Alexa/Echo skills. Let's have them

P_Cash

Folks,
All over the place with regards this device. Not sure if it's a gimmick for me or a useful device. Should I buy or shouldn't i

I've seen a lot of "turn on lights" , "play latest episode of Simpsons on kodi" etc. But what else will it do. What are it's skills that you use. I turn my own lights on. And I'm fine selecting my TV stuff.

What do you ask your Alexa to do

limnam

P_Cash wrote: »

Folks,
All over the place with regards this device. Not sure if it's a gimmick for me or a useful device. Should I buy or shouldn't i

I've seen a lot of "turn on lights" , "play latest episode of Simpsons on kodi" etc. But what else will it do. What are it's skills that you use. I turn my own lights on. And I'm fine selecting my TV stuff.

What do you ask your Alexa to do

Considering the things you're happy to do yourself, what do you want it to be able to do?


It also depends on what other things you have.


Like telling her to do the hoovering :pac:


But you need the right hoover.


I usually tell her to bring my bedroom to right temperature before heading up to bed.


for 25 quid, do you really need that much convincing?

P_Cash

limnam wrote: »

Considering the things you're happy to do yourself, what do you want it to be able to do?


It also depends on what other things you have.
Like telling her to do the hoovering :pac:
But you need the right hoover.
I usually tell her to bring my bedroom to right temperature before heading up to bed.
for 25 quid, do you really need that much convincing?

I was hoping others would share what people use Alexa for.
for instance, I wouldn't be all house automation type person etc,. but you just said you ask Alexa to bring down the temperature in your bedroom.
I find that old school, I have wireless Thermostats in my house, i installed them myself yrs ago and they talk back to the receivers at the pumps, and the thermostat calls for heat if the temp falls below the set temp.

my down/dim lights are all on timers in the living areas. so that's taken care of.

I'm not been disrespectful, but i currently dont think about heat settings or lights on off.

I tried researching it via google and youtube and while a lot of people have compiled there top 10 skills, well 2 of them i don't do manually never mind expecting Alexa to take over.


ill start off.

we like the shopping list, add milk to the shopping list etc.

whats the weather outside today,


will it read a news headlines?
if you have a specific interest, Business/Investments/Markets. would it give you headline news in a specific news choice
or sports even, for example, and club news for your club of choice. Liverpool for example.

limnam

P_Cash wrote: »

I was hoping others would share what people use Alexa for.
for instance, I wouldn't be all house automation type person etc,. but you just said you ask Alexa to bring down the temperature in your bedroom.
I find that old school, I have wireless Thermostats in my house, i installed them myself yrs ago and they talk back to the receivers at the pumps, and the thermostat calls for heat if the temp falls below the set temp.

Right, again this is not really about alexa it's how clever the hardware around it. For example your wireless stat will probably call for all rooms and or all of a zone.



The "clever" part for me is been able to just adjust my room, but that's not alexa been clever, she's just the tool to call it.



ill start off.

we like the shopping list, add milk to the shopping list etc.

whats the weather outside today,


will it read a news headlines?
if you have a specific interest, Business/Investments/Markets. would it give you headline news in a specific news choice
or sports even, for example, and club news for your club of choice. Liverpool for example.[/QUOTE]


Yes it will read the news headlines and you can get that skills from specific sources.


e.g. select the sources of the headlines. be it business/investments/sports etc

paulbok

A cheap digital radio if nothing else.

Davy

P_Cash wrote: »

Folks,
All over the place with regards this device. Not sure if it's a gimmick for me or a useful device. Should I buy or shouldn't i

I've seen a lot of "turn on lights" , "play latest episode of Simpsons on kodi" etc. But what else will it do. What are it's skills that you use. I turn my own lights on. And I'm fine selecting my TV stuff.

What do you ask your Alexa to do

Have a look at the skills page for some ideas of what it can do:> https://www.amazon.co.uk/l/10068517031

• You can say 'play, flash briefing' and get the news headlines/weather from different places. You set the preferences in the app, RTE, Met Eireann, BBC, sky news etc.
  
