It the new kid on the block, its bigger and brasher than the echoes that have come before. The Echo Show 15* boasts a Full HD 15.6″ smart display and a 5MP camera.
Echo Show 15
The Echo Show 15 can be viewed either horizontally or vertically. It can be wall mounted or alternatively it can be displayed on a optional stand.
Do all the tasks that you would ask a standard Echo Show to do but do it bigger. Stream those films, TV shows and more but bigger. Display your photos, but do it bigger and with a HD screen you will get great pictures. You can even pair your Echo Show 15* with other Echo devices to give fuller sound.
One of the neat features is that you can assign IDs to different members of the family. Your Echo Show 15* will identify either through visual or voice ID to display their schedules, reminders and bring up the music that they were previously listening to and much more.
Due to the screen size as you can see above it is possible for the Echo Show 15 to display a number of pieces of information and entertainment at one time. Should you decide to mount you Echo Show 15* on the wall, Amazon provide everything that you will need except the drill, but then you could order that with the aid of Alexa.
Any links with an * by them are affiliated, which means get a product via this link and a contribution may be made to us.
Many of you will have either received or bought yourself an Echo or similar device over the holiday period. You will now want to add “Smart” features to your home. For those of you a bit more adventurous and know a thing or so about electrics you might like to consider a Kasa Smart Dimmer Switch* or three. Kasa do a range of Alexa* enabled light switches but we are looking at the dimmer switch variant today.
The Kasa dimmer light switch allows you to create the perfect lighting mood with either a simple voice command, tap of an app or click of a switch. The switch can be controlled by the Alexa app*, an Alexa controlled device, Google home device or the Kasa app.
With the “Gentle Off” mode you can gently fade the lights in the children’s bedroom as they drift off or to give yourself time to leave a room whilst you fill your arms up with all you have to carry without tripping over in the dark.
Brightness can be altered to suit the mode you want to create, whether you want the light to shine on everything or you just need enough to create a cinema experience, you can alter the brightness to meet your needs.
With schedules you can set your smart dimmer switch to automatically turn on and off while you’re home or away.
Installation is very straight forward, but if you need to call in a qualified electrician. What you do need to know is that Kasa Dimmer Switch* does require a neutral wire, most home built after 1978 should be wired with neutral wires.
Any links with an * by them are affiliated, which means get a product via this link and a contribution may be made to us.
Home theater audio with Dolby Atmos – Feel scenes come to life with support for immersive Dolby Atmos audio on select titles with compatible home audio systems.
With a Fire TV Stick* you can stream more than 1 million movies and TV episodes from Netflix, Prime Video*, Disney+, Peacock, and more, plus listen to millions of songs. Subscription fees may apply for some of the services. However there is plenty of live and free TV from services such as Pluto TV, SLING TV and YouTube.
Setting up the Fire TV Stick* is relatively easy and all your favorite apps can be found on the screen so you are never far away from the action. The Fire TV Stick* fits into one of your HDMI inputs and therefore is generally hidden out of sight. Connect to the internet and away you go.
Your Fire TV Stick Remote comes with Alexa Voice Control so that you can search and launch content with your voice. Get to Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu and Disney+ quickly with preset buttons.
Alexa* will also allow you to control your smart home – Ask Alexa to check weather, dim the lights, view live camera feeds, stream music and more.
Any links with an * by them are affiliated, which means get a product via this link and a contribution may be made to us.
Most of us are familiar with Google or Apple Photos. But how many of us are familiar with Amazon Photos*. Prime* members get unlimited photo storage and 5 GB for video storage. Non-Prime members, get 5 GB combined photo and video storage for free. If you require more storage there are plans that start at $1.99 per month ($19.99 per year) for 100 GB up to $179.97 per year for 3TB. For those you who are not Amazon Prime members, once you are storing up over 100GB then to be honest you would probably be better off taking up a Prime Membership. Through your Amazon Photos* you can use your favorite photos as a screensaver on your Echo* or Fire* device. In addition you can ask Alexa to display your photos at any time.
“Alexa, show me the baby’s room” will display your smart camera image from the baby’s room. Connecting your smart devices is relatively straight forward, open the Alexa* app, select new device, search for the brand and model and hey presto you are sorted. So you can control your lights, blinds, echo devices, fire devices and even an ever increasing range of home appliances, including kettles, fans, coffee machines, fans, microwaves and vacuum robots.
“Alexa. play the news” sound like a very straightforward instruction, but would you like to control where your news was coming from. On the Alexa app go the the settings and select “Flash Briefing”, then select the toggle next to each News Service that you want to add to your Flash Briefing. You can change the order by selecting “edit”.
Any links with an * by them are affiliated, which means get a product via this link and a contribution may be made to us.
Amazon Astro* is now available by invitation. Click on this link* to see whether you are eligible. Astro* is only available in the 50 US States.
Astro* is a household robot with Alexa capability that will help you around your home. It uses advanced navigation technology to find its way around your home and where you need it to go. When not using Astro* it will find somewhere convenient to hang out for when you do. It will even go to its charger when its battery needs topping up.
You can send Astro* to remotely check on rooms, people and things. It will alert you if it detects an unrecognised person or hears certain sounds like breaking glass or alarms whilst you are away. With the Astro app, you can see a live view of your home and check in on specific rooms, people, or things. On the Astro app simply tap where you want Astro* to go, then raise or lower the periscope for a better look. You can even sound a siren if you see something suspicious.
Amazon Astro
With your Astro purchase you will get a 6 month free trial subscription to Ring Protect Pro* and you can save Astro’s patrol videos for up to 60 days. Subscribing will allow Astro to conduct autonomous patrols whilst you are away from home. Add on Alexa Guard Plus* and Astro* will bark when motion is detected outside the house and sound a siren when someone is detected inside the house.
Coming soon you will be able to subscribe to an Alexa Together* subscription. This will allow you to remotely care for aging loved ones, giving you peace of mind while helping them live independently. Set up reminders, manage shopping lists, receive activity alerts, and more.
Having Astro* around is like having a mobile Alexa. Astro* can follow your around providing you with entertainment, deliver messages and much more.
