Echo dots

[DtPeabodysLoosePants]

What do they do? Do I need I one? Will it add to my life in any way?

They play music. I got an Echo just to play music and it’s fab. The sound on the Dot is pretty good though, too.

I'm completely clueless here-where does the music come from? Is it downloaded? Do you have to have a subscription to something? Do you just ask it to play Taylor Swift for example and it does?

You need a subscription for music. We use Spotify (have a family subscription so the dc can use it too) then you can say "play Taylor swift" and it does.

I use mine a lot to set timers when I'm cooking, to tell me the weather forecast and to keep my shopping list. There's lots more you can do with them.

I have amazon prime if that's any good with it? I usually play music through my phone or the old fashioned way with CD

You get a certain amount of music with Prime (2 million songs included I think it says), but have to upgrade another £3.99 a month the access the full 50 million songs. I haven’t come across too many that aren’t included yet (Led Zeppelin sadly seems to be left out though). I’m seeing how it goes for a month or so and might investigate a Spotify subscription for the whole family, which is also compatible.
BBC Sounds should be a ‘skill’ included but so far Alexa hasn’t been able to play me any downloads from there even after opening BBC Sounds. Not investigated that fully yet, though.

But yes, you say “Alexa, play Taylor Swift” and that will get you available TS songs shuffled and played one often the other. You can also request specific songs.
I do have mine plugged in all the time but if I did the Shopping List would be handy. Just ask to add items and it will either read them back to you or you can view them on the app.

*don’t have

We play games , ask questions, Ds is having a colour change lightbulb for Christmas Alexa can operate , we have 2 so can wake him up without going in his room 😃.

We use it for timers and alarms too

Can you live without one of course but I like having her.

I have two dots, and want at least two more. As well as playing subscription music you can listen to the radio, ask it pretty much anything that can be looked up on t’interweb, control smart devices, and my favourite, set up routines.

I’ve got “bedtime” which closes the bedroom blinds, and switches on the upstairs lights, “goodnight” which turns of everything “good morning” switches on the bedroom light at 5%, reads the weather, puts on capital radio and switches the kettle on.

Bloody love my alexas.

If you have prime you have just missed an offer to buy a dot for 99p when you subscribe to the music but you can cancel after a month. The offer may come up again on Black Friday so i’d Hold off till then and see what offers are around.

I got it after never wanting one and I am quite happy with it, I have no idea how to set it up to open curtains or what equipment would be needed for that, happily just plodding along.

Very daft question, do you need an Alexa to use a dot? If not, which is best, more versatile etc, an Alexa or a Dot? Thanks.

@Marigold101 I just have a dot and it works fine on its own :)

So what is the mechanical element that makes the curtains close? There must be some kind of motor? and similarly with turning on the kettle etc? I just don’t get it (but bought a £5 recently - still in the Box

A dot is an Alexa. Alexa is the software that runs on it. If you mean an echo, the big one then no you don't need one. We just have 2 dots and they're brilliant.

User10192 thank you, I think I'll give one a whirl!

For the blinds, we have this attached to our ordinary roller blind, but you can buy smart blinds. W3 use a smart plug to put the kettle on, but again, you can buy smart kettles..

www.amazon.co.uk/Brunt-Blind-Engine-Automation-Compatible/dp/B0797W31BQ/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2V505RZ6EMVLB&keywords=smart+blind+engine&sprefix=Smart+blind+engine%2Caps%2C168&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1573405689&sr=8-3

We use ours for playing games, music, sleep sounds, timers, alarms, reminders and telling DS to stop shouting at his Xbox

Thanks @Aposterhasnoname. £109 though we’ve got 6 blinds in our sitting room. Might have to stick with making DS do them

QVC had these as a Today's Special Value last week. They were £28 each (I think they're usually about £40?), but they came with a free smart plug (which are £24 on Amazon) so you can programme it to turn the kettle on while you're in the living room, say. And they were on 3 easy payments! I ordered two for the living room so we can play stereo music and one for DD for Christmas. I'm going to have one plug in the kitchen (see: kettle) and another on an extension lead in the living room so I can plug the lamps/TV etc into it, and when it's bedtime I can just tell Alexa to 'turn off living room'. No more scrabbling behind the TV unit half asleep because I've fixed off on the sofa.

I'm ridiculously excited!

If you have two you can talk to each other, even with the app you can talk to them or send messages to all ie 'tea is ready'

I wondered what the plugs were for. And there's an app? So I could give instructions from the bus home to put the kettle on?

Yes totally. It would have to be filled and switched on but until the smart plug switches on it won't start boiling it. So you could switch it on when the bus nears your stop! They're great.

To be fair you don’t need to go though Alexa to make a smart plug boil your kettle, but it’s great to be able to voice control them. If you’re buying a plug do your research. Some need hubs to work, and if you’re the type who’ll buy one, love it, then go out out and kit up the whole house with smart devices (like me) then it’s worth investing in a hub. That said, this ones decent, no hub needed, and cheap enough that you can buy it to try it, and go down the hub route later if you want.

www.amazon.co.uk/Compatible-GOGOLO-Controlled-Required-Anywhere/dp/B07842Z6ZP/ref=asc_df_B07842Z6ZP/?hvlocphy=9046330&hvlocphy=9046330&linkCode=df0&hvptwo&hvptwo&psc=1&hvnetw=g&hvnetw=g&hvadid=375456255828&hvadid=375456255828&hvpone&hvpone&hvlocint&hvlocint&ref&hvpos=1o4&hvpos=1o4&hvdev=c&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl&hvdvcmdl&hvqmt&hvqmt&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&hvtargid=pla-820835307261&hvtargid=pla-820835307261&hvrand=49474686382006471&hvrand=49474686382006471&adgrpid=77211061152

We have Sonos speakers in each room, and Alexa is connected to them. So I can say "Alexa, play baby shark in the nursery" or "play Celine Dion in the bathroom"... I love a bit of easy listening while in the bath

We got DH a dot for Xmas last year as an experiment and totally love it.
We now have them in every room in the house and use them as intercoms - our house is quite big so this is brilliant saves me yelling.

Also use it to listen to music and audio books, set timers and reminders, shopping lists etc. It now connects with Sainsbury's so add can add things straight into my basket.

I'm also going to set up a list for each shelf of my new freezer so I can add/take away what is in each easily.

I LOVE being able to turn on and off lamps via the smart plugs, and DD has her electric blanket on one, so she can turn it on remotely.

You can also set plugs to come on and off at certain times, so great for home security.