Amazon Echo Dot on sale $0.99

whoyouare72

Echo Dot (3rd Gen) for $0.99 and 1 month of Amazon Music Unlimited for $7.99 with Auto-renewal

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XKDQZB9/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_g12RDb0BJAZVC

PJ_Soul

whoyouare72 said:

Echo Dot (3rd Gen) for $0.99 and 1 month of Amazon Music Unlimited for $7.99 with Auto-renewal

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XKDQZB9/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_g12RDb0BJAZVC

Wow, that's crazy. I got mine for $25CAD on Prime Day and thought that was an amazing deal. I wish this was a Canada thing too - I'd get one for my bathroom!

I didn't think I wanted these things before I got them, but I LOVE them now that I have them. The reminders and lists are especially useful, and I also got smartplugs, and I love using voice commands to turn things on and off! I also love it for the sleep sounds - the skills area on the app offers a ton of great sleep sounds. Also very nice to just ask what the temp/weather is outside while I'm getting dressed.

tempo_n_groove

Nope!

whoyouare72

tempo_n_groove said:

Nope!

Why? You don't like them eavesdropping?

HesCalledDyer

So what do these things do other than be a crappy speaker for streaming music and remind you to do things?

tempo_n_groove

whoyouare72 said:

tempo_n_groove said:

Nope!

Why? You don't like them eavesdropping?

Correct!

PJ_Soul

HesCalledDyer said:

So what do these things do other than be a crappy speaker for streaming music and remind you to do things?

I wouldn't stream music on the dots, although the sound quality of even those are amazingly good for their size. I hear than the full sized ones are actually very good speakers though.

Voice control of lights and other appliances is a great feature, and you can program them to turn on and off or do it remotely too. Shopping lists and stuff is good. Of course you use it for alarms and timers. It walks you through recipes while you're cooking. You can also ask it all kinds of questions - random facts, things like "where is the closest ______?", ask for live traffic info, weather, business addresses, news flashes built for your interests, etc etc etc. It's not google, but it's a general source of online information, all accessed verbally. It's extremely handy. You can also make and receive phone calls with it, but only with people who also have it and have set that feature up. And it works as an intercom in the household. There are also games you can play with it and shit, and you can play audio books on it.

tempo_n_groove

PJ_Soul said:

HesCalledDyer said:

So what do these things do other than be a crappy speaker for streaming music and remind you to do things?

I wouldn't stream music on the dots, although the sound quality of even those are amazingly good for their size. I hear than the full sized ones are actually very good speakers though.

Voice control of lights and other appliances is a great feature, and you can program them to turn on and off or do it remotely too. Shopping lists and stuff is good. Of course you use it for alarms and timers. It walks you through recipes while you're cooking. You can also ask it all kinds of questions - random facts, things like "where is the closest ______?", ask for live traffic info, weather, business addresses, news flashes built for your interests, etc etc etc. It's not google, but it's a general source of online information, all accessed verbally. It's extremely handy. You can also make and receive phone calls with it, but only with people who also have it and have set that feature up. And it works as an intercom in the household. There are also games you can play with it and shit, and you can play audio books on it.

Basically you offer all of your life and everything you do on a daily basis up to a machine that stores that data that you willingly give up for free and STILL pay for a service, now ain't that a kick in the chimmy chongas?

Jason P

Alexa is still pretty bad at correctly understanding / interpreting anything you say correctly.  I mainly only use Alexa for control of house lighting and after a whole year of only saying “turn on / off all light”, Alexa only correctly executes the command 50% of time.  Controlling music is an exercise in madness.  

Jason P

Also if you go on your Amazon account you have a transcript of everything you have ever said when Alexa was “active”.  It’s crazy.  There are digital records of me yelling that Alexa is a son of a motherless goat that go back as far as 5 years ago.  In fact the first three years is just me telling Alexa that she is dumb as shit.  I hope this doesn’t end up in court one day. 

hedonist

Fuck Alexa!

tempo_n_groove

Jason P said:

Also if you go on your Amazon account you have a transcript of everything you have ever said when Alexa was “active”.  It’s crazy.  There are digital records of me yelling that Alexa is a son of a motherless goat that go back as far as 5 years ago.  In fact the first three years is just me telling Alexa that she is dumb as shit.  I hope this doesn’t end up in court one day. 

This sir, is abusive behavior...

You'll need to take an anger management class.

HesCalledDyer

tempo_n_groove said:

PJ_Soul said:

HesCalledDyer said:

So what do these things do other than be a crappy speaker for streaming music and remind you to do things?

I wouldn't stream music on the dots, although the sound quality of even those are amazingly good for their size. I hear than the full sized ones are actually very good speakers though.

Voice control of lights and other appliances is a great feature, and you can program them to turn on and off or do it remotely too. Shopping lists and stuff is good. Of course you use it for alarms and timers. It walks you through recipes while you're cooking. You can also ask it all kinds of questions - random facts, things like "where is the closest ______?", ask for live traffic info, weather, business addresses, news flashes built for your interests, etc etc etc. It's not google, but it's a general source of online information, all accessed verbally. It's extremely handy. You can also make and receive phone calls with it, but only with people who also have it and have set that feature up. And it works as an intercom in the household. There are also games you can play with it and shit, and you can play audio books on it.