In terms of privacy settings, you can turn off the mics, cameras and motion with one press of a button and even set out of bounds zones to let Astro know where it is and is not allowed to go.
However Astro* has an achilles heal, it cannot go up or down the stairs. Otherwise Astro is great to have around especially if you live on your own for most or all of the time.
Any links with an * by them are affiliated, which means get a product via this link and a contribution may be made to us.
There are an increasing number of devices coming onto the market that are Alexa*enabled. TVs, coffee makers and headphones. Having owned a pair of Bose noise cancelling headphones for many years now, I though it was about time to start looking around at a replacement. I have always been impressed with the noise cancelling capability and so the ability to set two levels of noise cancellation to match the environment I am in is very attractive.
These Bose Quiet Comfort 35 Headphones* can access Alexa* by pressing an action button allowing you voice access to music, information and more. The ability to access my Amazon music* collection so easily is a real bonus.
The headphones can give you up to 20 hours of listening, that could be around 400 pop songs! When it does run out of charge then a 15 minute charge will give another 2.5 hours. The headphones* do come with a cable so that if for some reason you have no power you can keep listening.
Bose QuietComfort 35 II Wireless Bluetooth Headphones – Copyright Amazon.
A nice little touch is that you can connect two wireless Bose headphones, two of you can listen to the same thing at the same time.
The Bose Connect app gives you easy access to everything your product has to offer. Get tips and personalize your settings, so you can spend more time enjoying the music instead of setting it up.
Any links with an * by them are affiliated, which means get a product via this link and a contribution may be made to us.
The traditional router has limited coverage, it becomes more patchy the further away from the source of the signal. Extenders can idea the range but will signal will degrade. This is where Google Nest Wifi comes into its own. Nest Wifi gives both whole-home coverage and a consistently strong signal. What is more the system is scalable so that you can add addition units to your home. Each Nest Wifi point is also a smart speaker with the Google Assistant. Google state that One Nest Wifi router* with one Wifi point is strong enough to handle up to 200 connected devices and fast enough to stream multiple 4K videos at a time.
Google Nest Router and Point – Copyright Google
The essential part of each set-up is a router that is connected to your modem. This point will serve an area of up to 2200 sq feet. You can then add points around your home, two points added to your system will cover 6600 sq feet. The Nest Wifi point* has a speaker with the Google Assistant, so you can play music, manage your Wi‑Fi network, find answers, control your connected devices and more using your voice.
Any links with an * by them are affiliated, which means get a product via this link and a contribution may be made to us.
One of the beauties of Alexa is that you can ask her anything. She may not always have the answer, but you can always ask her the question. I have been using youtube videos to improve my repotoire of meals. However I was getting stuck on what to type in the search box and sometimes when I did I would be overwhelmed with suggestions that I didn’t know where to start, so I decided to ask Alexa.
You can try this for yourself, here are a few to try “Alexa, give me a pasta recipe”, “Alexa, give me a chicken recipe” and “Alexa, give me an easy dinner recipe”. This command will give you a recipe suggestion. These now give me good starting point for searching on youtube and from time to time I will use Alexa’s suggestions if I have the ingredients. The end result is that I am eating a wider variety of home cooked dishes.
Ask Alexa for a Vegetable Recipe.
I haven’t been able to quite work it out, but my Uncle is either going deaf or he just pay attention when I talk to him. He is constantly asking me to repeat what I have said more slowly. The problem is at the moment there isn’t a command to get Alexa to repeat herself (yet I can on my Sat Nav). The most straightforward way is to repeat the question. However as I discovered when listening to audio books, I can change the speed at which the book is played. I subsequently discovered that you can ask Alexa to speak more slowly.
Just try the command “Alexa, speak slower”. In fact Alexa has “7” speaking rates, the default, 4 faster ones and two slower ones. You can obtain them by using the following three phrases: “Alexa, speak slower”, “Alexa, speak faster” and “Alexa, speak at your default rate”.
Any links with an * by them are affiliated, which means get a product via this link and a contribution may be made to us.
Let me start off by saying that this item requires an Echo* device to function as a Smart Microwave. Once connected you can ask Alexa* via your Echo* device to defrost your vegetables, make popcorn, cook potatoes and reheat meals, via voice control features and quick-cook voice presets.
Just say, “Alexa, reheat one cup of coffee,” and Alexa* will start reheating with the appropriate power and time settings. Quick-cook presets mean there’s no need to guess cook times or heat levels when you’re defrosting vegetables or microwaving a potato. According to Amazon, Alexa* is always getting smarter and additing new presets to enhance your microwaving experience.
The microwave itself is a compact size and takes up just over 17 inches of your counter space. The turntable is 10 inches diameter and will take a maximum popcorn bag size of 3 oz. In fact sign up to automatically reorder popcorn and save 10% on popcorn orders. Choose from select popcorn brands in the Alexa app. When you make popcorn using your voice or the Popcorn button, AmazonBasics Microwave* will reorder when you run low.
You can of course use the AmazonBasics Microwave* manually, it has 10 power levels, a kitchen timer, a child lock, and a turntable so you can cook all kinds of food as you would do in a regular microwave oven. This product has relatively good reviews across the board by users on Amazon. The main criticism is the size. As long as you remember that you are buying a compact microwave you shouldn’t be disappointed by its size and that the title AmazonBasics* should not disappoint you in terms of features.
Incidently you might be interested to know that a braille keypad overlay is available for the oven at less than a dollar at the time of writing. A great help for those who have visually impaired members of their household.
Any links with an * by them are affiliated, which means get a product via this link and a contribution may be made to us.
We briefly mentioned the Blink Mini Camera* on our piece about Black Friday deals at Amazon. The Blink Mini Camera is a1080P HD indoor, plug-in security camera with motion detection and two way audio that lets you monitor the inside of your home day and night. You will recieve alerts on your smartphone whenever motion is detected or if you have a number of cameras you can customize motion detection zones so you can see what matters most.
See, hear, and speak to people and pets in your home on your smartphone with Blink Mini’s live view and two-way audio features (live view is not continuous).
