Amazon Echo TSV 28/1/17

[Tiddlywinks]

We have a Dot in the kitchen and a larger Echo in our bedroom.

It's great for setting the alarm particularly if, like us, you get up at varying times across any given week.

The radio can be changed from station to station just by saying 'play Radio 2' or whatever. You can tell her to increase or decrease volume, mute, change to a playlist etc... all hands free.

In the kitchen i can be up to my elbows in flour or washing up and still change radio station or add an item to my 'to do' list. Just this afternoon I used the last of the cinnamon and could just shout to Alexa to add it to my list... otherwise I'd have had to wash my hands, find a pen etc or just hope I remembered afterwards.

At Christmas it kept visitors entertained with jokes, flipping a coin for games, festive tunes and even read a story.

It can help with trivia questions or general musings and just generally makes life a bit easier and more fun.

I'm very happy with mine.

 

[Greg]

LOL. I'm not lonely and I am not sure I am elderly yet but not far off. I want one

My apologies. I did sound a bit rude.

 

[SUPERCOOLWILLOW]

Amazon Echo Voice Controlled Speaker with Amazon Music Unlimited & Audible
Item Number: 509622
QVC Price £148.50
Todays Special Value Price £138.96
P&P £6.95

or 3 Easy Pays of £46.32

The innovative Amazon Echo HD Speaker with Voice Controlled Personal Assistant is a hands-free speaker that is designed around your voice and the commands you give, with the ability to answer your questions, read audiobooks, report on news, traffic and weather, provide sports updates and so much more. In a sleek white shade to suit any decor, access everything from your connected devices to all your favourite technologies with the brilliant Amazon Echo.

Amazing Alexa - the brain behind the Amazon Echo, Alexa is voice service that updates through the cloud automatically and is continually learning and adding new functions and skills to their repertoire. The more you use the Echo in your everyday life, the more it adapts to your speech style, vocabulary and preferences.

Serious skills - from ordering a takeaway meal from Just Eat to requesting a taxi from Uber, skills mean all your favourite applications can be accessed instantly. Amazon are constantly adding new skills to the Alexa app - just enable which ones you want to use, and instantly see reviews and ratings about them too.

Voice recognition makes it personal - with just a word, the Echo responds to you - just say "Alexa" to wake up your device. Far-field voice recognition means the Echo can hear you ask a question from any direction, even in noisy environments. You do not need to train Alexa to understand your voice, as the Echo works with multiple people’s voice commands straight out of the box.

Surrounding sound - with seven microphones and developed with beam-forming technology, the Echo can hear you from across the room even while music is playing. The Echo is also an expertly tuned speaker that has been designed to fill any room. Plus, it can play your favourite music and playlists from Amazon Prime Music, Spotify and more, using just your voice.

Connect your home - the clever Echo has the ability to controls lights, switches, thermostats and smart home technologies, when you pair it with compatible connected devices from Philips Hue, Hive, TP-Link, and more.

Seamless set up - just plug it in, connect to the internet with the Alexa app, and you are ready to go. The included Quick Start Guide will help you get the most out of your Echo, and there are no subscription fees to use the Echo either.

The soundtrack to your day - discover an unlimited selection of great tunes through Amazon Music Unlimited, a premium music subscription service that’s free for an additional two months when you sign up to a one month trial. With this subscription, you can listen to any song at any time, on all of your tech - including Amazon devices, smart phones, tablets and PCs. This promotion ensures you aren’t interrupted by adverts, and you can also download music to enjoy offline. With personalised playlists, recommendations and a catalogue of over 10 million songs, you can create a soundtrack for every event, special occasion or journey.

An on-the-go audio library - enjoy the magic of reading without picking up a book, e-reader or magazine with Audible. When you sign up for a 30-day no-fee trial, you’ll have access to an extra audiobook, along with the standard free book you would have access to as part of this trial. Boasting over 200,000 classics and new releases, Audible offer an extensive selection of books to enjoy through your Echo. Whether you’re in your office or at home with your family, you’ll love getting lost in your Audible adventure.

Technical specifications:

360 degree omni directional audio
Far field voice recognition
2.5" woofer and 2" tweeter
Echo (l x w x d): 23.5cm x 8.4cm x 8.4mm (9.25" x 3.27" x 3.27")
Weight: 1.1kg

Connectivity:

Wi-Fi connectivity: dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi (MIMO) for faster streaming and fewer dropped connections than standard Wi-Fi. Supports 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi networks. Does not support connection to ad-hoc (or peer-to-peer) Wi-Fi networks
Bluetooth connectivity: Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) support for audio streaming from your mobile device to Amazon Echo and Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP) for voice control of connected mobile devices. Hands-free voice control is not supported for Mac OS X devices
System requirements: the Echo comes ready to connect to your Wi-Fi. The Alexa App is compatible with Fire OS, Android and iOS devices, and also accessible via your desktop browser. Certain skills and services are subject to change, may not be available outside the United Kingdom, and may require separate subscriptions or other fees


What's in the box?

