Amazon Echo Club

[wodin]

Even if I thought I could afford one, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want the Ama-cloud being able to snoop in my closets.

[John F]

An update...

I got my Echo and Harmony Hub around Christmas, and I'm relatively happy with it.

In the morning, I say "Alexa, good morning": The TV turns on and changes to the appropriate input, the Audio/Video receiver turns on and changes to the appropriate input, and the Echo tells me the weather report. I than say "Alexa, watch CNN on FireTV". When it is time to change channels, I say "Alexa, Watch WFSB". When I'm done, I say "Alexa, Goodbye", and the TV turns off. If I want to save data, I'll say "Alexa, Go home."

In the middle of the day, I say "Start up stereo" to listen to music: this turns on the AV receiver, sets the inputs, and turns on a bluetooth receiver. I than use my phone to control what I listen to. When I'm done, I say "shut down stereo".

In the evening, I say Turn on TV, and than use the Fire TV remote and voice control to channel surf.

If I want it to be, I can get Alexa to be >99% reliable.

If routines allowed me to control FireTV channel surfing, I would go from "relatively happy" to "happy".

[OtinG]

Originally Posted by John F

An update...

I got my Echo and Harmony Hub around Christmas, and I'm relatively happy with it.

In the morning, I say "Alexa, good morning": The TV turns on and changes to the appropriate input, the Audio/Video receiver turns on and changes to the appropriate input, and the Echo tells me the weather report. I than say "Alexa, watch CNN on FireTV". When it is time to change channels, I say "Alexa, Watch WFSB". When I'm done, I say "Alexa, Goodbye", and the TV turns off. If I want to save data, I'll say "Alexa, Go home."

In the middle of the day, I say "Start up stereo" to listen to music: this turns on the AV receiver, sets the inputs, and turns on a bluetooth receiver. I than use my phone to control what I listen to. When I'm done, I say "shut down stereo".

In the evening, I say Turn on TV, and than use the Fire TV remote and voice control to channel surf.

If I want it to be, I can get Alexa to be >99% reliable.

If routines allowed me to control FireTV channel surfing, I would go from "relatively happy" to "happy".

When I first tried using the Apple remote (or an Echo) to change channels in Hulu with Live TV, Alexa would do it about half of the time. Now she totally fails. Either she says that channel does not exist or she says she is tuning to it but nothing happens. I still have to argue with her over actions for my various smart lighting bulbs. She is probably about 80% accurate with the lighting commands. But over the years since she was introduced she has gone up and down on accuracy. In December she was in top form, but now she blows chunks again. YMMV of course, an apparently does, but for me she is a long ways from being accurate enough to assume she can reliably do what she is said to be capable of.

[OtinG]

Anyone else notice the death of Amazon Prime Unlimited Music plan that was $3.99 for a single device? I had that plan until about two months ago when Amazon changed it to the $7.99 individual plan without so much as an email to warn me. I tried to change it back, but cannot find the cheaper plan even listed any more. Sorry Bezos, but I'm not helping you pay for your divorce. Keep your zipper up and the prices down! Unlimited is just not worth $7.99 to me because I don't listen that much.

[CWatkinsNash]

Originally Posted by OtinG

Anyone else notice the death of Amazon Prime Unlimited Music plan that was $3.99 for a single device?

It still shows on the Amazon Music account settings page for me, with the following info:
"Stream on a single Echo or Fire TV device. To change your current subscription to the Single Device Plan on your preferred Echo device, say “Alexa, downgrade Amazon Music.” Your subscription will change to the Single Device Plan at the end of the current term, at which point music streaming will be limited to your preferred device."

[OtinG]

Originally Posted by CWatkinsNash

It still shows on the Amazon Music account settings page for me, with the following info:
"Stream on a single Echo or Fire TV device. To change your current subscription to the Single Device Plan on your preferred Echo device, say “Alexa, downgrade Amazon Music.” Your subscription will change to the Single Device Plan at the end of the current term, at which point music streaming will be limited to your preferred device."

Thanks. I just checked my account page under Music subscriptions and it shows up as greyed out. See attached. If I click the Individual subscription toggle button it takes me to the sign up page which doesn't show that option at all. See attachment. If I hover over the Details link for the greyed out Single Device subscription I get notice you mentioned, but that "end of the current term" seems to mean you get billed for at least one $7.99 plan as there is no way to directly sign up for the $3.99 plan. Again, WTF Amazon?!?

[darryl]

Originally Posted by OtinG

Thanks. I just checked my account page under Music subscriptions and it shows up as greyed out. See attached. If I click the Individual subscription toggle button it takes me to the sign up page which doesn't show that option at all. See attachment. If I hover over the Details link for the greyed out Single Device subscription I get notice you mentioned, but that "end of the current term" seems to mean you get billed for at least one $7.99 plan as there is no way to directly sign up for the $3.99 plan. Again, WTF Amazon?!?