• Alarms / Reminders - 10 minutes, next month, anything really.
  
• Lists - Shopping / To-do list
  
• Music / Radio - Deezer, Amazon Music, Spotify, Tunein
  
• Routines - Goodnight / Morning - switches lights, play radio/music, checks traffic, switches socket, etc
  
• Trivia/ jokes / Games - loads of different options for kids or adults.
  
• Announcements - You can send a voice message to all devices (dinner / time to leave etc)

P_Cash

Davy wrote: »

Have a look at the skills page for some ideas of what it can do:> https://www.amazon.co.uk/l/10068517031

• You can say 'play, flash briefing' and get the news headlines/weather from different places. You set the preferences in the app, RTE, Met Eireann, BBC, sky news etc.
  
• Alarms / Reminders - 10 minutes, next month, anything really.
  
• Lists - Shopping / To-do list
  
• Music / Radio - Deezer, Amazon Music, Spotify, Tunein
  
• Routines - Goodnight / Morning - switches lights, play radio/music, checks traffic, switches socket, etc
  
• Trivia/ jokes / Games - loads of different options for kids or adults.
  
• Announcements - You can send a voice message to all devices (dinner / time to leave etc)

thank you. this is informative.

B-D-P--

I've tried to set a bi-weekly alarm at 7om on wednesdays to remind me to put bin out

It doesnt seem to get it.

glen123

Is it possible to listen to local radio for free using Echo or does it only work using paid services?

Soarer

glen123 wrote: »

Is it possible to listen to local radio for free using Echo or does it only work using paid services?

It'll play whatever's on TuneIn for free. just make sure you have the correct name, or you could end up with some obscure American station!

Soarer

B-D-P-- wrote: »

I've tried to set a bi-weekly alarm at 7om on wednesdays to remind me to put bin out

It doesnt seem to get it.

There's a skill called "Bin Reminder".

mossym

there is an alexa sticky at the top of the forum...

Brian017

glen123 wrote: »

Is it possible to listen to local radio for free using Echo or does it only work using paid services?

There's a skill called Irish RadioPlayer for that

lobbylad

I have 2 Echo's, one in the kitchen, one in the bedroom.

Most used functions:

Bedroom
- alarm "Alexa, wake me at 7am weekdays with RTE Radio 1"
Then for any other alarms required, just add "Alexa wake me tomorrow at 6am" (no need to have to adjust existing alarms like most clock radios)
- play spotify and tunein

Kitchen
- by far the most common use "Alexa, set a chicken timer for 40 minutes" (or any other cooking - you can have multiple timers running and it announces them with the names you call them - we use this a lot
- spotify and tunein
- news headlines
- Diary/calendar (linked to work gmail account) "Alexa, set a diary entry for Monday 4th December at 2pm to meet John" (it pops up n my diary within seconds)
- reminder - "Alexa, remind me to call XXX at 3pm tomorrow" and this turns up on your phone if your not at home at the time

Just got 2 x TP Link smart plugs yesterday, kids already loving the "Alexa, turn on christmas" and the christmas tree lights up!

mossym

the most important takeaway there was why on earth is your xmas tree up in november

lobbylad

mossym wrote: »

the most important takeaway there was why on earth is your xmas tree up in november

I know, I know, it only went up yesterday, kids want it up for the toy show

dinneenp

Soarer wrote: »

It'll play whatever's on TuneIn for free. just make sure you have the correct name, or you could end up with some obscure American station!

Is there any way around the ads? Find it extremely annoying

dinneenp

I have mine connected (wirelessly) to my 2 Bose speakers (one on either side of the kitchen) and use it for playing music through them.

"Alexa, play Friend of Mine from The National"

paulbok

dinneenp wrote: »

Is there any way around the ads? Find it extremely annoying

Seems to be peculiar to certain stations, Today fm, I'm looking at you.