Amazon Echo Club

[wodin]

Originally Posted by Purple Lady

How did you close the alexa app? Amazon does weird things with their apps. Just using the back button doesn't necessarily close an app.
...

I tapped the home icon, then I opened the Kindle app (I like to read along with Alexa as she often gets pronunciation wrong). Kindle opened to page one then asked if I wanted to got to the farthest page (end of the book) and I tapped "no". Everything normal so far.

Then I asked my echo to read the book, and my phone opened the Alexa app and answered!

Raised my eyebrows! I had to close the Alexa app again to get it to stop, then "Alexa; Read Cold Days" and this time the Echo answered.

Evidently the app didn't completely close the first time, effectively turning my phone into an Echo device. Again, I don't want my phone to be and Echo!

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by wodin

I tapped the home icon, then I opened the Kindle app (I like to read along with Alexa as she often gets pronunciation wrong). Kindle opened to page one then asked if I wanted to got to the farthest page (end of the book) and I tapped "no". Everything normal so far.

Then I asked my echo to read the book, and my phone opened the Alexa app and answered!

Raised my eyebrows! I had to close the Alexa app again to get it to stop, then "Alexa; Read Cold Days" and this time the Echo answered.

Evidently the app didn't completely close the first time, effectively turning my phone into an Echo device. Again, I don't want my phone to be and Echo!

Using the home button and then going to another app is the way to leave an app open while going to another app. Android has had real multitasking years. Apple is the one late to the game with that.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by wodin

I tapped the home icon, then I opened the Kindle app

[...]
Evidently the app didn't completely close the first time, effectively turning my phone into an Echo device. Again, I don't want my phone to be and Echo!

There are many design patterns and exceptions, but in general, virtually no Android apps close just because they are no longer in the foreground, and all pressing the home button does is bring the launcher app to the foreground.

Going to your phones app manager and clicking "force close" on the app is the the closest thing to a sure way to stop an Android app I'm aware of.

Next to uninstalling it, of course, which is also a good option. You could always reinstall it later if you want to use it.

But I presume you actually USE the App and it's connected functionality for some reason. Surely there is a setting somewhere in the Alexa app itself to simply turn off the behavior you don't want?

ApK

[wodin]

So why doesn't it respond to my wake word all of the time?

I just checked the wayback button to see if the app was there, it was. But when I say "Alexa" to the phone... nada!

If I say "OK Google" I get the assistant, but not Alexa. Except that once. Whatsupwi'dat?

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Every now and then, Amazon shoots itself in the foot and they did so with that move.

I agree. This was the best feature and well worth the money. Now I have to figure something else out.

Originally Posted by Purple Lady

You could try Tunein radio. I always listen to the same station so I only need to tell it "play Tunein radio". It will play the last station you listened to.

I don't listen to the radio. I have my own music I like and own and now I have to find another cloud option.

Sent from my Nexus 7

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Blossom

I agree. This was the best feature and well worth the money. Now I have to figure something else out.

I don't listen to the radio. I have my own music I like and own and now I have to find another cloud option.

Sent from my Nexus 7

I wonder if that new family skill creation feature has enough power to implement something like?

[Tarana]

I mostly use my Echos for audiobooks , music, morning news, reminders and alarms. I have found it kind of useful with the drop-in feature for my disabled brother although sometimes I'm not sure if that's more annoying or helpful but it is easier for him to get a message to me than using our intercom system on our portable phones. So he does it twice as often. At least I don't have to stop and restart the audiobook.

I should add that my bro has the prime membership, so music isn't a problem at this time. I will however be returning to my iPods for most music after the cloud feature goes away. They hold 16 gigs of music, all stuff I like. The nice thing though with the Echo is when I'm reading a book and they refer to some song, I can stop and ask Echo to play it and she will play a snippet. Before, I had to stop, go to my computer or tablet, then to youtube. I am so lazy now.

[ApK]

Hey, in case any one hasn't heard, Amazon Prime annual cost is going up on May 11th.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/custo...deId=202213110
So for those on the fence, you might want to decide before then.
Note according to the above article (and I just confirmed with CS) if you have a current annual membership that expires before June 16th, you will renew and the current rate.
Also, Amazon just told me that CS membership extensions don't count against you. e.g., if your membership was originally going to expire on June 1st, and you had gotten one month extension from CS, say because of a late package, pushing you to July 1st, you will still renew at the lower, pre-June 16th rate.

[wodin]

For me Prime is a no brainer, Just the shipping is worth it, but throw in the Prime Music and Videos and it's still well worth the increased cost.

Besides, how would I get to watch Clarkson an crew if I didn't have Prime.

[Purple Lady]

I saw that Alexa can remember things for you on AFTV, and a day later it shows that Alexa can't forget what you told it to remember. They really need people who can think about how a feature should work before they actually implement it. Knowing that you need the ability to forget or modify something that was remembered is not rocket science.

http://www.aftvnews.com/alexa-can-no...t-to-remember/

http://www.aftvnews.com/amazons-alex...t-to-remember/

[wodin]

Try getting Facebook to forget something+. Good luck with that.

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by wodin

Try getting Facebook to forget something+. Good luck with that.

That's simple for me. I don't use it. When I want to see something that requires logging in, I create a dummy account. Unfortunately I'm too much of a dummy to remember what name I used, so I have to create a new one each time!

[wodin]

Originally Posted by Purple Lady

That's simple for me. I don't use it. When I want to see something that requires logging in, I create a dummy account. Unfortunately I'm too much of a dummy to remember what name I used, so I have to create a new one each time!

So Facebook has a better memory than you?

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by wodin

So Facebook has a better memory than you?

Yep 😁

[tubemonkey]

Amazon’s Alexa can’t be asked to forget what you ask it to remember

Amazon’s Alexa voice-assistant has a handy new feature that lets you ask it to remember things for you that you can request at will. The issue is that there is no way to ask Alexa to forget something by voice. Worse yet, you can’t just modify what Alexa remembers by telling it a new fact to replace an existing memory.

The only way to make Alexa forget something you asked it to remember is to delete the record in the Alexa app. Unfortunately, there is no way to see a list of what you’ve asked Alexa to remember. To delete a memory record, you must find the request in your Alexa history log on the home screen of the Alexa app and select the delete option associated with the request. As you can imagine, this will become a nearly impossible task if you want to delete a memory record weeks or months later.

If you ask Alexa to remember something that you’ve already asked it to remember, but with a different specification, Alexa will remember both items. So if you say “Alexa, remember my keys are in the bedroom” and then later say “Alexa, remember the keys are in the kitchen,” when you ask Alexa to tell you where the keys are, it will tell you they are in both the bedroom and the kitchen.

Until Amaozn addresses this oversight, it’s best to use Alexa’s new memory feature for items that will never change, like for remembering birthdays. If you make a mistake when asking Alexa to remember something, be sure to go into the Alexa app and delete the memory request before it gets burried in your request history.