Store events conveniently and securely in the cloud with a 30-day free trial of the Blink Subscription Plan or locally with the Sync Module 2 and a USB flash drive (USB sold separately).
The Blink Mini Camera is easy to set up, it takes just a few minutes. Plug it in, connect to the wi-fi and add it to your Blink app.Sets up in minutes – just plug in the camera, connect it to wifi, and add it to your Blink app.
For additional ease of use, pair Blink Mini with a supported Alexa-enabled device to engage live view, and arm and disarm your camera, and more using just your voice.
Any links with an * by them are affiliated, which means get a product via this link and a contribution may be made to us.
Looking for a tabket designed specifically for kids ages 6+ that includes 1 year of Amazon Kids+, parental controls, a slim case, and a 2-year worry-free guarantee, versus items purchased separately at a bargain basement price that Amazon have put together, then click here*.
Fire 7 Pro Tablet
School-age kids will enjoy a 1-year subscription to Amazon Kids+ that unlocks over 20,000 apps, games, books, videos, songs, and Audible books. They’ll find educational content from National Geographic, Rabbids Coding, LEGO, and others, plus more than 9,000 titles for kids ages 6 and up. After 1 year, your subscription will automatically renew every month starting at just $2.99 per month plus applicable tax. unless cancelled.
In addition to Kids+ content, Kids Pro* tablets include access to a digital store. Kids can request apps, but as a prent you have to purchases and downloads.
The web browser comes with built-in controls designed to help filter out inappropriate sites and let parents add or block specific websites at any time.
The Fire 7 Pro comes with a 2-year guarantee. If it breaks, return it and Amazon will replace it for free. Looking for a larger screen and HD display then click try out the Fire HD 8 Kids Pro tablet*.
Any links with an * by them are affiliated, which means get a product via this link and a contribution may be made to us.
Most of the devices we look at here on 800pods.com are ones that you can set up yourself. The Google Nest Learning Thermostat* is one of those exceptions. Google suggest that it should be installed by a professional. However if you are competent then you should be able to install it, in under half an hour. It is now 10 years since Google released their first thermostat and there have been improvments in the performance of these pieces of kit.
Google Nest Learning Thermostat.
The device itself looks great and is available in chrome, copper, white or black. Not quite a color for everyone, but certainly one for each season of the year.
You can check whether the Nest Learning Thermostat is compatible with your existing unit by clicking here.
The Nest Learning Thermostat automatically adapts as your life changes. Just use it for a week and it programs itself. If you turn your heating up or down on a certain day and at a certain time, then you the Learning Thermostat will learn and remember your preferences. Using sensors and your phone’s location is will determine when your home is empty and turn down the heating to save you money.
You can now control your hot water tank with the Nest Learning Thermostat. It comes with a hot water schedule but you can adjust this from the Nest app. Also you can get switch on to add extra hot water anytime you want to. When you’re away from home for a few days, you don’t have to remember to turn off the hot water. The Nest Learning Thermostat will do it for you.
You can see how much energy you are using and when so that you can take steps to adjust your energy usage and save yourself money. So although the Google Nest Learning Thermostat is not cheap to install it will save you money in the long run.
For those of you that like all things Alexa, this unit is Alexa compatible,
Any links with an * by them are affiliated, which means get a product via this link and a contribution may be made to us.
With the UEFA Euros taking place in Europe and the Cupa American taking place in South America at this time, you might want to ask Alexa*; “Alexa, open Fanzone Soccer Quiz” or if you want to just focus on the Euros ask “Alexa, quiz me on the EUROs”.
Soocer Quiz.
Growing up in my early years being ambidextrous, I am always facinated by facts about the differences between those people who are right or left-handed dominant. Maybe you might like to check these out “Alexa, tell me a left handed fact”. We recently went bowling with some friends who were admanant their son was right-handed until he picked up the ball! I asked to him to hop and he hopped on his left leg”.
If you like corny or should I say coffee jokes, there Alexa has a long list of coffee jokes for you to entertain your work colleagues and the children. Check them out by asking “Alexa, tell me a joke about coffee”.
A man when the to the pet store to buy 12 bees, the store keeper counted them out, 1 bee, 2 bees, 3 bees…. 12 bees and then 13 bees. The man said I only asked for 12 bees. The last one is a “freebee”.
Thats about the standard of the coffee jokes from Alexa.
Remember than every month there are free books from Audible* available from Alexa, just ask “Alexa, what’s free from Audible?”.
Remember you can keep up to date with Alexa’s new features by asking “Alexa, what new features do you have?”
Any links with an * by them are affiliated, which means get a product via this link and a contribution may be made to us.
2021 sees a new updated version of Amazon’s Fire 10 Tablet*. It comes is 4 flavors: black, denim, lavender and olive.
Amazon Fire 10 (2021 Release)
With a powerful octa-core processor and 3 GB RAM it is more responsive than the previous model and the screen is said to be 10% brighter than before. The battery will give you up to 12 hours of power and the Fire 10 can be ordered with 32 or 64 GB internal storage. If you want more storage you can fit your own microSD card and have up to 1TB more storage.
You can enjoy your favorite apps like Netflix, Facebook, Hulu, Instagram, TikTok, and more through Amazon’s Appstore, unfortunately Google Play not supported (normal subscriptions apply.
The Fire comes with Alexa so you can control a number of functions on your Fire with voice commands including making video calls to friends and family.
The neat thing about the Fire tablets is the ability now to use Microsoft Office, OneNote, and Dropbox and well as check email, make shopping lists and set reminders.
A new feature of the Fire OS is the ability to show two compatible apps side by side so that you have some easy multitasking function.
Amazon sell what they call a productivity version* of the Fire 10 that comes with a specially designed Amazon keyboard and a years subscription to Office 365. Worth checking it out if you are looking to be more productive work-wise.
Any links with an * by them are affiliated, which means get a product via this link and a contribution may be made to us.
Ironically the advent of smart speakers has led to an increase in the demand for “Hi-Fi” systems as consumers have sought out better quality sound. Amazon have responded by gradually improved the quality of their speakers and a couple of extra items, the Echo Link and the Echo Link Amp which is designed to power any standard pair of passive speakers. Today we will focus on teh Echo Link.
