To not see the point of Alexa?

[crunchymint]

All the TV adverts showing you what Alexa can do, don't show anything more than a laptop can do, with the exception of turning your lights off and on - and I can do that myself. I just don't see the point of spending money to but something that really doesn't do anything extra.

I think whenever anyone orders one of these devices Amazon should be compelled to include a copy of EM Forster's The Machine Stops in the package.

It’s really good for music as you can just say “play some hard rock” and it will give you a nice selection of songs and you may end up discovering cool new tunes.

However, the tinfoil hat wearer in me is anxious and hates it so I unplug it when I’m not listening to music. But I’m the person who will put post its on webcams and bury my phone under my pillow so “they” can’t film me.

Don't get one then. It's not rocket science.

I'm disabled and love mine.

You can change the wake word, it doesn't have to be Alexa

I cant see what I would use it for?
seems like a solution in need of a problem
so I dont have one

though I can see it would be great if for instance you had physical mobility issues, joint issues or hypermobility

I love ours. I use it for the lights, to play me the archers and audible books, a free WiFi phone, and to put the aircon machine or electric blanket on.

The kettle idea is genius.

I just used it to find my phone! Using IFTTT you just tell Alexa to find your phone and she rings it (even if the ringer is muted, in which case she turns it on).

How can it do things like turn your electric blanket on? Do you need a wi-fi enabled electric blanket? Same with lights?

We love ours and bought one for a recently widowed elderly aunt who is now living alone for the first time ever in her life. Aunty loves Alexa. Apart from being able to use her for listening to the radio, getting weather reports etc., she enjoys playing games with her. She told me recently that, although it sounded stupid, it was just lovely having a voice to say hello and goodbye to when coming in or out of her now empty house.

My DP keeps finding sex toys on his Amazon shopping list thanks to his DD’s friends, who apparently think it’s hilarious to ask Alexa to add dildos and handcuffs to his list. Well that’s his excuse anyway

Can’t be doing with it myself, if I need the lights turned on I just get up and flick a switch or if I want to know anything I use my phone, which is permanently in my hand!

Until I can say “Alexa make me a cup of tea and bring it to me with a piece of cake” I’m not having one. That’s what children are for surely.

I have one in my bedroom and one in the kitchen. At 5:30am this morning when I heard the DC padding downstairs hunting for IPads, I could tell them no screens at this time of the morning and to go back to their beds, without getting out of mine.

But I’m the person who will put post its on webcams and bury my phone under my pillow so “they” can’t film me.

WonderTweek

I love it for music, especially if I'm cooking. And I can play whatever I'm listening to on Audible. Tonight I asked it what's on at the cinema this weekend while I was loading the dishwasher. I've gotten used to it as a resource very quickly.

I can't imagine my household is high tech enough to link up.

DS2 asks Alexa to sing a song every time he passes so we hear that bloody "circuits confused" song most days.

crunchymint it's an ordinary electric blanket, lights etc. but they are plugged into special wifi plugs. I can tell it turn the electric blanket on if I'm in the house but if I'm out I just switch it on via my Alexa app on my mobile.

I might also have been known to switch the lamps on and off repeatedly from work when I know DP is in the living room...

We got one for MIL who is disabled and bedbound, and have a second in the sitting room so she can "drop in" on us. She can't use her hands anymore, so can't ring us if she needs anything, but now she can demand a cup of tea at any time of the day. She controls her bedroom light and the light outside her room with it. In time hopefully we will make it more linked into her environment, so she can open the curtains, adjust heating, and I think there is something you can get it to do with the telly which would be amazing (and she would love) but is very expensive.

We used the second one quite a lot when we first got it, mostly for silly things. I do like getting her to meow. Less so now the novelty has worn off, but I'd never have got one if it wasn't for MIL.

Lots of this technology should be amazing for those with disabilities, but as it hasn't been made with that in mind there are often fustrating limitations. We got MIL a tablet that she could voice control, and bought a bracket so it would be held up in front of her. She loved reading and misses it a lot, so this way she could read ebooks. Except because of copyright and other restrictions, as soon as you open the reader the voice control wouldn't work anymore and you have to tap the screens to pick a book or turn a page. Except she can't. Very annoying. She has Audible on Alexa now though, but it's not quite the same.