1 x Echo
1 x power adapter
1 x quick start guide


Added value:

Two additional months of Amazon Music Unlimited
One additional audio book from Audible

Please see the attached terms and conditions for further details

Please note:

The Amazon Echo HD speaker will have limited functionality outside of mainland UK, the Channel Islands, Germany and the USA.
To use the Echo, a smartphone, laptop or tablet is required
If you are currently an iTunes user, there is a limit to the amount of songs you can upload to your Amazon music library to use with Echo:
You can upload up to 250 songs to your music library for free
With an Amazon Music subscription, you can upload up to 250,000 songs
Echo is Bluetooth-enabled so you can stream other popular music services such as iTunes from your phone or tablet

Streamed music will still have voice controls, limited to:

Play
Pause
Previous
Next
Stop
Resume
Restart

Amazon Prime members can use Prime Music, as part of their Prime Subscription, to play music, and also ask Alexa to order eligible products they've ordered before

You don't need to subscribe to Amazon Prime to use the Echo

All measurements are approximate

http://www.qvcuk.com/ukqic/qvcapp.aspx/app.detail/params.item.509622

 

[Tiddlywinks]

Thanks for the heads up - SCW - may get another one for Mr Tiddly to use when he's tucked away in his cave working from home.

 

[miss molly]

Ha Ha watch Alexa not do what he tells her:mysmilie_19:

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

I know I'm being really stupid but I find the fact that speech is barked out in a rude commandeering way annoying. I can't help feeling that if children constantly hear questions and statements in this way they will never understand the word please.

Personally if I was Alexa I would tell them to piss off and stop being such lazy rude b***ards. And before anyone starts I do understand how it works but it still bugs me!

 

[miss molly]

Is this a good deal compared to the amazon price?

 

[Snuggs]

Those who have the Echo does it recognise different voices? I've had mine a week now and it always fails to recognise my husband. I don't know what we are doing wrong.

 

[Tiddlywinks]

Is this a good deal compared to the amazon price?

It's £149.99 direct from Amazon - I don't think the 'added value' is worth it. Amazon has good customer support so I'd rather buy direct.

Those who have the Echo does it recognise different voices? I've had mine a week now and it always fails to recognise my husband. I don't know what we are doing wrong.

Mine both recognise all voices - even our visitors over Christmas. The only issues have been when Mr Tiddlywinks mumbles in the morning to get the alarm to snooze.

Go into the app and look at what Alexa thinks she heard - then you can correct it so that she learns from your corrections.

 

[Snuggs]

Mine both recognise all voices - even our visitors over Christmas. The only issues have been when Mr Tiddlywinks mumbles in the morning to get the alarm to snooze.

Go into the app and look at what Alexa thinks she heard - then you can correct it so that she learns from your corrections.

Thank you Tiddlywinks. Only thing is she won't even react to the wake word whenever he says it. We have tried them all and she just ignores him. Is mine faulty?

 

[donna255]

Those who have the Echo does it recognise different voices? I've had mine a week now and it always fails to recognise my husband. I don't know what we are doing wrong.

It doesn't like him.:mysmilie_17:

 

[mossie269]

just muted it this morning and i dont believe i am the only one sick to death listening to alexa this alexa that.

 

[Tiddlywinks]

Thank you Tiddlywinks. Only thing is she won't even react to the wake word whenever he says it. We have tried them all and she just ignores him. Is mine faulty?

It may be the pitch of his voice coupled with how loudly he's speaking.

Call Amazon and ask how to get help from the Echo team... they are still developing the software etc so may have some good insight.

Try changing the name then Echo and see if she recognises his speech with that waking word.

 

[boffy]

my sister has just bought it i am not very techy so no clue what to do with it

 

[Ellaaa]

just muted it this morning and i dont believe i am the only one sick to death listening to alexa this alexa that.

I'd shove that Echo and Alexa where the sun don't shine!

 

[Ellaaa]

Until they offer different voices and accents I won't be getting one. I don't want to come across as a 'professional northerner' but it'd be nice to hear someone who sounds like the voices I hear around me every day! It would feel more natural in my home then.

 

[shopperholic]

Until they offer different voices and accents I won't be getting one. I don't want to come across as a 'professional northerner' but it'd be nice to hear someone who sounds like the voices I hear around me every day! It would feel more natural in my home then.

I agree, but even then I wouldn't get one. I think I can just about drag myself off the couch to turn the lights on/off, or look up a recipe, check the weather etc. :mysmilie_17:

 

[Turandot]

Its not for me. I can't see the point, im quite happy doing things manually .I can see its a novelty especially for people who like gadgets.

But in any case I wouldn't buy anything the shyster Lee is presenting.

Read the small print in fine detail I would advise .

I bought a laptop TSV that supposedly had so many programmes ready to go, but in reality after a short period of time you had to sign up to purchase them for continued use. He never mentioned this during his sales pitch. I don't trust him.

 

[stratobuddy]

Can you tell it to make you a cup of tea?

 

[loveheart]

Can you tell it to make you a cup of tea?

You can tell it what ever you like. Whether it does it is another matter. And no it doesn't know where the crown ended up.