The Echo Link has no speak of its own and therefore needs to be connected to an Echo devices or controled by the Alexa app. Connect your Echo device and the Link in one ‘group’, then when you say “Alexa, play Johnny Cash”, then music will automatically begin playing from the stereo speakers connected.
You can connect yourEcho Link to your stereo and group with other supported Echo devices to play music throughout your home. Multiple digital and analog inputs and outputs provide compatibility with your existing stereo equipment.
Any links with an * by them are affiliated, which means get a product via this link and a contribution may be made to us.
The all new Echo Show 5* for 2021 is the perfect bedside companion. You can see your day clearly with Alexa* at the ready. You can set alarms and times etc and have visual reminders as well as verbal ones. You can ease into your day with a routine that turns your lights or gradually, whilst you wake to the news, your favorite music or the weather forecast for the day.
Amazon Echo Show 5 2021
The 5″ screen allows you to play TV shows and movies via Prime Video* and Netflix. Display your photos as well make video calls to your family and friends with a compatible Alexa* device. Of course you can stream your music from Amazon Music*, Apple Music, Spotify, and others.
From your bedside or wherever you place your Echo Show 5* control you smart home devices. You can even look in when you are away with the built-in camera.
Worried about your privacy, its nice to know there’s an off button for the mic / camera and even a built-in camera shutter.
Any links with an * by them are affiliated, which means get a product via this link and a contribution may be made to us.
Amazon claim that this is their more popular smart speak and it is easy to see why. The updated 4th generation Echo Dot Kids edition comes in Panda form or Tiger form.
The Echo Dot will help kids learn and grow – as they can ask Alexa questions, set alarms, and get help with their homework. It is possible to unlock a world of kid-friendly content. The price includes a year of Amazon Kids+ gives them access to thousands of hours of kid-friendly Audible books, interactive games, and educational skills. After 1 year, your subscription will automatically renew every month starting at just $2.99/month plus applicable tax. You may cancel any time by visiting the Amazon Parent Dashboard or contacting Customer Service.
Amazon Echo Dot – Kids Edition
There are easy-to-use parental controls, where you can set daily time limits, filter explicit songs, and review activity in the Amazon Parent Dashboard. Kids can ask Alexa to play music, read stories, and call approved friends and family.
This kids edition comes with a 2-year worry-free guarantee – which in Amazon’s case means that if it breaks, you return it and Amazon will replace it for free.
If you are a regular reader of the posts on this site, then you know that one of the main uses our Alexa devices get used for are timers. A useful feature to know how long is left on your timer. “Alexa, how long’s left on my timer?” will solve that one for you.
Searching around on the internet the other day we also discovered that you can ask Alexa to “remind me” instead of “set a timer.” With Reminders, you can ask Alexa to alert you to anything of your choosing – even if it’s at a later date. For example, Amazon suggests you could remind yourself to pick up a parcel, or pay the electric bill. You can ask to be reminded at a particular date, day , or just time of day.
Timers can be assigned names, which will make them easier to manage. Especially when you have multiple timers going at the same time. To name a timer, you can just ask Alexa to set a timer using the name you want, like “Alexa, set a rice timer for…” Plus, you can cancel or check on these timers by name, as well, like “Alexa, how much time is left on the rice timer?”
You can also see a list of your active timers and reminders within the Alexa app.
Any links with an * by them are affiliated, which means get a product via this link and a contribution may be made to us.
If I have one criticism of my Amazon Echo, it is the sound quality when cranked up. Amazon has gradually improved the quality of their speakers over time and now the 4th Generation Echo comes with a premium speaker.
Amazon claims that it delivers clear highs, dynamic mids, and deep bass for rich, detailed sound that automatically adapts to any room. One of the neat features that some people are not aware of is that you can combine your echo devices to deliver multi-room music, play synchronized music across Echo devices in different rooms. Or pair your Echo with compatible Fire TV devices to feel scenes come to life with home theater audio.
Of course your 4th Gen Echo will do all the usual Echo stuff:
Voice control your entertainment – Stream songs from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, SiriusXM, and more. Plus listen to radio stations, podcasts, and Audible audiobooks.
Ready to help – Ask Alexa to play music, answer questions, play the news, check the weather, set alarms, control compatible smart home devices, and more.
Smart home made simple – With the built-in hub, easily set up compatible Zigbee devices or Ring Smart Lighting products (coming soon) to voice control lights, locks, and sensors.
Connect with others – Call almost anyone hands-free. Instantly drop in on other rooms or announce to the whole house that dinner’s ready.
Designed to protect your privacy – Amazon is not in the business of selling your personal information to others. Built with multiple layers of privacy controls including a mic off button.
Any links with an * by them are affiliated, which means get a product via this link and a contribution may be made to us.
As someone who has worn glasses / eyewear / frames / spectacles all my life. It has always confounded me why people would want to wear them when they didnt have to.
Now with Echo Frames I am beginning to understand. Whilst wearing your Echo Frames you can just ask Alexa to make calls, set reminders, add to your to-do lists, get the news, listen to podcasts, or control your smart home from anywhere.
In terms of audio the frames has “Open-ear audio” which directs sound to your ears while minimizing what others can hear. You get over 2 hours of talk time, Alexa interactions, and media playback over a 14-hour day. Or, up to 4 hours of nonstop listening on a full charge.
You can customize which notifications you receive from the contacts and apps on your phone that matter to you.
The Echo Frames are lightweight, splash-resistant, and compatible with most prescription lenses.
Amazon has continuously improved the performance of their speakers in their Echo range. The Echo Studio is currently Amazon’s biggest, loudest, Alexa speaker. It not only delivers stereo sound, but offers Dolby Atmos-compatible surround sound. 5 speakers produce powerful bass, dynamic midrange, and crisp highs. Dolby Atmos technology adds space, clarity, and depth. The clever technology will adapt the sound to any room – it automatically senses the acoustics of your space, fine-tuning playback for optimal sound.
Echo Studo – measures 8 inches tall.
As an Echo speaker, the Studio provides all of the same Alexa voice assistant features. The Echo Studio also features a built-in Zigbee home automation hub, which allows you to use the speaker to control compatible devices.
