Amazon Echo Club

[CRussel]

FYI -- there appears to be an issue with the latest firmware update to original Echo devices. Mine went belly up (red ring of death) overnight Tuesday into Wednesday -- wouldn't connect to WiFi, multiple soft resets, and I finally called Amazon CS this morning. After an hour on the phone with a very nice person in Jamaica (I timed it), and everything up to and including a factory reset, it's been passed to their technical department. At least one other MR member has also had their original Echo go belly up this week, which leads me to strongly suspect a failed firmware issue.

[wodin]

Either that or a little push to get folks to upgrade to newer models (what me cynical? Why yes, yes I am!). Thankfully both of my original Echos are still working, as are all my gen 2s and dots.

[tubemonkey]

Amazon Echo Show software update adds Web Browser, Smart Home Dashboard, NBC, Hulu, and more

The all-new Amazon Echo Show is being released today but owners of the 1st generation Echo Show are receiving a software update that adds many of the new model’s features to their existing devices. In addition to an overall system-wide refresh of the interface, the new update has added both the Amazon Silk and Firefox web browsers which, most notably, restores access to YouTube on the Echo Show. Also being added is a new smart home dashboard that gives quick touch access to smart lights and Alexa routines. Echo Shows can now also stream NBC and Hulu programming.

The new Echo Show software update, which carries version number 620525720, is the most major update that the device has ever received. While the update has tweaked many aspects of the user interface, it’s not such a big change that people will be lost. This update adds a bit of polish to most fo the existing capabilities but also adds several new features.

[tubemonkey]

How to cast YouTube to the Amazon Echo Show from an iPhone or Android phone

Now that the Amazon Echo Show has gained both Amazon Silk and Firefox browsers, it’s once again possible to watch YouTube videos on the device. Unfortunately, the mobile interface of YouTube that loads in these browsers isn’t exactly ideal for a device like the Echo Show. Thankfully, with just a little bit of initial setup, it’s possible to cast YouTube videos from mobile devices, like iPhones and Android phones, to the Echo Show. If you don’t mind using a phone to start and control videos, casting is a much better way to watch YouTube videos on the Echo Show. Here’s how to get it working.

[wodin]

Amazon Echo Dot (3rd gen) review: better looks, better sound, same price

I’m going to cut right to the chase: the new Echo Dot smart speaker is so much better than its predecessor that it would not be totally out of line to replace a whole houseful of old Echo Dots with new ones. The new Echo Dot looks better, works better, and, most importantly, sounds much better than the prior model. And it still costs the same $49.99.

[OtinG]

Cowza Device

[Tarana]

I've been having on and off trouble the last two weeks with audio book operation on my Echo. I tell Alexa to pause repeatedly and she just doesn't do it or does it randomly. "Stop" mostly works. What gives. It worked 99% of the time before and now it's about 60%. Suggestions? Note, this is Audible streaming , not Bluetooth from another device.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by OtinG

Cowza Device

Cowzabunga

[OtinG]

Originally Posted by Tarana

I've been having on and off trouble the last two weeks with audio book operation on my Echo. I tell Alexa to pause repeatedly and she just doesn't do it or does it randomly. "Stop" mostly works. What gives. It worked 99% of the time before and now it's about 60%. Suggestions? Note, this is Audible streaming , not Bluetooth from another device.

That sounds like a server response (or lack of response) issue. I don't listen to audio books, but I do use my Taps to listen to SiriusXM a lot. Here lately I will likely have an issue at least once an hour where Alexa announces she is unable to play SiriusXM any more and stops the music. I immediately tell her to start playing it again and it works until the next time she has an issue. With all of the server connections she requires, especially if running 3rd party skills and connections, it is a frustrating experience.

A few months ago I wanted to listen to a few specific podcasts via Echo devices but gave up as it was just too frustrating to find a way to play the ones I wanted to on my Taps. I listen to them on my MacBook Pro instead.

