Fucking Alexa

[Smitff]

Just want to smash her face in.

It's the reasonable and pleasant tone of voice. Makes me sounds like even more of a haranguing nag than I already am.

DH is making this a Big Deal.

I'm considering giving him an ultimatum. Alexa or me.

Fucking twatting gadgets. Sick of them all.

So far, ours has leapt to attention at all of the following phrases:

I'll ask her
The neck's a bit tight
Alex and I are meeting up in town
My legs are hurting...

I think we need elocution lessons in this house.

I don't use Alexa but I'm a big fan of Siri and IFTTT. I'm waiting until I find a decent integrated security system. At present my car, heating and some of my lighting can all 'talk' to each other.

I use Siri for everything and am not embarrassed to talk to it in public.

Alexa is like my mans mistress....he chats more to her than me.
She also doesn't seem to pick up anything I say so I'm dangerously close to smashing her to bits

DH and DD take great delight when Alexa falters, but I'm jolly pleased with my (Black Friday) Alexas!

I can't remember what skills I have added, but I use her a lot to set timers when prepping food (or to nag me onto the school-run), convert currency/temp/weights and give me weather forecasts. She is linked up to our Sonos and Amazon Prime account so she has been really good at coming up with music over the holiday. I could do all this with an iPad I suppose, but now I can just utter some commands.

She is less useful with our Hue lights (DH gave them names she can't hear properly...) but my doubting-Thomases love it when I fail to get her to do what we want.

Who?

I would be tempted if I could rhave name her to whatever I wanted to. I quite fancy one called "slave" or "minion"

I love Alexa too....She had a conversation with Rebecca from my crazy ex-girlfriend whilst I was watching it last night.

Oreo thank you, that made me laugh. Noooooooooo John Woo style.

I've clearly been living under a rock.

But we moved from a modern flat with wireless mood-changing lighting controlled by phone to a normal house with normal light switches, and I miss it. I miss being able to control the dimmer from my phone when e.g. sitting at the TV and realising the glare from the kitchen is too much. I think smart-home tech is the way to go. It's so useful being in bed at night and turning off all the lights in one go from your phone, instead of having to go round checking DH hasn't left the garage light on or something. I would really love smart-heating too. Especially when you're away for the weekend and you can program it to come on when you're an hour from home.

Once the kids get a bit older and we can justify doing stuff to the house I might see if DH can be persuaded to spend the money on it..

Mine is arriving today ... the Dot .. not sure what I'll do with it but will be someone to talk to when everyone out

I can see a lot - I mean a LOT - of applications of this kind of tech in the future, so I'm keen to get to know it a little. One area in particular is with older people or those with mobility issues- being able to control heating or lighting, or even to ask a system to dial someone in an emergency strikes me as really useful. I wanted to buy it for PIL for Christmas, but they sneered at it (unknowingly) in advance, so gave up on that idea.

Just reading updates from CES in Las Vegas and it appears my "Alexa, turn off house" will soon be able to launch the washing machine and get the place hoovered while I am out as well!

I don't see the point in them really, but have never got into toys for adults.
I'd be a bit ashamed and put off a man who was into this sort of stuff, sorry.

I love Alexa. The only house-y thing she does for me is the heating but I'm looking at getting smart bulbs too.

I love Alexa, fantastic bit of kit. I was sceptical at first, but now I have her I wouldn't be without her. Her voice is wonderfully soothing after a stressful shift. The fact she controls my lighting (and more when bank balance allows) is amazing.

NKFell well recommended by the Madcats; even DH has conceded that it is lovely to change the tone/feel of the room as with a few "ambient White" and white smart bulbs.

The light strips are nice, but just highlight how hopeless our plasterer was now the Christmas decorations are gone.

That's the other thing.

Whenever she gets even the tiniest of openings she jumps at the chance of advertising to me. I spend half my fecking life switching the adverts off on the telly/screening what the kids watch, only listening to non-advert radio stations, avoiding commercial news websites.

Now I've got this bloody thing in my house which asks me if I want to check such and such in Amazon.com when DD asks to listen to Uptown Funk for the billionth time.

NO I FUCKING DON'T AND GET OUT OF MY FUCKING FACE

^I don't see the point in them really, but have never got into toys for adults.
I'd be a bit ashamed and put off a man who was into this sort of stuff, sorry.^

It isn't a toy, it's a tool. I imagine people felt the same about cars v horse and cart once too.

Can she cope with accents?

I tried to get Siri to direct me to the Presbyterian Fellowship Hall and all I got was a lecture on my language. After about four attempts I resorted to screaming 'Fellowshipppp Siri, Fellowshippppp' while driving in totally the wrong direction. She has an unnecessarily dirty mind.

If Alexa is like that I'd be a frazzled wreck after a few hours.

oh, good god ! alexa sounds great but i don't think i want my brain to go to total mush from lack of use

We were given one for Christmas and I've quickly adjusted my opinion from 'pointless gimmick' to 'life changing gadget'. We have ours linked to Hive and our Amazon Prime account so am enjoying adjusting the heating and putting music on without needing to lift a finger. Can easily see us getting more for other rooms in the house and adding more functionality.

We've gotten one in the kitchen and it's great for listening to the radio/music and getting news and weather updates. I'm forever adding to my shopping list from it. Haven't got hive or smart bulbs but interested now. There's loads of skills you can add to it as well. I've set it up with my Fitbit and it gives you information from that too.

I've met Alexa at a relative's house. Quite amusing in a gimmicky sort of way.

For anyone who has one; ask her to "Close the pod bay doors".

I meant OPEN the pod bay doors.

Well, up to a couple of hours ago I would have said I thought Alexa was wonderful (we treated ourselves to one for Christmas), but since DH has just spent two hours sitting on his arse trying to get her to talk to the colour change lightbulbs he bought this morning while I've been rushing around like a blue-arsed fly (we've got people coming to stay for the weekend) I feel considerably less well disposed towards her...