You can tream songs from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, Tidal, and more. With Amazon Music HD, listen to 70 million songs in the highest quality audio formats available: HD, Ultra HD, and 3D formats like Dolby Atmos. Currently 3D music is only available with an Amazon Music HD subscription. For an immersive home theater experience, you can use Echo Studio with Fire TV Cube 1st Gen or 2nd Gen, Fire TV Stick 4K or Fire TV (3rd Gen).
Alexa* can be really useful for reminding you of things to do. I have a daily reminder to take my medication. It also acts as a reminder to check all the doors and windows before I head off to bed.
To set up a reminder is really easy. Through your Echo* device just say “Alexa, create a new reminder,” at which point Alexa will ask you what the reminder is for. Tell her what it is, such as “leave to pick up the kids from school,” “feed the cat,” or “ring Mom.” Alexa then asks you for the date and time. You can say something like: “Today at 1pm,” “Tomorrow at 4pm,” or “July 10 at 10am.”
You can also give all the details of the reminder in one shot, like: “Alexa, remind me to go to the dentist today at 2:30pm.” Reminders can be one off events or repeated like my medication. You can also add reminders via the Alexa App*. This is useful if you are away from home want to remind yourself when you get home or to remind someone at home to do something like “start the dinner”.
To check your reminders just say “Alexa, what are my reminders?” and she’ll read them out to you. Remove a reminder by saying, “Alexa, delete (adding the name of the reminder)” or delete all of the reminders by saying, “Alexa, delete all reminders.”
Any links with an * by them are affiliated, which means get a product via this link and a contribution may be made to us.
The 10” HD is designed to move with you, so that all you recipes,
video calls and shows are always in view.
The speakers deliver premium directional sound.
As with other Alexa* devices you can control your Smart home through your Echo Show. Set up compatible Zigbee devices or smart products without a separate hub. Ask Alexa to show you security cameras, control lights, and adjust thermostats. All the other usual echoshow features are available and Netflix will soon be available.
Echo Show 10 3rd Generation
Securely
access the built-in camera to remotely monitor your home anytime with the Alexa
app or other Echo Show devices. Due to
the motion device in your show you can look round your room.
So much entertainment – Ask Alexa to play your favorite shows, music, and podcasts from Prime Video*, Netflix (coming soon), Amazon Music*, Spotify, and more.
You can easily protect your privacy – Electronically disconnect the microphones and camera with one press of a button. Slide the built-in shutter to cover the camera. You can disable motion at any time.
Any links with an * by them are affiliated, which means get a product via this link and a contribution may be made to us.
The Amazon Halo* is a light (18g) and slim fitness tracker with no display. It is fitted with a velcro fabric strap that covers the plastic sensor. There are a number of replacement straps on the market so you can bling it up as much as you like.
The Halo is simplicity itself. There is just one button which connects you to the Halo app. A couple of microphones for picking up your voice tune an LED indicator light. The sensor is rated at 5ATM, which means that its waterproofed 50 metres.
Amazon Halo
One way in which the Halo stands out from the crowd in the tone of voice monitor that monitors your speech. Compared to a base line recording it can give you an idea of how positive you sound to others!
The Amazon Halo* has a battery life of around 7 days using it as a fitness tracker with continued heart rate monitoring. However on top of the purchase price after 6 months you will need to factor in the Halo subscription which is currently $3.99 + tax per month. Without it you lose some of the most important features of the Halo.
Any links with an * by them are affiliated, which means get a product via this link and a contribution may be made to us.
Whether you have an Alexa device or there is one sitting under the Christmas tree, there are a number of fun things that you can do this Christmas. Try out these Christmas commands:
“Alexa do you believe in Santa Claus?” Not sure the answer is PC.
“Alexa who’s on the naughty list?” Hopefully I am not on it.
“Alexa what do you want for Christmas?” Maybe it won’t be expensive.
“Alexa open the advent calendar”
“Alexa how many sleeps till Christmas”
“Alexa sing a Christmas carol”
“Alexa sing Jingle Bells”
“Alexa read ‘Twas the night before Christmas’”
“Alexa tell me a Christmas story”
“Alexa I wish it could be Christmas every day”
“Alexa Is Die Hard a Christmas movie?”
“Alexa what’s the best Christmas movie?”
“Alexa what’s the worst Christmas movie?”
“Alexa, can you name Santa’s reindeer”
Based on 32 fun things to ask Alexa by Rik Henderson
It seems odd that we know have a week called “Black Friday Week”, but I guess that does give us time to look around and compare prices. Probably more importantly at this time, it will get the all the delivery companies to deliver the goods in a reasonable time frame.
Amazon as also have generous discount of all their Alexa controlled devices at this time of year. As Black Friday Week lasts until November 30th there is plenty of time to decide which one is best for you.
Biggest bargains of the week are the range of 3rd generation Echo* devices with smart plugs* or smart bulbs*. Both of these are offered with a 63% discount off normal retail. These are a great way to start you smart home. Voice control you lighting or appliciances are use your Alexa app when away from home.
The Echo Show 5* and Echo Show 8* both come with a Blink mini indoor security camera with a motion detector function. Not only are these little cameras great for security but they also allow you keep an eye on your pets whilst you are away from home.
There are many more bargains to be had. The offers outlined above because basically you are being offered the smart bulb or plug etc free of charge. It costs the same to buy the product without them.
Any links with an * by them are affiliated, which means get a product via this link and a contribution may be made to us.
There are a number of stands and mounts available for the various Echo devices that allow you to deliver you Alexa powered skills and Amazon music perfectly.
Echogear make a wall mount* for the Echo (4th gen) that allows you place your device anywhere on the wall and then tilt & swivel it for the best audio. It swivels 150º and tilts 30º for maximum placement flexibility.
For the Echo (3rd Gen)* and Echo Plus (2nd Gen) you might like a pair of Adjustable Floor Stands*. The stands offer 10″ of height adjustment meaning you place your speakers at the perfect height. Each stand comes with a 6-foot-long extension cord specially designed for Echo (3rd Gen) and Echo Plus (2nd Gen).
