Amazon Echo Club

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by DreamWriter

This is what I've been waiting for! NEW TIMER FUNCTIONS!

From an email I just received:

I just tested the timer. When time was up, Echo beeped as usual and also said, "Your pasta timer is done." This is going to be a great help since I can't always remember why I set a particular timer, especially when I have several at once.

So what did I do wrong? I said to Alexa, Set a kitchen timer for 30 minutes. Alexa acknowledged the request. So, 30 minutes later, Alexa gave me a series of gentle beeps--which I could barely hear. I got no voice info whatsoever.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Catlady

So what did I do wrong? I said to Alexa, Set a kitchen timer for 30 minutes. Alexa acknowledged the request. So, 30 minutes later, Alexa gave me a series of gentle beeps--which I could barely hear. I got no voice info whatsoever.

Don't know. It worked for me:

Me: "Alexa, set an egg timer for 2 minutes"

Alexa: several beeps - "your egg timer is done" (repeats until stopped)

[Catlady]

I just tried it again; all I get are the beeps. Maybe I haven't gotten an update yet, or maybe I don't have some skill enabled. Bah.

[DreamWriter]

Originally Posted by Catlady

I just tried it again; all I get are the beeps. Maybe I haven't gotten an update yet, or maybe I don't have some skill enabled. Bah.

I just instructed my Echo, "Set kitchen timer for 1 minute." When it was time, the device beeped as usual and then said, "Your kitchen timer is done." It also worked on my Dot and Tap.

You might want to check in the Alexa app to see if you have the latest Echo software: Version 582001520 for Echo and 1st generation Dot and Version 582229820 for 2nd generation Dot. I'm not sure, but unplugging/plugging in the device may trigger a software update.

I hope you can get it to work...

I just tested on my Echo:

"Alexa, set an egg timer for 2 minutes"

Alexa: Four fairly quiet beeps plus says, "Your egg timer is done." (repeats until stopped).

If I set a reminder I get a similar response, but she gives me a quiet clunk clunk sound followed by a description of what the timer was set for, (repeats until stopped).

If I set an alarm, she gives me three faint chimes (repeats until stopped).

All of these are really lame in my opinion. If you are not paying attention, you might not even here her. If you have the TV or stereo on, or if you are talking to someone, you might miss the timer, reminder, alarm.

If I set a timer on my iPhone, it will blast me out of the house as it is very loud. So I use the iPhone and let Alexa sleep and dream of a time when she will be much more useful.

[DreamWriter]

The reminder alert has a pleasant chime followed by a verbal reminder. I told Echo, "Remind me to get up in one minute." A minute later, it chimed and then said, "Here's your reminder. Get up!"

The chime and verbal reminder repeat only once. You don't have to instruct it to terminate, unlike the timer, which keeps going until you tell it to stop. The timer voice is much louder than the reminder voice—in fact, I think it's too loud.

For me, the timer and reminder voices and noises or way too quiet and too easy to miss. The alarm is very pathetic what with three quiet chimes. If I go to the bathroom or have something making a little noise in the background, I probably won't hear any of them.

[DreamWriter]

Originally Posted by jswinden

For me, the timer and reminder voices and noises or way too quiet and too easy to miss. The alarm is very pathetic what with three quiet chimes. If I go to the bathroom or have something making a little noise in the background, I probably won't hear any omf them.

Just so you know, Jack, your previous post wasn't there when I was composing my last one, so I wasn't addressing your comments there.

Keep in mind that the notification volume will depend on Echo's overall volume setting. I just experimented with the timer, reminder, and alarm features. For all three, I was playing music at moderate volume.

Timer: Beeps were about the same volume as the music, but the verbal message was VERY loud in comparison.

Reminder: The chime was very quiet and the verbal message slightly quieter than music volume. If the device volume was already low, you may not hear the chime or message.

Alarm: The beeps were quite loud.

Well there doesn't seem to be much consistency between what many of us are hearing then. The alarms a very quiet on mine. I guess as usual Amazon has not figured out how to get the FW working properly. I certainly won't trust my Alexa devices to set an alarm, reminder, or a timer as I would possibly not hear it. Yes, I could turn up the volume, but no I shouldn't have to. A kluge solution is no solution in my opinion. Perhaps Amazon could add the ability to set a separate volume just for an alarm, reminder, or a timer, but that would make too much sense, so they probably never will.

[Catlady]

I unplugged it and replugged it, but it doesn't seem to have updated, at least if my Alexa app is to be believed. And it still only gives me the tones, not any verbal indication. Additionally, I have to tell it to stop.

How else does one update it, if not unplugging? Saying "update" gives me a flash briefing. Saying "install new software" gives me a flash briefing. Stupid thing.

P.S. On my Fire tablet, I can barely read the Alexa app settings--it's almost all gray on white. If not for the occasional text that is darker, I'd feel like I was going blind. The settings are all in light gray on white. Whose brilliant idea was it to make text unreadable?

And no, I haven't changed any settings anywhere else, and I can read the text in other apps just fine.

P.P.S. I was looking at the wrong device; I do have the up-to-date software. But the timer still doesn't give me a verbal indication, just the tones.

[DreamWriter]

Originally Posted by jswinden

Well there doesn't seem to be much consistency between what many of us are hearing then. The alarms a very quiet on mine. I guess as usual Amazon has not figured out how to get the FW working properly. I certainly won't trust my Alexa devices to set an alarm, reminder, or a timer as I would possibly not hear it. Yes, I could turn up the volume, but no I shouldn't have to. A kluge solution is no solution in my opinion. Perhaps Amazon could add the ability to set a separate volume just for an alarm, reminder, or a timer, but that would make too much sense, so they probably never will.