I spent over 30 years in the high tech and software industries (not as a programmer though). To me it just seems like the newer crop of high tech folks are trying to patch together too many capabilities into their devices rather than taking the time to design said devices and systems from the ground up with these capabilities in mind. We consumers wind up with a patchwork, Frankenstein device that does nothing very well and a lot of things half a$$ed. A friend of mine from my youth used to say about himself, "I'm a jack of all trades, but a master of none." That is how I view companies these days which build devices like Echos. They try to make them do everything, but they really don't even know how to make them do any one thing as well as it should be done. The results are disastrous and little more than fuel for SNL jokes.

[wodin]

Originally Posted by Tarana

I've been having on and off trouble the last two weeks with audio book operation on my Echo. I tell Alexa to pause repeatedly and she just doesn't do it or does it randomly. "Stop" mostly works. What gives. It worked 99% of the time before and now it's about 60%. Suggestions? Note, this is Audible streaming , not Bluetooth from another device.

#Metoo, I like to read along with Alexa, but lately she's been a bit flakey. She doesn't seem to sync properly with my KFA devices, and often stops reading completely. When I tell her to resume, she says "I don't have anything to resume..." Then when I tell her to read the book again she picks up several (or sometimes many) pages before where she was.

It's gotten to the point of not being worth it, and I just read from KFA without her.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by CRussel

FYI -- there appears to be an issue with the latest firmware update to original Echo devices. Mine went belly up (red ring of death) overnight Tuesday into Wednesday -- wouldn't connect to WiFi, multiple soft resets, and I finally called Amazon CS this morning. After an hour on the phone with a very nice person in Jamaica (I timed it), and everything up to and including a factory reset, it's been passed to their technical department. At least one other MR member has also had their original Echo go belly up this week, which leads me to strongly suspect a failed firmware issue.

And finally, a mere 2 weeks later, Amazon has offered a full replacement for my bricked Echo. Or 50% off a new Gen2 Echo. Even though my original generation Echo was out of warranty by over a year. Patience (and over a decade of Prime membership, I don't doubt) finally paid off.

[OtinG]

Originally Posted by CRussel

And finally, a mere 2 weeks later, Amazon has offered a full replacement for my bricked Echo. Or 50% off a new Gen2 Echo. Even though my original generation Echo was out of warranty by over a year. Patience (and over a decade of Prime membership, I don't doubt) finally paid off.

Good deal. Amazon does seem to treat loyal, long time customers pretty well. They might treat others just as well, but no way of knowing. Most issues I've had have been quickly and satisfactorily resolved, though most of my issues have been shipping booboos or 3rd party sellers who didn't provide the item they said they would. Their generous, no questions asked return policy has been a really good thing. I've tried a few of their Paperwhite Kindles that were terrible to read on and they took them back. I also returned the Echo 2 last year when I got one and it sounded worse than the original. I hear they made some FW changes to improve them, but I doubt they really made them much better. At any rate, that return policy is what allows me to try out their new items by taking the gamble out of the equation. I rarely return anything, but if it really sucks I know I can return it.

[OtinG]

Originally Posted by CRussel

And finally, a mere 2 weeks later, Amazon has offered a full replacement for my bricked Echo. Or 50% off a new Gen2 Echo. Even though my original generation Echo was out of warranty by over a year. Patience (and over a decade of Prime membership, I don't doubt) finally paid off.

BTW, did they ever correct this FW bug? I have an original Echo sitting in its box on a shelf. I haven't used it in a while, but if I ever did I wouldn't want it to self-destruct after it updates the FW.

[Tarana]

Originally Posted by OtinG

BTW, did they ever correct this FW bug? I have an original Echo sitting in its box on a shelf. I haven't used it in a while, but if I ever did I wouldn't want it to self-destruct after it updates the FW.

Both my brother and i have the Original Echo and had no bricking happen, so clearly this is not an issue for all 1st generation Echos.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by CRussel

And finally, a mere 2 weeks later, Amazon has offered a full replacement for my bricked Echo. Or 50% off a new Gen2 Echo. Even though my original generation Echo was out of warranty by over a year. Patience (and over a decade of Prime membership, I don't doubt) finally paid off.

Good for you! They only gave me a $30 credit for bricking mine, even as they admitted the firmware update was at fault. But I'm not a good customer and I get that, but it's also why I tend to make at least a teeny eye-roll when people talk about how great Amazon CS is. My own experience has been that it's merely adequate and perhaps somewhat less so in this case.