Speak with Amazon support. I'm interested in the answer as I have one such plan almost a year old for my niece's echo.

[OtinG]

Originally Posted by darryl

Speak with Amazon support. I'm interested in the answer as I have one such plan almost a year old for my niece's echo.

I'm not going to mess with it right now as I rarely listened to music on Amazon's service. Maybe in the future I will again get it though. In the meantime, if you or anyone else calls Amazon to check on how to get the single device subscription starting with the first month of service, then please post what you find out.

[library addict]

Originally Posted by OtinG

If I hover over the Details link for the greyed out Single Device subscription I get notice you mentioned, but that "end of the current term" seems to mean you get billed for at least one $7.99 plan as there is no way to directly sign up for the $3.99 plan. Again, WTF Amazon?!?

You have to use the actual Alexa device to ask for the downgrade. Once that's done, the greyed out option will show as the one selected when you look at the Amazon Music account settings page. So long as you do it before the date the listed you won't have to pay the $7.99 and will be charged the $3.99.

[OtinG]

Originally Posted by library addict

You have to use the actual Alexa device to ask for the downgrade. Once that's done, the greyed out option will show as the one selected when you look at the Amazon Music account settings page. So long as you do it before the date the listed you won't have to pay the $7.99 and will be charged the $3.99.

Thanks! That sounds like Amazon is purposely trying to make it nearly impossible to get the $3 savings on the first month. That is really sneaky on their part. I guess Bezos needs to pay for the 25% loss of his stock to his ex-wife due to an errant wiener! At any rate Amazon and all the other music services can keep their music subscription as I'm tired of paying a high price for something I don't use enough to justify paying for. I'm just going to listen to the free stuff and the radio stations for now.

[tubemonkey]

Amazon Alexa provides more detailed news briefings in the US

Cool - works great

Voice assistants usually only give you brief summaries of the news -- helpful if you're in a hurry, but that's about it. Amazon is betting that you'll want something deeper. It's rolling out an Alexa feature in the US that provides long-form news from Bloomberg, CNBC, CNN, Fox News, Newsy and NPR. Ask Alexa to "tell me the news" or to "play news" from a specific outlet and you'll get detailed audio from all providers, and video from CNBC and Newsy. You can skip stories if you'd rather not examine every story in vivid detail.

Audio works on any Alexa-powered device, while video logically requires a screen-equipped device like an Echo Show. It's a welcome (and arguably overdue) update, at any rate. Many people complain that the news is reduced to soundbites. This gives you a chance to explore the news in those moments when you can't pull out your phone or turn on a TV.

[tubemonkey]

Spotify Canada -- Free Google Home Mini -- exp 09 May

• FREE -- Google Home Mini -- free with paid Premium Spotify subscription

Here's an offer for a free enemy device for our Canadian members

X-posted from the deals forum. See this post for complete details.

[OtinG]

There is an interesting article named “Thousands of Amazon Employees Listen to Alexa Requests for Improvement Purposes” on the MacRumors website. Here are a couple of notable quotes:

Alexa users have the option to disable the use of their voice recordings for improvements to the service, but some may not know that these options exist. Amazon also does not make it clear that actual people are listening to the recordings.

See instructions below.

Amazon does not appear to be removing all personally identifiable information, and while the Echo is meant to collect audio only when a wake word is spoken, the employees who spoke to Bloomberg said they often hear audio files that appear to have started recording with no wake word at all.

Here are the instructions on how to turn off Amazon’s ability to listen to your voice recording:

1. In Alexa app select Menu icon in upper-left of screen.
2. Select Settings —> Alexa Account —> Alexa Privacy to open the Alexa Privacy page.
3. In the Alexa Privacy page, select Manage How Your Data Improves Alexa to open the Manage How Your Data Improves Alexa page.
4. In the Manage How Your Data Improves Alexa page, you can toggle OFF the Help Develop New Features option and the Use Messages to Improve Transcriptions option.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by OtinG

There is an interesting article named “Thousands of Amazon Employees Listen to Alexa Requests for Improvement Purposes” on the MacRumors website. Here are a couple of notable quotes:

I wonder if theyŕe also watching the recordings from all of those Echo Shows and Spots folks have in their bedrooms

[OtinG]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

I wonder if theyŕe also watching the recordings from all of those Echo Shows and Spots folks have in their bedrooms

I wouldn’t be surprised if they do. Creepy! Thankfully I don’t have one of the video capable Echos. The only thing they would have heard from me is a lot of cursing when Alexa, or one of my cats, was acting up, which is quite often! I turned off those options so hopefully they cannot listen in any more, but it wouldn't surprise me if they still can and do.