Is your overall device volume low?

I agree that Amazon has some tweaking to do, but I like the new features. The timer/reminder/alarm volumes are problematic. They should be the same level for all functions.

When I'm listening to music, sometimes Echo's volume is set quite low so it won't disturb others. At other times, it's set louder. When the device volume is set relatively low, I have a very difficult time hearing the reminder, even if I'm in the same room. I can hear both the timer and alarm just fine, though, even at low volume. In fact, the timer voice YELLS "Your kitchen timer is done." I can hear both the timer beeps and voice message in the bedroom farthest from Echo (it's in my kitchen; 1600 sf house) when the device is set to Volume 2 (say "Alexa/Echo, volume 2" to set), even though I can barely hear the music at that volume there.

My auditory acuity seems about average. Those with some hearing loss (like my spouse, who can't hear certain high-frequency sounds) may have more difficulty. It'll depend how far away you are from the device, whether a door's open or closed, and building acoustics, too.

[DreamWriter]

Originally Posted by Catlady

I unplugged it and replugged it, but it doesn't seem to have updated, at least if my Alexa app is to be believed. And it still only gives me the tones, not any verbal indication. Additionally, I have to tell it to stop.

How else does one update it, if not unplugging? Saying "update" gives me a flash briefing. Saying "install new software" gives me a flash briefing. Stupid thing.

P.S. On my Fire tablet, I can barely read the Alexa app settings--it's almost all gray on white. If not for the occasional text that is darker, I'd feel like I was going blind. The settings are all in light gray on white. Whose brilliant idea was it to make text unreadable?

And no, I haven't changed any settings anywhere else, and I can read the text in other apps just fine.

P.P.S. I was looking at the wrong device; I do have the up-to-date software. But the timer still doesn't give me a verbal indication, just the tones.

Hmm...I'm not sure what to suggest since your device has the latest software. Maybe just keep trying over the next few days, and then call Amazon for assistance if it's still not working?

I have noticed that phrasing matters, so you may want to experiment with that.

These commands DO work for me (I get both beeps and the message when time's up):

"Alexa/Echo, set kitchen timer for 1 minute."
"Alexa/Echo, set pasta timer for 1 minute."
"Alexa/Echo, set bake timer for 1 minute."
"Alexa/Echo, set an egg timer for 1 minute."
"Alexa/Echo, set an Instant Pot timer for 1 minute."

These do NOT work for me (I get only beeps when time's up):

"Alexa/Echo, set egg timer for 1 minute."
"Alexa/Echo, set Instant Pot timer for 1 minute."

P.S. Catlady, are you in the U.S.? That may matter.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by DreamWriter

Hmm...I'm not sure what to suggest since your device has the latest software. Maybe just keep trying over the next few days, and then call Amazon for assistance if it's still not working?

I have noticed that phrasing matters, so you may want to experiment with that.

These commands DO work for me (I get both beeps and the message when time's up):

"Alexa/Echo, set kitchen timer for 1 minute."
"Alexa/Echo, set pasta timer for 1 minute."
"Alexa/Echo, set bake timer for 1 minute."
"Alexa/Echo, set an egg timer for 1 minute."
"Alexa/Echo, set an Instant Pot timer for 1 minute."

These do NOT work for me (I get only beeps when time's up):

"Alexa/Echo, set egg timer for 1 minute."
"Alexa/Echo, set Instant Pot timer for 1 minute."

P.S. Catlady, are you in the U.S.? That may matter.

Thanks, I'll experiment more later, but, seriously, how stupid is it that Alexa needs exact phrasing such that the use of an determines whether the timer works as desired! Tell me something, when Alexa acknowledges the command, does it repeat "pasta timer," "bake timer," etc.? When I was trying it earlier, Alexa just said something like "starting timer," definitely not "starting such-and-such timer."

If Alexa characterizes the timer at the outset, that would at least be an indication of what I'd get for the alert--so I'd know if my phrasing met Alexa's high standards or if I'd need to try again.

I am in the U.S., and although I am showing up-to-date software, I was not advised about this feature in the last "what's new with Alexa" e-mail.

[DreamWriter]

Originally Posted by Catlady

Thanks, I'll experiment more later, but, seriously, how stupid is it that Alexa needs exact phrasing such that the use of an determines whether the timer works as desired!

I agree. Amazon needs to iron out some bugs.

Tell me something, when Alexa acknowledges the command, does it repeat "pasta timer," "bake timer," etc.?

Yes. When the proper phrase "Set kitchen timer for one minute" is used, Alexa immediately replies, "Kitchen timer, one minute, starting now." When an unacceptable phrase (such as "Set egg timer for one minute") is used, she just says, "One minute, starting now."

If Alexa characterizes the timer at the outset, that would at least be an indication of what I'd get for the alert--so I'd know if my phrasing met Alexa's high standards or if I'd need to try again.

You're correct.

I am in the U.S., and although I am showing up-to-date software, I was not advised about this feature in the last "what's new with Alexa" e-mail.

That's odd. The announcement was in the weekly email I received yesterday (Friday, June 23) titled "Did you know Alexa can..."

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by DreamWriter

...These commands DO work for me (I get both beeps and the message when time's up):..."Alexa/Echo, set an egg timer for 1 minute."...These do NOT work for me (I get only beeps when time's up):..."Alexa/Echo, set egg timer for 1 minute."....

That did the trick for me. I also got the beeps after saying that latter and assumed my Echo needed an update. She's very picky about the phrasing she'll accept. Thanks.