Amazon Echo Club

[FizzyWater]

Originally Posted by mlewis78

Thanks. Are fitbit and garmin connected with Echo? I mentioned the iphone health app after I read the fitbit and garmin comments. I wasn't bringing it up out of the blue.

Oops. I'd forgotten the thread had gone a bit off topic about fitness gadgets.

When I read yours, I first thought - "How would that app work with Alexa? Does she shout encouragement like they do on the fitness videos?!" My brain can go off on odd tangents all by itself.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by FizzyWater

Oops. I'd forgotten the thread had gone a bit off topic about fitness gadgets.

When I read yours, I first thought - "How would that app work with Alexa? Does she shout encouragement like they do on the fitness videos?!" My brain can go off on odd tangents all by itself.

Here's your (my) exposure: If your weight is logged at Fitbit, anyone could conceivably say, "Alexa, ask Fitbit how much I weigh."

[WT Sharpe]

Here's the Fitbit skill link:

https://www.amazon.com/Fitbit-Inc/dp/B01CH4BP28

I really cannot see how an Alexa skill would help out much with a fitness type of watch. If you are out exercising, then there is likely no Alexa device near you. If you are at home, then why would you ask a dimwit like Alexa what you can quickly see for yourself on the watch. And if you have to pull out your smartphone or tablet to ask Alexa something related to your fitness watch, why not just skip the lackluster Alexa app all together and go directly to the fitness watch app.

Face it, in the time you spend arguing and yelling at Alexa because she is such a moron and cannot or will not do what you ask or cannot understand you, you could look up all the information on a much more useful app.

[tubemonkey]

“Alexa, Play The Grand Tour”

You can now pair your Fire TV with any Echo device for far-field voice control via Alexa

Alexa is always getting smarter—now you can simply ask Alexa to play a favorite show, launch an app, or control playback—all without having to pick up the remote

Coming soon, you can view live video feeds from your compatible smart home cameras on Fire TV

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 1, 2017-- (NASDAQ: AMZN) – Amazon today announced new Alexa features for Fire TV that make it even easier to control your movies, TV shows, and more using just your voice. You will be able to pair any Fire TV with any Echo device and easily control your Fire TV—just ask, and Alexa will start a show, help you find a good movie to watch, control playback, and more. In addition, you will soon be able to view live video feeds from your supported smart home camera right from your Fire TV.

“Alexa is built in the cloud and always getting smarter, and these new Fire TV features are the latest way that Alexa is making it simple for you to enjoy and control your living room entertainment,” said Marc Whitten, Vice President, Amazon Fire TV. “Simply ask Alexa to play your favorite show, or keep an eye on your kids’ playroom during movie night, right from the comfort of your couch. This is just the beginning and we’ll continue to create new ways to simplify the way you interact with your TV—we can’t wait to see what customers think.”

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by jswinden

I really cannot see how an Alexa skill would help out much with a fitness type of watch. If you are out exercising, then there is likely no Alexa device near you. If you are at home, then why would you ask a dimwit like Alexa what you can quickly see for yourself on the watch. And if you have to pull out your smartphone or tablet to ask Alexa something related to your fitness watch, why not just skip the lackluster Alexa app all together and go directly to the fitness watch app.

Face it, in the time you spend arguing and yelling at Alexa because she is such a moron and cannot or will not do what you ask or cannot understand you, you could look up all the information on a much more useful app.

It's a gimmick. It makes a device cooler and more modern to have it work with Alexa--at least that seems to be what marketing people think.

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

“Alexa, Play The Grand Tour”

I guess that is good. They really need to work on the FireTV interface. It is not that easy to find stuff unless you search, and voice searching helps, but only if you don't spend half the night arguing with dizzy Alexa. I'm not sure I would want to tie in another Alexa device with my FireTV though, just to get out of pressing the damn Mic button on the remote. Having to argue with two dizzy Alexas doesn't seem like an improvement. BTW, when the TV is on it is difficult to hear what Alexa is saying, and since she will also be listening to the TV it will be even more difficult for her to hear me. I get a lot of stupid search finds that are totally unrelated to what I'm looking for even when typing in the search item. And then of course I finally find the item I'm searching for, only to discover it isn't free to Prime members. Arrggghhhh!

