Alexa

I am disabled and often forget things probably due to the amount of Medication I have to take - I have just got mine and she is reminding me to take my meds at the right time as I never did! So finding that useful if nothing else and the speaker does make any music I play much nicer sounding than my computer does!

It's for the brain dead.
Paying for something to make a shopping list?
Oven reminders?
What about a pad and paper to write said list then you take it to the shops...or do you take Alexa with you to reel off the items and tell you which aisle to find them?
Oven clocks? Timers are integrated into most modern ovens, if not, they cost peanuts to buy from Amazon or Poundland.
As for being addressed as Lord and Lady...'nuff said.
BTW, I'm excluding people who have poor or no sight as I can see the value in having one in certain cases, however, one in every room (as some have said) is a joke.

We have the google one, i bought it for DH last Christmas.

We must have set reminders last year because this Boxing Day and the day after DH got some odd reminder alarms - which I am sure we all found funny last year when we set them - but we couldn't make head nor tail of them and it took a few before we realised these had been set last year!

It's good for shopping lists and oven reminders, random number generator (games). Also it will give you a morning greeting and we set it up so it calls us Sir and Your Ladyship - just cos you can.

We always intended getting the lightbulbs and things which automate the home but never did buy them.

Both DD's have one and have been driven mad by it whilst staying over Christmas. Hate it and think it completely pointless it's never happening in my house

Leggs55 I'm with you. I see these devices as just another way to invade us and make us lazier. No doubt in time our lives will be controlled by robots but just at the moment I'm not ready to add to my devices.

You can delete every conversation you've had with Alexa. All you have to do is go into settings, help/feedback on the Alexa app and it's all there. I do it from time to time, but what I ask is totally innocuous. I have no worries about "someone" listening in.

That sounds an excellent justification Jessity

Might I ask for some thought for disabled users?

My dearly loved husband of more than 50 years has little sight but tries his best to be independent.

Alexa arrives later this week. He will then be able to find out the latest footie result, the cricket score, the dollar/pound exchange rate, listen to this or that radio station, all without having to ask me or wait for me to come back home.

Yes the rest of us can do this ourselves, no I don’t yet have a clue what info it collects (but for sure I’ll be checking) but it will give my dearly loved husband back a little of his lost independence.

I don’t have one, but if I did I would ask her to bring me tea in bed every morning and nip out and tighten the mooring ropes when it’s blowing a hooley ?

Pinkshoes26 Tue 01-Jan-19 15:28:14
Aleza is timing my roast Lamb oven time for me right now
This actually makes no sense.

And the “whare ” and “unnsure “ are shockers!

barbiedoll Tue 01-Jan-19 16:44:18
I can't wait to get an Alexa for my birthday, we had so much fun on Xmas day with her. I couldn't care less who's listening to me I just wish I had a brain like the young ones to soak all this fantastic information that's around today. I love my iPad, for photos, keeping in touch with people. When I think of my Grandparents with this small snowy TV screen from years ago and the miserable life they lived what's not to love about today and the future

We and our parents’ and grndparents’ generation also had a thirst for knowledge and for learning and we knew things without constant recourse to Google or Alexa or whatever.
I reckon I put up a pretty good showing against University Challenge and in pub quizzes.
A small snowy TV screen didn’t mean a “miserable life” there is a bigger world out there - and you can’t live your life through Alexa!

Pinkshoes26
Alexa can't be any good.
You say that it's 'good for spelling'
How about unnsure and whare?
There are no words spelled in that manner.
I'd send it back. Probably made in China.
Aleza?
roast Lamb?

barbiedoll
They had a private life...you know...where the world and it's wife didn't know every time you missed a period or you had the latest tatt on your booty.

All I can say is 'Lazy blighters'.

I first had a computer in the early 80's and worked through the 'poor man's Internet' = Bulletin Boards in the days before any browser device and everything had to be programmed in. Wonderful! So IT fascinates me and I'd love to have Alexa.

My son has a computerised home so she's there and makes the shopping lists, turns heaters on and off (he can do this from anywhere) deals with security and cameras and all the other things which have been mentioned.

I'd probably just play Trivia!!

Try "Alexa, open Daily Stretch". It took me about 15 minutes to get this recognised. It was the word stretch which caused the problem.

I am not a "doom merchant" - far from it - and I am not against progress.

Please read what I read and then come back on here and persuade me to have one in our house.

"What price this new toy?" and I don't mean monetary!

If I have an Alexa I've never found her, nor have I looked for her, nor do I intend to look for her. I prefer to talk to real live people. Like a check-out with a person rather than self-service.

My Sister was given an Alexa last Christmas and we were all encouraged to ask a question.
Trying to baffle it, I asked 2 questions.
How long is a piece of string?
How many beans make 5 ?
Alexa had an answer for both !!!!!!

All sorts of things, recipes, the time, shopping lists, quizzes, calculations. She is a bit annoying when I ask her whs t's on television at a certain time. She will insist on telling me what on at the moment. I know I'm watching it.! Recipes are great though.

I can't wait to get an Alexa for my birthday, we had so much fun on Xmas day with her. I couldn't care less who's listening to me I just wish I had a brain like the young ones to soak all this fantastic information that's around today. I love my iPad, for photos, keeping in touch with people. When I think of my Grandparents with this small snowy TV screen from years ago and the miserable life they lived what's not to love about today and the future!

We have the google home instead and it’s pretty good with some crossword clues, but makes us jump when it talks back to the TV on odd occasions

Can put a sleep timer on!

There's a whole range of "sleep sounds" skills for the Echo. I have one called Beautiful Dream. It's a piece of calming music played on a loop. I match my breathing to the rhythm. It's very relaxing, and I can't put a sleep timer on so that it switched off when I want it to.

I love Alexa. Sometimes she pipes up when I call the dog's name because it is similar in sound. I have no worries about her being a spy at all. She is mainly a glorified timer in our house. The most brilliant thing is that my non-verbal autistic grandson is trying to tell her to play a song. He hasn't quite got it yet but at least he is being inspired to try!