Amazon Alexa and Echo FAQ

Zulu · 19-01-2017 2:15pm

555john wrote: »

- NewTalk radio comes up as 'Young Turks 24/7'

Ask for "NewsTalk FM". Or "NewsTalk I-er-land".

garbeth · 19-01-2017 2:36pm

Or ask for 107.6.

555john · 19-01-2017 5:26pm

davo2001 wrote: »

Have you read this thread? This has been mentioned DOZENS of times already.

i didn't see a solution for the Japan weather issue. Just references to people asking for help.
Appreciate it if you can point me to what you saw/know

degsie · 19-01-2017 5:28pm

555john wrote: »

i didn't see a solution for the Japan weather issue. Just references to people asking for help.
Appreciate it if you can point me to what you saw/know

Enable Big Sky skill. You are welcome.

clintondaly · 19-01-2017 5:46pm

555john wrote: »

i didn't see a solution for the Japan weather issue. Just references to people asking for help.
Appreciate it if you can point me to what you saw/know

You need to enable the Big Sky skill and create a Big Sky account,you then need to link both accounts

seamus · 19-01-2017 7:40pm

So didn't realise I had my echo set up on a US account.

You can change the language in the settings, so mine has always had a British accent.

Moved the device from US to UK and I had to re-setup all my skills, but it did remember network settings.

Set spotify as the default music app and now it plays without having to ask for spotify.

mossym · 19-01-2017 7:44pm

Great piece in wired about the difficulties alexa faces with her accelerating success. Addresses a number of issues people were raising in this and other thread about contextual awareness. Not a trivial matter.

https://www.wired.com/2017/01/alexa-conquering-world-now-amazons-real-challenge-begins/

d31b0y · 20-01-2017 9:34am

garbeth wrote: »

Got this to work unofficial Alexa Ask Google Skill.

https://www.reddit.com/r/amazonecho/comments/5md74z/a_highly_unofficial_alexa_skill_for_google_search/

I've just set this up and this has increased Alexa's usefulness by about 300% IMO.
So many times I have asked Alexa a normal trivial question and she comes back with "I could not find the answer".
The Google search is so much better. Granted, you have to get the wording just right sometimes but the responses are far better than that of the vanilla Alexa responses.
OK, there is a little bit of work to do to set it up but there are some pretty clear instructions out there on how to do it. It's very hard to go wrong.
It might take an hour to setup if you don't know anything about what you are doing, but it's well worth every second spent. In all, I reckon it took me about 20 minutes.

boopolo · 20-01-2017 10:40am

Have just got mine here in The Philippines. (not supported)
Have it set to O'connell street, but timezone here (GMT+8): no problems
I have Big Sky Skill linked with my town address here and 'long version': "Alexa, open Big Sky". It gives a detailed weather for here.
Have paired (BT) it to my Kodi (rPi3B) box, but is very limited (Play, Stop, next etc). I know the guys over at Kodi are almost finished their 'Skills' for presentation to Amazon, so I will wait.
Tunein works great, and Alexa understands me well.
I have RTE News Now for my first flash, followed by BBC World Service UK.
Would love to get it to have some EFL Championship skills (Leeds United in Particular

). Anybody?
I will work on homeseer in the coming days, but as my Z-wave modules won't arrive here till next month, and i wont be finished my house until Autumn, it will just be for testing.
Overall, after one day, I am very impressed, seeing as it is not supported here.
Things Can Only Get Better

frash · 20-01-2017 11:21am

d31b0y wrote: »

I've just set this up and this has increased Alexa's usefulness by about 300% IMO.
So many times I have asked Alexa a normal trivial question and she comes back with "I could not find the answer".
The Google search is so much better. Granted, you have to get the wording just right sometimes but the responses are far better than that of the vanilla Alexa responses.
OK, there is a little bit of work to do to set it up but there are some pretty clear instructions out there on how to do it. It's very hard to go wrong.
It might take an hour to setup if you don't know anything about what you are doing, but it's well worth every second spent. In all, I reckon it took me about 20 minutes.

Got a link to the guide you followed?

20-01-2017 11:25am

Err he quoted it in his post....it's the reddit link.

d31b0y · 20-01-2017 11:33am

:pac: It sure is. The actual guide I followed is linked from reddit;
http://alexamods.com/guide-install-ask-google-alexa-skill/

fionny · 20-01-2017 11:36am

Just ordered myself a LightwaveRF Link and pack of plugs to automate our garden lights.. plan to grow this to include sitting room etc... with the addition of a second dot.

For reference I went with the lightwave option instead of the cheap TP Link plugs because LightwaveRF have a large collection... the inital cost of the Link unit is heavy but the plugs are decent value at 45GBP for a pack of 3 WITH a remote control for when voice isnt an option etc... So as I grow the network in the house I will save cash... not to mention if we start to use in line relays / switches etc..

Bluefoam · 20-01-2017 11:40am

Are they IP rated?

davo2001 · 20-01-2017 11:44am

Bluefoam wrote: »

Are they IP rated?

No

fionny · 20-01-2017 11:50am

Bluefoam wrote: »

Are they IP rated?