Basically you offer all of your life and everything you do on a daily basis up to a machine that stores that data that you willingly give up for free and STILL pay for a service, now ain't that a kick in the chimmy chongas?

That's the entirety of the internet and every device connected to it since the Patriot Act.  Snowden tried to warn us...

It's a good deal money-wise,  but I don't think I want one. Doubt I'd use it much.  I buy tech things anymore and show them off once or twice then they collect dust. Shit... that just made me realize I'm turning into my dad.  FUCK!!

PJ_Soul

tempo_n_groove said:

PJ_Soul said:

HesCalledDyer said:

So what do these things do other than be a crappy speaker for streaming music and remind you to do things?

I wouldn't stream music on the dots, although the sound quality of even those are amazingly good for their size. I hear than the full sized ones are actually very good speakers though.

Voice control of lights and other appliances is a great feature, and you can program them to turn on and off or do it remotely too. Shopping lists and stuff is good. Of course you use it for alarms and timers. It walks you through recipes while you're cooking. You can also ask it all kinds of questions - random facts, things like "where is the closest ______?", ask for live traffic info, weather, business addresses, news flashes built for your interests, etc etc etc. It's not google, but it's a general source of online information, all accessed verbally. It's extremely handy. You can also make and receive phone calls with it, but only with people who also have it and have set that feature up. And it works as an intercom in the household. There are also games you can play with it and shit, and you can play audio books on it.

Basically you offer all of your life and everything you do on a daily basis up to a machine that stores that data that you willingly give up for free and STILL pay for a service, now ain't that a kick in the chimmy chongas?

You don't pay for the service. You just buy the devices and that's the end of it. It's free. And what the fuck do I care about offering everything I do (although that's not accurate at all - not even close)? I have nothing to hide, and I actually like getting information that fits my likes being directed at me. Like, if I put something on my shopping list via Alexa, I'm actually likely to receive coupons or ads for deals for the items I already need. And I'm pretty comfortable with Google knowing that I needed a reminder to do my laundry last Thursday night, and to bring my laptop to work last Monday, lol. And like Dyer said, you're doing this either way if you're using the internet, so I may as well have all the extra convenience.

But here is a helpful article about what Alexa may or may not hear, why, and how to get rid of the info. And you can set the things to delete everything you've said on command. I have it enable so I can just say "delete everything I said today", although I rarely ever bother. I have never seen any audio in the record that I didn't intend for Alexa. It hasn't ever "accidentally" listened in to anything. I don't think there is any reason to be paranoid about it at all if you're someone who uses the internet.

https://www.theverge.com/2018/5/28/17402154/amazon-echo-alexa-conversation-recording-history-listen-how-to

PJ_Soul

HesCalledDyer said:

tempo_n_groove said:

PJ_Soul said:

HesCalledDyer said:

So what do these things do other than be a crappy speaker for streaming music and remind you to do things?

I wouldn't stream music on the dots, although the sound quality of even those are amazingly good for their size. I hear than the full sized ones are actually very good speakers though.

Voice control of lights and other appliances is a great feature, and you can program them to turn on and off or do it remotely too. Shopping lists and stuff is good. Of course you use it for alarms and timers. It walks you through recipes while you're cooking. You can also ask it all kinds of questions - random facts, things like "where is the closest ______?", ask for live traffic info, weather, business addresses, news flashes built for your interests, etc etc etc. It's not google, but it's a general source of online information, all accessed verbally. It's extremely handy. You can also make and receive phone calls with it, but only with people who also have it and have set that feature up. And it works as an intercom in the household. There are also games you can play with it and shit, and you can play audio books on it.

Basically you offer all of your life and everything you do on a daily basis up to a machine that stores that data that you willingly give up for free and STILL pay for a service, now ain't that a kick in the chimmy chongas?

That's the entirety of the internet and every device connected to it since the Patriot Act.  Snowden tried to warn us...

It's a good deal money-wise,  but I don't think I want one. Doubt I'd use it much.  I buy tech things anymore and show them off once or twice then they collect dust. Shit... that just made me realize I'm turning into my dad.  FUCK!!

I didn't think I'd use it much either. I was an "it's so cheap, why the hell not?" purchase, and it was sweeten by a bonus voice controlled fire stick (which is also awesome btw). But once I got them, I discovered that I naturally ended up using them regularly, every day. Of course, if you want to voice control your lights and other things that turn on and off, you need to also get smart plugs are smart light bulbs (I much prefer the plugs, as none of the bulbs create a nice light IMO, and don't last forever).

PJ_Soul

Jason P said:

Alexa is still pretty bad at correctly understanding / interpreting anything you say correctly.  I mainly only use Alexa for control of house lighting and after a whole year of only saying “turn on / off all light”, Alexa only correctly executes the command 50% of time.  Controlling music is an exercise in madness.  