Echogear offer a range of Echo accessories, check the out here*.
Any links with an * by them are affiliated, which means get a product via this link and a contribution may be made to us.
As previously mentioned I use Alexa* lot as a timer. I do a lot of work that needs to be assigned a certain amount of time so I am constantly saying “Alexa*, set timer for 20 minutes”.
Timers on Alexa
I have to take regular medication every evening and when I am particularly tired I have a tendency to forget to take my pills and then end up taking them the following morning, which isn’t great as one of them is supposed to be taken before I go to sleep. I came across a useful command the other day to help me remember.
“Alexa, remind me to take my vitamins every day at 8 a.m.” You can adapt this to suit your needs. So I use “Alexa*, remind me to take my pills every day at 9 p.m.”
Any links with an * by them are affiliated, which means get a product via this link and a contribution may be made to us.
The Echo Dot* is currently available in three flavors. The standard Echo Dot* is Amazon’s most popular speaker and normally retails for just under $50. For this you are to stream songs from Amazon Music*, Apple Music, Spotify, SiriusXM, and others. Also access podcasts and audiobooks.
Of course will all these type of Amazon products you get Alexa* who will attempt to fulfill your every command, including telling jokes, some are better than others. And of course you can control smart home using voice command.
Echo Dot with LED
For $10 more go for the Echo Dot with LED display*. Perfect for your nightstand – See the time, alarms, and timers on the LED display. Tap the top to snooze an alarm.
Third in the range is the all-new Echo Dot Kids Edition* – Our most popular smart speaker with Alexa*, made for kids (not a toy). Kids can ask Alexa questions, set alarms, and get help with their homework.
Unlock a world of kid-friendly content – The included year of Amazon Kids+ (FreeTime Unlimited) gives them access to thousands of hours of kid-friendly Audible* books, interactive games, and educational skills.
Any links with an * by them are affiliated, which means get a product via this link and a contribution may be made to us.
Coming soon to your Alexa device is an upgrade called “natural turn-taking”. The thought behind this upgrade is that you shouldn’t have to continually say “Alexa” to complete relatively simple tasks when they are only a few seconds apart.
Alexa’s AI will be able to recognize when users have finished speaking, when their speech is directed at the device, when it’s not, and whether or not a reply is expected.
On to privacy matters, you can now delete you can now delete every interaction you’ve had with Alexa with just one command. To do so, just say “Alexa, delete everything I’ve ever said.” This follows on from being able to delete everything you had just said that was introduced last year.
Looking to replace your earphones, headphones or ear buds then Amazon now have a very impressive set of “Echo Buds“. They have Bose Active Noise Reduction Technology and a sealed in-ear design that limits background noise.
The Echo Buds work with the Alexa app to stream music, play Audible audiobooks, make calls etc. It will carry out the majority of tasks that you other Alexa controlled devices do. They will also allow you to access other assistants like Siri or Google Assistant from a supported device.
The Echo Buds will give you up to 5 hours music playback per charge. If you are in a rush get 2 hours with a 15 minutes quick charge and up to 20 hours with the charging case.
There are 3 sizes of ear tip to help you obtain the best sound from your Echo Buds. There is a handy feature built into the bud app to allow you to work out the best ones for you. Due to this, it means that when exercising they remain secure.
I came across the Alexa command “Red Alert” a few weeks back when it appeared on the screen of my Amazon Echo. You are instantly greeted with a siren and a message that says “ship’s deflector shields have been raised.” It is now my got to damage when I am frustrated. Thirty seconds of the siren wailing seems to calm me down. Its as if to say that there are more important things it in life. The Enterprise is under attack and unless I refocus it could be obliterated.
In fact in an interview with the Washington Post in 2016, Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon, said part of the inspiration for the echo came from Star Trek. Growing up, Bezos and his friends would play Star Trek every day who got to play Spock, Captain Kirk and the computer.
I have come across a number of Star Trek related commands that you might like to try for yourself. “Alexa, beam me up!” … or “Alexa, fire photon torpedoes!”. Other favorites of mine include: “Speak Klingon” to get the phrase of the day. “State Starfleet rank and class” and finally do you trust Klingons.
You could if you wanted to change the command word on your Alexa to “computer” to give it that genuine Star Trek feel. Whilst waiting for your next Star Trek mission ask “Alexa, watch Star Trek” and you will be given an extentsive list of Star Trek series and films to choose between.
With increased compatibility between Smart Devices you can use items that you thought were not previously available to you. A good example of this is the Google Nest Learning Thermostat. Please not that this item requires professional installation.
Google Nest Learning Thermostat
In as little as a week the Nest Learning Thermostat will automatically adapt as your life changes. It learns from your patterns of us and soon you won’t need to remember to change the settings because it will do it for you. That doesn’t mean that it is inflexible to one off situations. You can control the temperature from your smart phone, echo or other Alexa compatible device.
Google suggest that its Learning Thermostat will help you save money as it will adjust the temperature to your needs. It will adjust itself to an Eco Temperature after you leave the house. You will also need a Nest Temperature Sensor to ensure a certain room is the exact temperature you would like it to be.
Independent studies have shown that on average customers could save around 10% on their heating and around 15% on their cooling bills once a Nest Learning Thermostat has been installed.
Not managed to get away on vacation this year. Then why don’t you ask “Alexa, open Beach Sounds”. Then sit back and listen to the sound of waves crashing on the beach. What a wonderful day to spend a sunny day sitting in your yard, eyes closed. You could be on any beach in the world. Use it a night time to help you get off to sleep. When you want a change from the sound of the waves then just say “Alexa stop” or if you have no manners “Alexa shut up“.
Beach Sounds
You may as well check the temperature at home “Alexa what is the temperature?” or in your favourite holiday destination say “Alexa what is the temperature in xxxx”? For the weather rather than judge the temperature just swap out temperature for weather. Change your commands slightly and get the weather for tommorrow. Try “Alexa what will be the weather be in Miami tomorrow?”
If you want to, you can try Ocean Sounds “Alexa, open Ocean Sounds”. See if you can hear the difference to Beach Sounds. Having straying in a real beach hut in the Caribbean a few back. In the real world the novelty can wear off if you have been listening to the waves crash all day and night long!