They'll be inside

clintondaly · 20-01-2017 12:22pm

boopolo wrote: »

Have just got mine here in The Philippines. (not supported)
Have it set to O'connell street, but timezone here (GMT+8): no problems
I have Big Sky Skill linked with my town address here and 'long version': "Alexa, open Big Sky". It gives a detailed weather for here.
Have paired (BT) it to my Kodi (rPi3B) box, but is very limited (Play, Stop, next etc). I know the guys over at Kodi are almost finished their 'Skills' for presentation to Amazon, so I will wait.
Tunein works great, and Alexa understands me well.
I have RTE News Now for my first flash, followed by BBC World Service UK.
Would love to get it to have some EFL Championship skills (Leeds United in Particular ). Anybody?
I will work on homeseer in the coming days, but as my Z-wave modules won't arrive here till next month, and i wont be finished my house until Autumn, it will just be for testing.
Overall, after one day, I am very impressed, seeing as it is not supported here.
Things Can Only Get Better

I have it set up to give me Liverpool news ,theres a section to input your sports team for specific news on them

boopolo · 21-01-2017 4:03am

clintondaly wrote: »

boopolo wrote: »

Have just got mine here in The Philippines. (not supported)
Have it set to O'connell street, but timezone here (GMT+8): no problems
I have Big Sky Skill linked with my town address here and 'long version': "Alexa, open Big Sky". It gives a detailed weather for here.
Have paired (BT) it to my Kodi (rPi3B) box, but is very limited (Play, Stop, next etc). I know the guys over at Kodi are almost finished their 'Skills' for presentation to Amazon, so I will wait.
Tunein works great, and Alexa understands me well.
I have RTE News Now for my first flash, followed by BBC World Service UK.
Would love to get it to have some EFL Championship skills (Leeds United in Particular ). Anybody?
I will work on homeseer in the coming days, but as my Z-wave modules won't arrive here till next month, and i wont be finished my house until Autumn, it will just be for testing.
Overall, after one day, I am very impressed, seeing as it is not supported here.
Things Can Only Get Better

I have it set up to give me Liverpool news ,theres a section to input your sports team for specific news on them

Haha
Yes I can get Liverpool, Arsenal etc. But I am a Leeds fan.
Expect to see us up there with you next season.

mrcheez · 21-01-2017 11:41am

Zulu wrote: »

Ask for "NewsTalk FM".

NewsTalk FM got me some dodgy Republican station in St Louis

garbeth · 21-01-2017 12:55pm

107.6 works.

boopolo · 21-01-2017 1:46pm

boopolo wrote: »

clintondaly wrote: »

I have it set up to give me Liverpool news ,theres a section to input your sports team for specific news on them

Haha
Yes I can get Liverpool, Arsenal etc. But I am a Leeds fan.
Expect to see us up there with you next season.

Now that is Weird, They have just put Leeds United up on the 'Sports Update'
Is there somebody here from Amazon reading this thread?

degsie · 21-01-2017 9:12pm

mrcheez wrote: »

NewsTalk FM got me some dodgy Republican station in St Louis

Sounds about right :pac:

21-01-2017 9:28pm

mrcheez · 21-01-2017 11:12pm

garbeth wrote: »

107.6 works.

"Radio cracker isn't available right now"

Hmm maybe I shouldn't have ordered all those Confederate flags on Amazon

Edit: ah I think its because my location is still set as Belfast. Guess I can change that now. Was required by the early adopters iirc

garbeth · 22-01-2017 1:29am

Have my address set to castle knock so maybe that the difference.

On another topic for those with the smart things hub this looks nice

http://thingsthataresmart.wiki/index.php?title=EchoSistant

Brophchip · 22-01-2017 3:04pm

Hi guys could anyone help me please😭
I have just gotten Alexa but am having trouble downloading the Alexa app onto my iPad it says it's not available on the Irish App Store
Any help would be greatly appreciated as I want to get this up and running 🤠

degsie · 22-01-2017 3:09pm

Brophchip wrote: »

Hi guys could anyone help me please&#55357;&#56877;
I have just gotten Alexa but am having trouble downloading the Alexa app onto my iPad it says it's not available on the Irish App Store
Any help would be greatly appreciated as I want to get this up and running &#55358;&#56608;

You need to set a UK Apple account, or just use http://alexa.amazon.co.uk from a browser.

mossym · 22-01-2017 4:29pm

Brophchip wrote: »

Hi guys could anyone help me please😭
I have just gotten Alexa but am having trouble downloading the Alexa app onto my iPad it says it's not available on the Irish App Store
Any help would be greatly appreciated as I want to get this up and running 🤠

have a read of the thread, all the instructions have been posted a few times

Brophchip · 22-01-2017 5:16pm

Thanks for replies I tried changing account to U.K. But my card is Irish and it says it's not compatible with uk App Store,I tried the link you gave as well and same outcome am I doing something wrong?

Nelbert · 22-01-2017 5:33pm

Brophchip wrote: »

Thanks for replies I tried changing account to U.K. But my card is Irish and it says it's not compatible with uk App Store,I tried the link you gave as well and same outcome am I doing something wrong?

Just open a browser and go to Alexa.amazon.co.uk miles easier than the App Store changing hassle.

Amazon Alexa and Echo FAQ

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