The 3rd generation is pretty damn good with this. I think they very much improved this with the new ones, as I very rarely have any issues, and when I do it's because I had mushy mouth. Like, it thought I said dull instead of doll or something. I have never once had it not understand a light on/light off request, and all audio control is perfect - never had an issue..... If you keep them near a speaker that is making noise though, or near a blaring TV or something, that can negatively impact things.

(BTW, no, of course I don't have interest in Alexa stock. I'm just excited that it's so handy and that people could get them for only $1, and also just see a lot of misinformation about it going around)

HesCalledDyer

PJ_Soul said:

HesCalledDyer said:

tempo_n_groove said:

PJ_Soul said:

HesCalledDyer said:

So what do these things do other than be a crappy speaker for streaming music and remind you to do things?

I wouldn't stream music on the dots, although the sound quality of even those are amazingly good for their size. I hear than the full sized ones are actually very good speakers though.

Voice control of lights and other appliances is a great feature, and you can program them to turn on and off or do it remotely too. Shopping lists and stuff is good. Of course you use it for alarms and timers. It walks you through recipes while you're cooking. You can also ask it all kinds of questions - random facts, things like "where is the closest ______?", ask for live traffic info, weather, business addresses, news flashes built for your interests, etc etc etc. It's not google, but it's a general source of online information, all accessed verbally. It's extremely handy. You can also make and receive phone calls with it, but only with people who also have it and have set that feature up. And it works as an intercom in the household. There are also games you can play with it and shit, and you can play audio books on it.

Basically you offer all of your life and everything you do on a daily basis up to a machine that stores that data that you willingly give up for free and STILL pay for a service, now ain't that a kick in the chimmy chongas?

That's the entirety of the internet and every device connected to it since the Patriot Act.  Snowden tried to warn us...

It's a good deal money-wise,  but I don't think I want one. Doubt I'd use it much.  I buy tech things anymore and show them off once or twice then they collect dust. Shit... that just made me realize I'm turning into my dad.  FUCK!!

I didn't think I'd use it much either. I was an "it's so cheap, why the hell not?" purchase, and it was sweeten by a bonus voice controlled fire stick (which is also awesome btw). But once I got them, I discovered that I naturally ended up using them regularly, every day. Of course, if you want to voice control your lights and other things that turn on and off, you need to also get smart plugs are smart light bulbs (I much prefer the plugs, as none of the bulbs create a nice light IMO, and don't last forever).

I just don't really like to talk to machines.  I never use Siri nor do I ever use the voice activation in my car. Hell, I barely like to talk to people.

PJ_Soul

HesCalledDyer said:

PJ_Soul said:

HesCalledDyer said:

tempo_n_groove said:

PJ_Soul said:

HesCalledDyer said:

So what do these things do other than be a crappy speaker for streaming music and remind you to do things?

I wouldn't stream music on the dots, although the sound quality of even those are amazingly good for their size. I hear than the full sized ones are actually very good speakers though.

Voice control of lights and other appliances is a great feature, and you can program them to turn on and off or do it remotely too. Shopping lists and stuff is good. Of course you use it for alarms and timers. It walks you through recipes while you're cooking. You can also ask it all kinds of questions - random facts, things like "where is the closest ______?", ask for live traffic info, weather, business addresses, news flashes built for your interests, etc etc etc. It's not google, but it's a general source of online information, all accessed verbally. It's extremely handy. You can also make and receive phone calls with it, but only with people who also have it and have set that feature up. And it works as an intercom in the household. There are also games you can play with it and shit, and you can play audio books on it.

Basically you offer all of your life and everything you do on a daily basis up to a machine that stores that data that you willingly give up for free and STILL pay for a service, now ain't that a kick in the chimmy chongas?

That's the entirety of the internet and every device connected to it since the Patriot Act.  Snowden tried to warn us...

It's a good deal money-wise,  but I don't think I want one. Doubt I'd use it much.  I buy tech things anymore and show them off once or twice then they collect dust. Shit... that just made me realize I'm turning into my dad.  FUCK!!

I didn't think I'd use it much either. I was an "it's so cheap, why the hell not?" purchase, and it was sweeten by a bonus voice controlled fire stick (which is also awesome btw). But once I got them, I discovered that I naturally ended up using them regularly, every day. Of course, if you want to voice control your lights and other things that turn on and off, you need to also get smart plugs are smart light bulbs (I much prefer the plugs, as none of the bulbs create a nice light IMO, and don't last forever).

I just don't really like to talk to machines.  I never use Siri nor do I ever use the voice activation in my car. Hell, I barely like to talk to people.

I get it, I was completely the same way, and really never even remember to use Google assistant on my phone. I dunno. Somehow the echo just contradicted everything I thought I wanted once it actually got plugged it. It surprised me! But sure, of course, it's not for everybody.... It and similar devices are certainly the future though. It won't be long before they are just standard features built into homes and cars.