful. I was initially concerned about privacy but realized that they know more about these things than I ever will and if they want my info, they will get it and I'll probably never know.