Echo dots

[DtPeabodysLoosePants]

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

Trying to get my head around smart plugs. If you have an electric blanket, presumably you need the dial thingy to be turned on all the time? But if the smart plug is off it's like it's being turned off at the wall but dial is on - is that safe?

I don't understand them either. Presumably I can turn my kettle on? But I can't think of anything else I would need on a plug. Lamps might be good for the evenings I suppose. How do smart bulbs work?

Is it just me, or is anyone else completely flummoxed by this thread?
I feel like I really want an echo thing now, on the back of everyone else's enthusiasm. But I'm trying to think what I'd use it for. I've got a radio in my kitchen, so I don't need it for that, and I've got a notepad and pen at the end of the worktop for my shopping list, so not that either. I'm happy enough just clicking the kettle on myself, and I'd be worried about doing it remotely in case there's no water in it.
Am I just too old fashioned?

I asked my Alexa to put Heart on the other day (the radio). She misheard me and started farting.

There are so many varieties of farting.

That's clearly what you need it for Jock

I've had mine a week, so far I LOVE telling it to change radio channels, I use it for shopping lists and the family can add to it as well and it goes straight to my phone. I use it to play Spotify and I use reminders and timers. Got mine for £20 and I'm beyond impressed considering I was very anti originally. It's so useful when I'll elbow deep in flour baking and I want to change channels or set timers.

I’m also interested in the bulbs and how they work. Presuming you need a smart plug and they only work in a lamp?

Anything you use with a smart plug will need to be left switched on, but until the smart plug comes on the item won’t work, and yes it’s perfectly safe.
The bulbs work much the same way, you leave them on and turn the bulb on and off in the app, or with Alexa. You can set scheduled times for them to work, connect them to motion sensors, and make routines to include them.

Just a warning, careful if you order anything from Amazon especially during these next few wks before Christmas. On the run up to Ds birthday Alexa’s was omitting a yellow light! I was flummoxed, until I sussed out that it was a message letting me not only know my order was on its way but what was on that order!
You need to go into the Alexa app to switch this off!

No you don’t need a plug and a bulb for a lamp, just one or the other, they’ll work the same way. They’ll also work in ceiling or wall lights.

So if I bought a smart bulb for ds room could I just use it in the ceiling light and then he can control it via Alexa?

Things to use smart plugs for:
Lamps
Fans
Electric blankets
Christmas lights
Kettles
Coffee makers
Slow cookers/electric cooking pots
Washer/dryers-set a schedule to start it running to take advantage of cheaper electric or to be ready at a certain time.
Lawn sprinklers
Phone chargers- put phone on charge when you go to bed and set it to turn off after so long.
Monitoring kids games console use-you can switch it off at the app and can see if the kids have unplugged it to bypass it as the plug will go off line. Some plugs will notify you if this has happened.

I’m starting to sound like a smart plug salesman here, but I bloody love mine.

sweetmarmalade

Yes

We have a townhouse and 3 Dots. Kitchen, living room and kids room. Our neighbours are delighted because the aren't hearing me scream "mini-Ps, BREAKFAST NOW" and other choice phrases up the stairs

Just thinking about the shopping list thing. So you tell Alexa for eg, "we need leeks, dog food and wine". How do you retrieve that information once you've arrived at the supermarket?

Through the app

The amazon smart plug is out of stock and so is the one linked to earlier.

Can anyone recommend one please? I want DD to be able to turn on her fairy lights with it! She already has a dot.

Any advice appreciated

ImTheCaddy I use Teckin smart plugs, I also have an extension lead I can control with Alexa but can’t remember the make (it’s behind the TV)

I use hive which need a hub, so no experience of these but they look ok. If you search amazon for Alexa enabled smart plug there’s loads, just check the description carefully to make sure you don’t need a hub.

www.amazon.co.uk/SIPAILING-Compatible-Required-Function-Control-Anywhere/dp/B07MFPWYBM/ref=sr_1_8?crid=14YH1RSGHTDOS&keywords=alexa+enabled+smart+plug&sprefix=Alexa+enabled+smart+%2Caps%2C147&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1574979229&sr=8-8

I have three echoes and three dots!
I use them for adding to my shopping list and my 'to do' list, alarms, timers, playing music when I'm cleaning, catching up with podcasts and sometimes reading books to me (they can play anything on your kindle list although the intonation isn't great).
You can also use it for weather and news updates.
The possibilities are almost endless and good fun if you're in the mood for asking daft questions - I play the Harry Potter quiz here and there...
Oh, and I can come home and turn on the lights in the sitting room or the study by telling Alexa to do it. I haven't gone to the expense of lightbulbs because I prefer lamps anyway.
I'm a big fan.

I use Alexa for a grand total of three things - music (off my Amazon Prime membership), kitchen timers and adding things to my Ocado order. DS (9) uses it for making fart noises - evidence attached!

We're getting DS one for Christmas. He likes listening to music and for £22 (and maybe less if I'd been patient!) I think it'll be worth it for that alone.

I’m hoping someone can help, and I’m good with technology and this has me stumped.

At the moment I have a Google Home Mini, and I use it mainly to listen to the radio before getting ready for work - and I have an iPhone with Apple Music so I use Bluetooth to play music through the Google Home.

However, I’ve just ordered an amazon Echo Show 8, seeing as though it’s reduced. Will that have connectivity via Apple Music to just ask the Show to play a particular song or will I need to use Bluetooth again? And can I program it so that it wakes me up at a certain time by reading the traffic to work/weather and then playing TalkSport for example?

I’m always amazed when these threads come up and I realise what amazing things these things can do!

Just thinking about the shopping list thing. So you tell Alexa for eg, "we need leeks, dog food and wine". How do you retrieve that information once you've arrived at the supermarket?

You have an app on your phone and it lists the things you've added under 'lists.'

It's magic

Can anyone please enlighten me on the dot's phone calling capability? From the website it seems as if you can use it to call. UK landlines and mobiles. Is that the case? Does it use any special technology? Do you program the phone numbers into it somehow (via the app?), then say 'Alexa, phone Bob' - and when Bob answers his phone you then just talk into it as if it's a phone handset?

Does it work with Apple Music does anyone know?

Apple Music, yes definitely, you need to add your account then say Alexa play xyz on Apple Music (for amazon music it’s just play xyz.

For calls it uses WiFi calling and the contacts in your phone, you can ring most landlines and mobiles. No special equipment needed.

This is great Facebook group for picking up tips for Alexa.

m.facebook.com/groups/1053782874718908?group_view_referrer=profile_browser