Amazon Alexa and Echo FAQ

deadl0ck

Has anybody used the named timers successfully ?
I have tried it a few times and it just sets a regular timer....

clintondaly

deadl0ck wrote: »

Has anybody used the named timers successfully ?
I have tried it a few times and it just sets a regular timer....

Was just about to post on this,try the CNET instructions

https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-create-named-timers-with-alexa/?ftag=CAD-04-10aaf6e&bhid=

deadl0ck

clintondaly wrote: »

Was just about to post on this,try the CNET instructions

https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-create-named-timers-with-alexa/?ftag=CAD-04-10aaf6e&bhid=

Tried it - it still just creates a basic timer - no named timer.
Anybody get it working ?

garbeth

Yeah. Alexa create a timer called potatoes. She'll responded with Timer for how Long. Give time in minutes. after that time elapses she'Ll say Your potatoes timer is done.

I'm on a US account

deadl0ck

garbeth wrote: »

Yeah. Alexa create a timer called potatoes. She'll responded with Timer for how Long. Give time in minutes. after that time elapses she'Ll say Your potatoes timer is done.

I'm on a US account

I'm on UK - must not have been rolled out yet even though it supposedly did (linky)

Can someone with a UK account try so I can see if it's not just me...

My wife wants to use this function for cooking - so she can set multiple timers and know what each one if for

paulbok

deadl0ck wrote: »

I'm on UK - must not have been rolled out yet even though it supposedly did (linky)

Can someone with a UK account try so I can see if it's not just me...

My wife wants to use this function for cooking - so she can set multiple timers and know what each one if for

Hasn't for me yet

Hellrazer

Named timers???
All I want is my stupid radio stations to work!!Give me that and Ill be happy.

mrcheez

Hellrazer wrote: »

Named timers???
All I want is my stupid radio stations to work!!Give me that and Ill be happy.

What stupid radio stations do you listen to?

RTE 1 works.. Newstalk works afaik

dinneenp

Today fm works for me. Newstalk gives me some American station.
Its stopped recognizing Spotify, will disconnect and make Spotify default music app again tomorrow.

Surprised at how it doesn't link to browsers for general info-eg alexa give me information on music band Arcade Fire, and what is http://abstractabstract.com

frash

named timers working for me with US account

Hellrazer

mrcheez wrote: »

What stupid radio stations do you listen to?

RTE 1 works.. Newstalk works afaik

Rte 1 hasnt worked in weeks.Newstalk give me some US station or if it feels like it a Jamaican channel.

FM 104 works.Today FM works.
Dublin City Fm works.

BTW all these work through the app but not on voice control.

mrcheez

Hellrazer wrote: »

Rte 1 hasnt worked in weeks.

It sure does: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=103709071&postcount=1006

I find I have to specify 3-letter acronyms slowly like this all the time, even on Spotify.

e.g. asking for Alexa to play "LTJ Bukem" have to say "play L...T...J... Bukem"

deadl0ck

Hellrazer wrote: »

Rte 1 hasnt worked in weeks.Newstalk give me some US station or if it feels like it a Jamaican channel.

FM 104 works.Today FM works.
Dublin City Fm works.

BTW all these work through the app but not on voice control.

Weird
"Alexa, play radio station Newstalk"
And
"Alexa, play radio station RTE1"
Both worked first time just now so not sure what's up with yours

An Ciarraioch

Newstalk works perfectly, just by saying "Alexa, play Newstalk on TuneIn", but RTE Radio One, weirdly, won't play. Edit - Deadlock's tip of saying "RTE One", rather than "RTE Radio One" works.

antodeco

Im looking to create a rule for Alexa, that when I say "Alexa, Emergency" (or some derivative), it turns on all my hue bulbs on 100% light, sounds an alarm on all the echos in the house as well as setting off the Nest Protect alarm and light. Is there any way to do this?

frash

antodeco wrote: »

Im looking to create a rule for Alexa, that when I say "Alexa, Emergency" (or some derivative), it turns on all my hue bulbs on 100% light, sounds an alarm on all the echos in the house as well as setting off the Nest Protect alarm and light. Is there any way to do this?

Ittt maybe

degsie

frash wrote: »

Ittt maybe

Or if that doesn't work try IFTTT

paulbok

antodeco wrote: »

Im looking to create a rule for Alexa, that when I say "Alexa, Emergency" (or some derivative), it turns on all my hue bulbs on 100% light, sounds an alarm on all the echos in the house as well as setting off the Nest Protect alarm and light. Is there any way to do this?

IFTTT is the way to go, although I don't think you can access the Nest alarm and light to set them off.

antodeco

Have had no look with IFTTT. I can trigger emergency but it only puts the lights on th default brightness (60%). Also, Alexa doesn't have an alarm noise. I'd probably have to set a 2 second timer to get her to ring.

Haven't figured out how to connect nest protect yet!

frash

antodeco wrote: »

Also, Alexa doesn't have an alarm noise. I'd probably have to set a 2 second timer to get her to ring.

Get her to play some music with the volume set to 10?

dinneenp

Hi,
Is there any official support channel for Echo Dot & can we use it if based in Ireland?
It's still not playing any music from my Spotify (family premium account) account, used to up until a few days ago. V annoying. It's set up and set as default music library.

Thanks,
Pa.

antodeco

frash wrote: »

Get her to play some music with the volume set to 10?

Everytime she plays anything, the volume is at the main volume (doesnt recognise if I ask to play full volume).

bk

antodeco wrote: »

Im looking to create a rule for Alexa, that when I say "Alexa, Emergency" (or some derivative), it turns on all my hue bulbs on 100% light, sounds an alarm on all the echos in the house as well as setting off the Nest Protect alarm and light. Is there any way to do this?

Check out Yonomi and Stringify.

The problem with IFTTT as mentioned below is that one IFTTT command can trigger only one device, you will instead want to use the above services to trigger multiple devices.

Having said that, I don't think you can trigger Nest Protects like this (they don't have any actions in ifttt) nor can you trigger alexa like that (again no actions under IFTTT).

So the lights will be the only one you can trigger like this.

NEDDURC

Is the app still not available in Ireland?

davo2001

NEDDURC wrote: »

Is the app still not available in Ireland?

Not offically anyways.

Evolution1

Has anyone noticed there echo making a tone and flashing the blue ring on its own accord ? ( no extra sound in the room )

I've also noticed the echo is starting to struggle with basic commands such as turning on lights ( get confused ) and when you call out Alexa in the morning to snooze she will ignore me now unless I roar at it

Mr.Crinklewood

Evolution1 wrote: »

Has anyone noticed there echo making a tone and flashing the blue ring on its own accord ? ( no extra sound in the room )

I've also noticed the echo is starting to struggle with basic commands such as turning on lights ( get confused ) and when you call out Alexa in the morning to snooze she will ignore me now unless I roar at it

Did you get married to the echo?

Had similar confused / ignoring /shouting issues with Mrs Crinklewood.

degsie

Evolution1 wrote: »

I've also noticed the echo is starting to struggle with basic commands such as turning on lights ( get confused ) and when you call out Alexa in the morning to snooze she will ignore me now unless I roar at it

Sounds like she's just growing up and has finally reached teenagehood.

sReq | uTeK

Have it 9 months

Waste of money. It's a gimmick

Evolution1

I find it good bar the mood swings