Amazon Alexa and Echo FAQ

Mr.Crinklewood

keane2097 wrote: »

Thanks for checking. My settings are the same as you but she still tells me she doesn't know that one when I try to create a new list. I have it synced with AnyList app on the phone, so I can still create new lists manually through that, but if I try to add something to it she will stubbornly add it to my shopping list no matter what I say :-/

Maybe it's a problem with the skill. I might try disabling it and trying again later.

Works on the Dot (USA Language).

My exact question is, "Alexa,make a list". She then asks what I'd like to call it....and we take it from there.

keane2097

Mr.Crinklewood wrote: »

Works on the Dot (USA Language).

My exact question is, "Alexa,make a list". She then asks what I'd like to call it....and we take it from there.

Grand job, thanks again for checking. Still no dice for me. I changed my language to US and all I got was her telling me she didn't know how to do it in a different accent :pac:

Panrich

keane2097 wrote: »

Grand job, thanks again for checking. Still no dice for me. I changed my language to US and all I got was her telling me she didn't know how to do it in a different accent :pac:

I’m the same. Doesn’t work for me either.

jmBuildExt

keane2097 wrote: »

Thanks for checking. My settings are the same as you but she still tells me she doesn't know that one when I try to create a new list. I have it synced with AnyList app on the phone, so I can still create new lists manually through that, but if I try to add something to it she will stubbornly add it to my shopping list no matter what I say :-/

Maybe it's a problem with the skill. I might try disabling it and trying again later.

Could be rlated to the underlying app,AnyList . I haven't used the list stuff in a while, but if i remember correctly, when I set mine up about 2 years ago, the default underlying app was "todo"
It might go some way to explaining the descrepancy.

Panrich

jmBuildExt wrote: »

Could be rlated to the underlying app,AnyList . I haven't used the list stuff in a while, but if i remember correctly, when I set mine up about 2 years ago, the default underlying app was "todo"
It might go some way to explaining the descrepancy.

I don't have anylist and it doesn't work so I don't think that's it.

I just googled this and it says that you can also create a list in the app by clicking on create a list but that option is missing on my app. Must be somehow regionally based.

keane2097

Panrich wrote: »

I don't have anylist and it doesn't work so I don't think that's it.

I just googled this and it says that you can also create a list in the app by clicking on create a list but that option is missing on my app. Must be somehow regionally based.

That is the case for me also.

scamalert

dunno like i said in my post before i asked alexa create to do list and it worked, now i tried alexa create tomorrow list and after 5 attempts oh hums i got what should i add, but once said work, got traffic update :pac: and list wasn't created, think accent and wording has to be very precise with custom lists, and my acc is set to ire.

keane2097

A to do list is baked into the software already like grocery list, I'd say that's why that works.

phantom_lord

When I used to ask Alexa to play a band on Spotyify it used to play the top 10 songs of the band, but now it always shuffles the songs which is annoying. Is there any way to go back to the old way? I've talked to support about it twice and both times I've been told it has always shuffled the songs on Spotify

iamtony

phantom_lord wrote: »

When I used to ask Alexa to play a band on Spotyify it used to play the top 10 songs of the band, but now it always shuffles the songs which is annoying. Is there any way to go back to the old way? I've talked to support about it twice and both times I've been told it has always shuffled the songs on Spotify

Its always said, shuffling song by whatever band for me. It tends to be top songs that are played first anyway, if I forget about it and come back a few hours later it's playing some obscure song I've never heard so there's definitely a pecking order but definitely always said shuffling songs by whoever.

iamtony

One of my echo dots, second gen, is starting to fail I believe. Takes ages to answer and when the WiFi goes down it never reconnects when it's back like the others, has anyone else experienced this?

paulbok

I have that occasionally with an echo, as it doesn't happen to the other dots I have at the same time, I put it down to the echo being on the edge of my wifi coverage. I had the power off briefly yesterday and both dots reconnected quickly after the power came back, but took the echo ages.

phantom_lord

iamtony wrote: »

Its always said, shuffling song by whatever band for me. It tends to be top songs that are played first anyway, if I forget about it and come back a few hours later it's playing some obscure song I've never heard so there's definitely a pecking order but definitely always said shuffling songs by whoever.

That's strange, I can remember once or twice it shuffled but other than that it always played the top 10.

deadl0ck

phantom_lord wrote: »

That's strange, I can remember once or twice it shuffled but other than that it always played the top 10.

