Alexa

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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!

... so in effect I am 'brain dead', thanks for that GabriellaG54

MadeInYorkshire
I think you took my post too literally.
I couldn't write a list of exclusions as everyone would have a reason to have one. Obviously, disabilities do not always impair functions such as writing lists or switching ovens off.
I'd be here forever listing acronyms and dozens of other reasons put forward by posters as reasons to have Alexa or similar devices.
I was referring to able people who have no noticeable cognitive impairment through meds or dementia et al.
It's only my opinion.
I hope that clarifies the matter.
Pc has gone mad as you can't say anything nowadays without someone jumping on you.

I am still debating about keeping my Kindle Fire. Alexa, for me, seems an unnecessary gimmick I can live without.

I can see that for some people, it can be of help.

Maddeinyorkshire if you read down (up?) the thread you will see that the use of an Alexa for the visually impaired, disabled, even those with dementia is not under fire (no pun intended)
But while GabriellaG picks herself up off the floor at my agreeing with her, let’s face it, for the majority these devices are IT “toys” . Fine if that is what we all want, but rather like the way in which over dependence on Satnavs is resulting in the younger generation never learning to read maps, and digital clocks meaning that many children today cannot tell the time from “normal” clock faces, I do feel that over dependence on an Alexa to compile shopping lists is verging on mental laziness!

After reading these messages, I have ordered a 3rd generation Echo dot - Alexa.
I hope I have done the right thing. I just want something to send me to sleep. I was still awake at 4am this morning and this is now becoming a pattern. The GP has given me some sleeping tablets and they work a dream but she warned me not take them regularly or I will become addicted to them. She didn't warn me about becoming addicted to Alexa - so here goes.

It's for the brain dead.

Put in GG's inimitable style! I'd say it was more for the body dead!
I've just brought one for my Mum who can hardly get out of bed. It means that she can switch the tv right off from a distance, turn out her lights, listen to her music, talk to me without it costing, etc. She finds other things difficult with her arthritic hands so voice control is just ideal.

I can't hear the oven timer from the lounge (or Alexa from the kitchen) and I often sit down between bouts of cooking, get too involved in Gransnet and burn the food. King Alf has nothing on me and I don't even fall asleep.

if you read down (up?) the thread you will see that the use of an Alexa for the visually impaired, disabled, even those with dementia is not under fire (no pun intended)

Come on icanhandthemback - it’s always easier to take exception to an outrageous remark than read the rest isn’t it?

I haven't taken exception at all, MawBroon. Even if GG had meant it against the entire world, she is entitled to her opinion. Her inimitable style is to say it as it is, (or how she thinks it is) and that was all I meant. I was smiling as I wrote it, not frowning. Perhaps I should have used some emoji's to show frame of mind.

Shopping lists can be left forgotten at home, the list goes from Google directly/automatically on to my phone which I always remember to bring with me.

We have it address as a Sir and Her Ladyship because it amuses us not because we are, it's tongue in cheek.

I am not brain dead, I generally teach myself something new every year

I spent Xmas day at my daughters and SiL had installed Alexi onto his tablet. There are three teenagers there, plus a younger child. They drove us adults totally insane during dinner with virtually verbally fighting with each other to give Alexi instructions for music to play. Even worse is that the name of one of the children is not Alexi, but similar and that also caused more confusion. When we finished dinner, my SiL took back his tablet and deleted the Alexi ap

I have had such a laugh reading all these Posts. Gransnet far out beats mumsnet!!???

Well, I've just bought an Alexa and am having fun with it. I am widowed, and although I know it's not really "company", it's more interactive than the radio, and I can't see the harm in it. Alexa has so far wished me happy birthday, given me the news headlines, and told me what time sunrise is tomorrow, and what temperature it is outside. I've set it up to access my music streaming system and can just ask it to play what I want. I'm looking forward to experimenting with it further tomorrow.

Oh, and I do have real friends too, who took me out for a lovely birthday lunch! I'd have felt a bit silly sitting in the pub talking to Alexa.

Quizqueen Totally agree with you.

I got an echo dot as I was looking for a new radio to put beside my bed and this was cheaper. I’m impressed by the sound quality and I like to be able to play music and ask about the traffic or weather etc. Yes I could do this in other ways, but for a small gadget costing about £40 I’m impressed.

They're under £30 at the moment. I'm seriously considering getting an extra one for the bedroom. My bedside radio is not digital, so this would be a way of future-proofing my radio habits.

My family bought me an Echo Spot for Christmas. It's the small round one with a screen. I have it set up in my bedroom, with a clock face of my choosing from the ones on offer. It makes a rather superior clock radio alarm. I like that fact that the display dims when the light goes off. It is unobtrusive, but readable if I wake in the night.

Aaargh, I'm too late! They're up to full price again today, £50. Still worth considering, but no rush.

I just received my new tablet and Alexa...looking forward to using them...are they or she complicated to setup... My Kindle tablet died about a month ago and I had a new HP ...never been used so I got it out and have been using it and I absolutely hate..hope to have time one day next week to get Alexa going

I am new but think of Alexa as a good thing in a way....it should help our young children on up too teen years and young adults...at least they will learn to speak again...now you have to admit our young people are not going to be able to have a conversation... Anyway