My Christmas present to myself - an Amazon Echo. Pretty amazing little toy!

[NRaleighLiberal]

Anyone else finding it fun - or useful - or not so much of either?

Mostly using it for podcasts and music, with weather, news, information (Wikipedia) thrown in. But - hours and hours and hours of music. Shocking how good the sound is.

Love to just say "Play Hammock songs"...."play Moth radio hour"...."Play Pandora National radio station"....and....voila!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. My dear NRaleighLiberal!

I haven't heard much about this particular little toy, but it sounds wonderful! Literally as well as figuratively!

I've often wondered how it would be to have a sound track to my daily life...

It sounds as though you might just have one!

[NRaleighLiberal]

2. Hey Peggy! Music is keeping me sane (arguable, I know!) in these trying times...

as well as Zentangle and books and - well, you know from looking at my FB page!

Hope all is well with you - snowing and sleeting out there and I must go to bed - it's late!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. I'm heading there myself!

I am busy getting ready for my right knee replacement on the 17th. Doctors, labs, etc!

Otherwise I'm good.

Good night!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. I got one, too. Lots of fun!

Mostly I use it for music (the sound is surprisingly good) and weather reports, and sometimes I just ask it dumb questions. It's a fun gadget.

[NRaleighLiberal]

6. Ours is playing literally from wake up until movie time - then resume until I hit the sack.

Next up will be searching podcasts.

Right now - some snow falling - birds all over the feeders - George Winston playing - all good (well, except for our upcoming illegit "leader"...)

[pipi_k]

5. Because

Mr Pipi is a gadget freak, I got him one for Christmas, not even sure if he would like it.

Once he got into setting it up and using it, he loved it so much he went out and bought himself a second one for a different room.

Like you said, the sound quality is very good. When he plays music on it in the living room, it sounds like it's in stereo.


Highly recommended toy

[hack89]

7. I got the Dot and connect it to a Bose Bluetooth speaker

Great sound.

[crazycatlady]

8. If you have Amazon Prime

They have a streaming music service that has some pretty good (ad free) radio stations so I don't have to pay for Spotify/Pandora.

[sl8]

9. Be careful.

How much can police find out from a murderer’s Echo?
http://www.theverge.com/2017/1/6/14189384/amazon-echo-murder-evidence-surveillance-data

I believe the moral to be drawn here is either

1. If you're about to murder someone, make sure the Echo™ is turned off,

or,

B. If you're about to be murdered, make sure the Echo™ is turned on.

[area51]

10. I have an Amazon Tap.

I like the Flash briefing, and I listen to music. I like that it's easily portable, as opposed to the Echo.

[Behind the Aegis]

11. We have them throughout the house.

We have uploaded various skills. Some are fun games. We also have cookbooks, so I can get recipe ideas. I have one in the kitchen for music and conversions (10oz is how many cups?). We also have them tied into the lights in the house, so when we are going upstairs to retire for the evening, we just tell her, "Alexa, upstairs lights on!" and the lights in the master and office are turned on. Awesome!

You can also download sounds for sleeping, like rain, thunderstorms, and white noise. Oh, and have you tried some of the Easter eggs?

"Alexa, I am you father!

"Alexa, beam me up!"

"Alexa, do you know the Muffin Man?"

But, do be careful with what you say...