That's mad - never even knew it could do top 10 - I've never got that - always shuffles the songs

FunkyDa2

Is it possible for Alexa to "mishear" the trigger word, and randomly respond to a question that was not asked?... I ask, because i was sitting here at my computer in the room at the back of the house, in silence, and my wife was upstairs in the bedroom talking on the phone to her sister. The Echo, in the front room, suddenly said something which I didn't hear clearly (wasn't expecting it).
Has anybody else experienced this?

Davy

FunkyDa2 wrote: »

Is it possible for Alexa to "mishear" the trigger word, and randomly respond to a question that was not asked?... I ask, because i was sitting here at my computer in the room at the back of the house, in silence, and my wife was upstairs in the bedroom talking on the phone to her sister. The Echo, in the front room, suddenly said something which I didn't hear clearly (wasn't expecting it).
Has anybody else experienced this?

Look at the app and see whats in the timecards. You might be able to play back the audio for that time

d31b0y

Audio history can be gotten here
https://alexa.amazon.co.uk/spa/index.html#settings/dialogs

FunkyDa2

d31b0y wrote: »

Audio history can be gotten here
https://alexa.amazon.co.uk/spa/index.html#settings/dialogs

Thanks for that link! According to the app, the playback of the "trigger word and question" recording has a very short snippet of my wife in conversation with her sister on the phone saying "...and that's...that's...", and Alexa answered with "there is no incoming call".
As I said, I didn't hear that answer clearly, because I wasn't expecting Alexa to speak.
So, again, I think Alexa can respond uncommanded, by mishearing conversations. :eek:

OldRio

FunkyDa2 wrote: »

So, again, I think Alexa can respond uncommanded, by mishearing conversations. :eek:

My wife does it all the time. 😁

jmBuildExt

FunkyDa2 wrote: »

So, again, I think Alexa can respond uncommanded, by mishearing conversations. :eek:

Yes of course it can, this stuff isnt perfect.
You should also be able to see what it interpreted the sound snippet as...
In your case I'd say it was "alexa answer" which isn't a million miles away from "And thats thats"

FunkyDa2

jmBuildExt wrote: »

Yes of course it can, this stuff isnt perfect.
You should also be able to see what it interpreted the sound snippet as...
In your case I'd say it was "alexa answer" which isn't a million miles away from "And thats thats"

Good spot!

jmBuildExt

Happens in ours probably three times a week.
Its annoying - worst thing it has done so far is install some skill called cat or meow or something. But it makes alexa meow randomly ... had to go and uninstall it through the app.

Not sure if you can set up the automatic purchases over here, but i certainly wouldnt enable anything like that... heard of an american woman who got a t shirt in the post with the phrase that someone was saying at a party printed on the t shirt... after alexa mistook the conversation for a command to buy a novelty t shirt

clintondaly

I hear her speaking out of turn once or twice a week and its something on the telly that triggers it usually

With regards the purchases you can just turn the feature off to stop accidentally ordering a new yacht or something

I have just noticed that having spent nearly 2 years interacting with her around the house(4 around the house) I refer to Alexa as a "Her" this is where the fine line between Humans and AI are starting to converge,a sign of the future....

paulbok

Haven't got the link, but new and updated Alexa kit announced yesterday. Amazon.com has them.
New Show, looks better at least
New echo hub,
Gizmo for your car,
Lots of speaker options.
Microwave. I kid you not.
US style smart plug.
Also more integration with Ring cams and their alarm system

robinph

No plugs, microwaves, audio links or car widgets for us yet. All the other new stuff appears to be available for pre-orders.

paulbok

Think I'll pass on the microwave, barely use the one I have.
Will check out the new show, but I reckon I'll just get the new fire tablet with show function.
Probably will get the car one when available, esp if at the reduced price offered in the US.
The clock as well may be useful in the kitchen with timers etc.

I'd imagine most of these will be available this side for Black Friday sales.

clintondaly

The yoke for the car is being sold on an invitation basis
You need to log into Amazon.com and register,invites then to be sent out later in the year

I have an echo everywhere expect the car although you can use the alexa app in the car hands free

tonc76

https://techcrunch.com/2018/09/20/alexa-guard-turns-echo-products-into-security-devices/ this is very interesting

givecredit

For echo gen2 owners what I find very interesting is finally Amazon are introducing a software upgrade to bring stereo separation to echo. That is if you own two gen 2 echoes you can have left channel on one and right on the other. Perfect. Might be a good time to buy a £59 refurbished gen 2 on Amazon.

givecredit

Stereo pairing now working on 2nd gen echo and echo plus