Alexa

In the bedroom??
There appears to be quite a lot of evidence that ‘she’ listens in.
I’d live in fear of getting a box of kyjelly delivered.!!!

I can't see that using Alexa is so very different from using a computer; it just seems more personal because it's voice-activated. I like the convenience - I was looking at holidays on my tablet yesterday and just said out loud, "Alexa, what's the flight time to Tblisi?" and got my answer immediately. I could have googled it, but Alexa was quicker and easier, and saved me losing the page I was looking at.

I have ordered a second Echo Dot (they're back down to half price again!) for the kitchen. I intend to replace my kitchen radio with it, as it will be much easier to use a voice command when I'm busy cooking, with messy hands. It will also future-proof my radio listening, as FM radio is due to be switched off in a year or two, and I don't have a digital radio. Then if there's nothing much on the radio I can ask Alexa to play music for me. It might also be handy if I want, say, to convert oven temperatures or ask how long it takes to cook something.

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A few days ago, our Alexa woke up with all the talk about Alex Salmon and Nicola Sturgeon. Her blue light circled, then she went back to sleep, saying nothing, sensible girl!!

I don't pay for any music I request to be played.

I cherish it-I don't utilize it to switch on the lights since I don't know what to do. I require someone to come here for a large portion of multi day and demonstrate to me how my keen TV and telephone function!

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

Quizqueen Totally agree with you.

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.

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

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

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 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.

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?

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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