Grand Tour is really good. And it is free to Prime members. I'm glad Richard Hammond didn't kill himself this summer in his latest nasty crash. I always assumed they had professional drivers do most of the driving scenes and only used the actors for closeups, but apparently they really do let the actors drive more than they probably should.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by jswinden

Grand Tour is really good. And it is free to Prime members. I'm glad Richard Hammond didn't kill himself this summer in his latest nasty crash. I always assumed they had professional drivers do most of the driving scenes and only used the actors for closeups, but apparently they really do let the actors drive more than they probably should.

When I saw the title, I thought it was gonna be about golf. I take it Grand Tour is a car show, something I have no interest in.

I have a Fire TV Stick 1 and rarely use it.

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

When I saw the title, I thought it was gonna be about golf. I take it Grand Tour is a car show, something I have no interest in.

I have a Fire TV Stick 1 and rarely use it.

Actually it is more comedy and entertainment than car show. They drive around in cars to make it a car show in name, but it is more about the comedic antics of three middle-aged men on outrageous excursions to exotic locations, and occasionally they give a review of a car none of use will ever be able to afford. These guys were originally the hosts of the BBC's Top Gear show until one of them got out of hand and the BBC fired him. The other two then quit Top Gear and the three of them got Amazon to fund their new show, which is basically Top Gear with a new name and sans BBC.

I have a FireTV and I use it occasionally. The video quality is excellent, and they do have quite a few shows that I like, but after a couple of years I've watched most of the old shows that are watchable so I've just about run out of those. Grand Tour is the only Amazon original show I like. I do buy newly released movies and keep them in my library. I prefer the digital download via Amazon to buying the Blu-Ray as it is much more convenient. The big downside to FireTV though is the lack of free shows. Almost everything costs money to rent or buy. Even BBC and PBS shows that are years into rerun status cost a few dollars a piece to rent. No incentive there...

[wodin]

I was a great fan of "Top Gear" when Clarkson and crew were on, but with the new bunch; not so much. I've tried watching it a few times, and invariably tuned out about half way through. When "The Grand Tour" came to Amazon prime I didn't miss an episode, and can't wait for season two to air in November.

BBC losing the trio is just another example of bureaucratic stupidity, they failed to understand that they had a winner, and why.

[wodin]

A Hacker Turned an Amazon Echo Into a 'Wiretap'

Originally Posted by wodin

I was a great fan of "Top Gear" when Clarkson and crew were on, but with the new bunch; not so much. I've tried watching it a few times, and invariably tuned out about half way through. When "The Grand Tour" came to Amazon prime I didn't miss an episode, and can't wait for season two to air in November.

BBC losing the trio is just another example of bureaucratic stupidity, they failed to understand that they had a winner, and why.

The first season of Top Gear without Clarkson, Hammond, and May was a disaster due to the terrible lead host they hired. The BBC sacked him after the first season and promoted Matt LeBlanc to lead host. Season two post Clarkson and gang was actually really good. They will never compare to the original hosts as those guys were on the show for two decades and built up a huge fan base. I do think the BBC did the correct thing in sacking Clarkson. He is funny, but he was often offensive, and beating up a fellow worker for no good reason was more than grounds for him to go. Thankfully, he has been much better behaved on the Grand Tour than he ever was on Top Gear. I suspect the three Grand tour guys are much happier with their own show rather than working for the BBC.

[wodin]

Verge Editor’s Choice: Amazon Echo Dot

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by wodin

Verge Editor’s Choice: Amazon Echo Dot

But to me, using the Echo Dot just to listen to music misses the larger picture, even if it is fun to voice control your house party. The Echo Dot makes it possible to turn your entire home into the 24th century Starship Enterprise...

If the Echo couldn't play music, then I wouldn't own it. Its smart home capabilities are irrelevant to me.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

I have a Fire TV Stick 1 and rarely use it.

Originally Posted by jswinden

I have a FireTV and I use it occasionally....

I have a Fire Stick whose main reason for living is to enable me to access Netflix.

Originally Posted by jswinden

...The big downside to FireTV though is the lack of free shows. Almost everything costs money to rent or buy. Even BBC and PBS shows that are years into rerun status cost a few dollars a piece to rent. No incentive there...

And after cutting a monthly check to Netflix, I the choir says, "Amen!"