Finally whilst we are still dealing with the inpact of the coronavirus on our lives you can ask Alexa the following: “Alexa, what is the coronavirus?” “Alexa, what’s the latest with the coronavirus?” “Alexa, help me wash my hands.”
The Echo Glow is a smart lamp designed with children in mind. It can be paried with any compatible Alexa device to control color and brightness with your voice.
Echo Glow
With Echo Glow you can create various lighting cues to make family cues colorful and less stressful. For exampe it can be used to help countdown to meal times, homework times and even bed time. Using the Rainbow Timer – your children will get a visual reminder that can help morning and bedtime routines stay on track.
Children (or young at heart adults) can create and choose to add fun lighting and color whilst playing or listening to music. Ask Alexa to start a dance party for a music and light show. have fun with dynamic modes like color flow, campfire, siren, firetruck, and underwater, and try holiday modes for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Valentine’s Day.
Personally I prefer to physically hold a book. I have a Kindle but just have this thing about having a real object. Though I am seriously considering upgrading to a Kindle Oasis. I also like to think that I am doing a community spirited action by then donating finished books to my local charity shop. A few year back I go through a phase of downloading free books onto my kindle device to see whether my opinions would change but I always came back to the action of turning real pages.
I am a member of 3 book clubs and awhile back we were reading Michelle Obama’s book “Becoming“. I kindly lent me copy to a friend who promised to return it in time for me to read it before our book club meeting. They let me down and I had a week to rebuy the book and then read it on top and work and life in general. I realised that was unrealistic.
The option was to download an audio book. The playing time for the book was 20 hours, but you have the option of playing it slightly faster than normal and with over two hours commuting by car, I managed to get through most of the book on the move. I now have an Audible subscription.
Sign up for the free 30 day trial and you will get one book free, there are extras if you are already a Prime Member. Your monthly subscription then allows you to download 1 book per month at not extra cost. A selection of complimentary Audible Originals each month Complimentary digital newspaper subscriptions to the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post. Exclusive daily deals and a 30% discount on further audio book purchases.
Even without an Audible subscription you can access free book via you Alexa device. Just ask “Alexa, what’s free from Audible?” Maybe not the most up to date books, but you will certainly find classics. So give it a try today.
The Ring indoor cam is a compact plug-in camera that lets you see, hear and speak to people and pets from your phone, tablet, or select Echo device. By connecting multiple indoor cams you can watchover you whole house.
Ring Indoor Cam
It’s very to set up the Indoor Cam, place on a flat surface and mount on a wall and then plug it into a standard electrical outlet and connet to your Wi-Fi system. Its small design allow you to place and indoor cam almost anywhere in your home. With Live View, you can check in on your home any time through the Ring App.
For added peace of mind, pair with Alexa to help you keep an eye on your home.
Standard features include FREE instant notifications, live view and two-way talk. However Ring Protect allows you to review, save and share your videos. It saves all your videos to your Ring account for up to 60 days and photos for up to 7 days, so you can review what you missed and share what’s important.
If you wish you can take out an subscription service with Ring that will record all you videos and review what you might have missed for up to 60 days.
Connect Ring Indoor Cam with Alexa for hands-free home monitoring. When your Ring Indoor Cam detects motion, your Echo device will illuminate and make an announcement, so you’ll always know when someone’s there. And if you have an Echo Show or Echo Spot, you can also see, hear and speak to anyone captured on camera.
Adjusting the volume on your Alexa device or version of echo, whether its a dot, show or couldn’t be simpler. I started off with “Alexa volume up” or “Alexa volume down”. There are variations on this like “Alexa, turn up/down the volume” or “Alexa, louder/quieter”. I tend to go for the option that requires the fewest number of words to be spoken.
However you change set the volume more precisely with the “volume command”. I would use “Alexa volume 5” as opposed to a more formal “Alexa, set the volume to 5”. Maximum volume is 10 and depending on which Alexa device you are using you might have problems getting it turned back down again. For example when my Echo set is set to volume 10. I have to shout at the top of my voice and from not very far away to get it to comply. Most of the time it would be easier to manually turn the sound down.
In addition to volume you can adjust the way your music sounds by adjusting the bass and the treble. You can play around with commands such as “Alexa, turn up the bass/treble,” “Alexa, set the bass/treble to 6” or “Alexa, set the bass/treble to maximum/minimum.” To reset just say “Alexa, reset equalizer.”
Finally this week. Amazon have introduced a “Whisper” mode so that you can have some privacy or alternatively not wake up the whole house. Open the Alexa app on your Android phone or iPhone. Tap the menu button on the top left of the app.
Select “Settings.”
Tap “Alexa Account” at the top of the screen.
Choose “Alexa Voice Responses.”Enable the “Whispered Responses” mode.
When you whisper to Alexa, it will whisper back. Remember than you have to be close by your Alexa device. At present this only works in English.
With this clever little device you can add Alexa to your car. It works by connecting to the Alexa app on your phone and plays through your car’s speakers via auxiliary input or your smartphone’s Bluetooth connection. It comes with a “vent mount” you can check whether it fit your car here.
Echo Auto
With 8 microphones and far-field technology, the Echo Auto can hear above all the background noise inside your car, music, road noise, your vehicle ventilation and air conditioning system.can hear you over music, A/C, and road noise.
The voice controlled Echo Auto connect to the Alexa app on your phones to stream from Audible, Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, SiriusXM, and radio stations with TuneIn and iHeartRadio or to check the news, make calls, mangage your calendar and much more.
In addition to check whether it compatible with your car vents, you can check whether its compatible with your phone here.
“Alexa set timer.” “Alexa set timer for 35 minutes”. When you the time is up, Alexa sets an alarm sound and you say “Alexa stop” and its all over with.
However I do a lot of work where I need to assign time to various projects. Normally I would use the stopwatch on my phone to do that for me, but I decided to try Alexa.
“Alex start stopwatch”, all good. However I could never figure out a way to stop the stopwatch so I went back to using my phone. If I asked Alexa to stop the stopwatch, Alexa just told me how long the stopwatch had been running for. So infuriating.
However thanks to the guys at Livewire. I know have it all sorted.
To start the stopwatch, you have three command options:
“Alexa, start stopwatch.”
“Alexa, open stopwatch.”
“Alexa, ask stopwatch.”
Use any of the above commands to check the stopwatch at any point.
To pause the stop watch and then resume it again.
“Alexa, ask stopwatch to pause.”
“Alexa, ask stopwatch to resume.”
Now the command that I found so elusive.
Alexa, ask the stopwatch to delete.
Alexa will then state the “Stopwatch ended at, and in my case it was 89 days 1 hour, 13 minutes and 6 seconds”. My life has now been transformed.
Portal from Facebook is essentially a video calling device. However it is adding features that will allow it to compete in the same space as products from Apple, Google and Amazon.
With built in Alexa it can do anything that an Amazon Echo device can do, including play your music from a number of providers including Amazon Music and Spotify.
To use the video calling side of the Portal you will need a Facebook or Whats App account and you can speak to up to 7 people in a call.
The portal comes in 4 variants, the *8″ Portal Mini and the 10″ Portal are very similar, its just about the size. Portal TV essentially turns your TV in the display and finally there is the 15.6″ Portal+. The Portal+ has a better sound system that its smaller siblings and boasts a 4″ woofer.
If you have an Echo Show then you have the advantage of displaying images and video. I use my Echo Show to watch programs from Amazon Prime Video.
If you link your Facebook to your Alexa app you can personalise your wallpaper on your Echo Show. Open your Alexa app, go to the menu and select “Settings”, “Photos” and then log into your Facebook account.
“Alexa, what have you learnt today?” Today Alexa has been thinking about why there is so much chocolate around at Easter.
“Alexa, open Space Station” Will let you know when the International Space Station will pass over your location. The added bonus is that it will tell you other phenomena to look out for in the skies.
Whilst buying audiobooks can be expensive so why not ask “Alexa, read me a free audiobook”. There is a small selection to choose from each month. The other option is to download free books to your kindle or kindle app and have them read to you. Not the best way to listen but it is free.
For children you can ask “Alexa, read a bedtime story” and hear a professionally narrated bedtime story.
Part of the beauty of owning an Alexa controlled device or even having the app on your Smartphone is the ability to control your lights and electrical devices round the home. A useful addition to you consider is the Amazon Smart Plug.
Amazon Smart Plug
The Amazon Smart Plug will allow you to schedule lights, fans, and appliances to turn on and off automatically, or to control them remotely when you’re away, or at your command when you are home. Set the lights to come on at dusk and off at bedtime when you are away on vacation. Coming home late, turn them on so the house is lit on your arrival. Forgot to switch the lounge light on when you are in bed, simple just ask Alexa to switch it off.
One of the fun things about owning an Echo is the numerous questions that you can ask.
“Alexa, what have you learnt today?” Today Alexa has been thinking about ways of helping to deal with writers block. The rest of us are worried about catching Covid 19.
“Alexa, will you catch Covid 19?” “According to the CDC/NHS we do not know how it is spread from person to person”.
If you are self-isolating buying audiobooks can be expensive so why not ask “Alexa, read me a free audiobook”. There is a small selection to choose from. The other option is to download free books to your kindle or kindle app and have them read to you. Not the best way to listen but it is free.
The Amazon Echo Flex is essentially an additional listening device that you can add around your home so that you can access the various SMART features of Alexa.
You can turn on lights, adjust thermostats, lock doors, and more with compatible connected devices. What it will not do is act as a replacement for a Smart Speaker as the tiny speaker is not designed for music playing though you could connect a speaker via 3.5mm aux, Bluetooth, or setting your Preferred Speaker in the Alexa app.
One of the great things about devices such as the Echo is the ability to voice activate actions. These are the top 5 in our household.
Alexa set timer 30 minutes.
Alexa, how long’s left on my timer?
Alexa cancel timer!
Alexa what are the lastest football scores?
Alexa play Gold radio.
To this we really need to add a 6th action. “Alexa screen off”. Our main device is an Echo Show is a naughty child called Kelly who is has a habit of turning their screen on without being asked.
The Amazon Echo Dot is now on its 3rd rendering. The Dot is the most popular of all the Amazon smart speaker devices currently available.
The 3rd generation now comes with a fabric design and moves away from the plastically feel of the earlier models. More importantly the speaker is improved and so the Echo delivers a better quality sound.
Like all Alexa based devices you can use your Amazon Echo Dot to stream music from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, TuneIn and others. Listen to audiobook from Audible. What do you do with your Echo? At the moment I am enjoying using my Amazon Echo to listen to international radio stations via TuneIn.
The Ring Doorbell 4* is an update on the Ring Doorbell 3* that was released in 2020. There are 2 key new and additional features on the 4. Quick Replies and All-new Color Pre-Roll Video Previews.
Ring Doorbell 4
Pre-roll is a feature that stores the four seconds of footage before motion is detected. This should help you identify the cause of the activity alert. This was not available on the standard Ring Doorbell 3 but was available on the Ring Doorbell 3 Plus albeit only in black and white. It should be noted that this feature is only available if you have a Ring Protect subscription. This will allow you to go back 30 days to review your recordings.
“Quick Replies” is a feature that will respond someone is at the door. The smart thing about this feature is that you can delay your respond, so you can check who it is before choosing whether to answer yourself. A range of pre-recorded messages can be set. You can even ask callers to record a message but you will have to have a Ring subscription to hear what they have to say. This feature is standard on the Ring Doorbell 4 and is available as an upgrade on a number of previous Ring devices.
Otherwise the Ring Doorbell 4 is pretty much the same at the Doorbell 3, though you can connect the 4 to the mains. This will not serves as a mains feed, but will trickle charge your battery so that you will have to manually charge it less often. You might like to consider purchasing buying a Ring Chime Pro* with your Ring Doorbell, as you will only receive notifications on your phone or Alexa device, and if you do not have it to hand you will not know anyone is at the door.
Any links with an * by them are affiliated, which means get a product via this link and a contribution may be made to us.
