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Thursday, June 25, 2015

AMAZON ECHO









Amazon Echo is designed around your voice. It's hands-free and always on. With seven microphones and beam-forming technology, Echo can hear you from across the room—even while music is playing. Echo is also an expertly tuned speaker that can fill any room with immersive sound.
Shop Now - Introducing Amazon Echo

Echo connects to Alexa, a cloud-based voice service, to provide information, answer questions, play music, read the news, check sports scores or the weather, and more—instantly. All you have to do is ask. Echo begins working as soon as it detects the wake word. You can pick Alexa or Amazon as your wake word.






Always be heard

Tucked under Echo's light ring is an array of seven microphones. These sensors use beam-forming technology to hear you from any direction. With enhanced noise cancellation, Echo can hear you ask a question even while it's playing music.


...just ask

Echo uses on-device keyword spotting to detect the wake word. When Echo detects the wake word, it lights up and streams audio to the cloud, where we leverage the Alexa Voice Service to recognize and respond to your request.To know more click given below LINK at the end of the session





Ever-evolving

Alexa—the brain behind Echo—is built in the cloud, so it is always getting smarter. The more you use Echo, the more it adapts to your speech patterns, vocabulary, and personal preferences. And because Echo is always connected, updates are delivered automatically.

...and adding new skills

We are always adding new capabilities to Echo. Recently, we’ve added streaming music from Pandora, audiobooks from Audible, Google Calendar access, live sports scores and schedules, traffic reports, Amazon.com re-ordering, control of connected devices with WeMo and Philips Hue, and more.






360° immersive sound

Echo has been fine-tuned to deliver crisp vocals with dynamic bass response. Its dual downward-firing speakers produce 360° omni-directional audio to fill the room with immersive sound.

...for all of your music

Echo provides hands-free voice control for Amazon Music, Prime Music, Pandora, iHeartRadio, and TuneIn. Plus, Echo is Bluetooth-enabled so you can stream other popular music services like Spotify and iTunes from your phone or tablet.


























Don't lift a finger

Use Echo to switch on the lamp before getting out of bed, turn on the fan or space heater while reading in your favorite chair, or dim the lights from the couch to watch a movie—all without lifting a finger...or even raising your voice.

...to control your home

Echo works with devices such as lights and switches from Belkin WeMo and Philips Hue. Starter kits are available for easy setup.  To know more click given below LINK at the end of the session , about compatible Belkin WeMo and Philips Hue connected devices.




Echo doesn't stop working when you're away from home. With the free companion app on Fire OS, Android, iOS, and desktop browsers, you can easily manage your alarms,music, shopping lists, and more. 






Easy setup

Connect to your home network with a simple setup, guided by the free companion app on Fire OS, Android, iOS, and desktop browsers.

Just ask

Echo is always ready, connected, and fast. Just say the wake word, "Alexa," for:

NEW – Audible: Play audiobooks from Audible with Echo. Plus, Echo supports Whispersync for Voice to continue right where you left off.

NEW – Calendars: Check your upcoming schedule by asking what’s on your Google calendar.

NEW – Shopping: Restock on previously purchased items by re-ordering Prime-eligible products in your Amazon shopping history.

NEW – Connected home: Control compatible WeMo and Philips Hue devices with your voice.

NEW – Traffic: Hear commute time and the fastest route to your destination.

NEW – Sports: Ask for sports scores and schedules from the NFL, NBA, MLS, MLB, and more.

NEW – Pandora: Listen to and discover music from Pandora's library of over 1 million tracks.

Music: Listen to your Amazon Music Library, Prime Music, TuneIn, and iHeartRadio.

News, weather, and information: Hear up-to-the-minute weather and news from a variety of sources, including local radio stations, NPR, and ESPN from TuneIn.

Questions and answers: Get information from Wikipedia, definitions, answers to common questions, and more.

Alarms, timers, and lists: Stay on time and organized with voice-controlled alarms, timers, shopping lists, and to-do lists.

More coming soon: Echo automatically updates through the cloud with new services and features.



SAMPLE CUSTOMER REVIEWS


1) Already very practical for overcoming disability issues -  We have been using Echo since April. Prior to that time, my husband had been hospitalized for several weeks. He is currently wheelchair bound. We immediately installed the Hue bridge and lights as well as the WEMO outlet. With these, and dear, dear, Alexa, he has a great deal of control of his environment in ways that make him much more independent. Others might enjoy Echo for fun and convenience, but for him it is a lifeline! He has even had her turn the lights on in my bedroom when I didn't hear him call.

We use the shopping list feature a lot, and my husband has added things to the list that he remembered, while I was already at the store. Should I mention he adds things like chocolate bars when I'm not looking? No more paper lists! I just look at the app on my phone and things disappear as I check them off.

We transport Echo from the living room to the bedroom, since it is easier for him not to have to use the remote, plus it is always there for his favorite music, an update on news, and to check the weather. Or, when he needs cheering up, I ask for a joke. Tosave plugging in behind his lift chairs, I have ordered a second plug. I love the easy reconnect to the WIFI.

I was a bit worried at first about his word slurring with his Parkinson's, but it has worked the opposite way! I notice he focuses his words much better while giving commands. After he forgot her name early on, we added it so he could remember using the Zink hAppy App.

My granddaughter was happy to check her math problems using Echo, and in addition to the music stations and Amazon play lists, Echo is a breeze to use as a Bluetooth device. I have used it to play my meditation apps and iTunes music. In case you aren't aware, Amazon even allows you to upload your iTunes library and save it in your Amazon Play list. There is a limit for free songs, but we didn't even come close.

I won't say it revolutionized our lives, but it has made our lives much more normal. We have recommended it to two Occupational Therapists, and his Home Healthcare director has recommended it for others. I am so excited it is now available for everyone. Amazon didn't intend this as an assistive device, but it is an awesome one.

A couple of things I'm hoping for in the future: the ability for her to call 911, and the ability to give storm alerts. I looked for an IFTT configuration on the storm alert, but currently she is only the trigger, not the recipient. You can't have her do something in response to outside events, you can only have other things happen as a result of your interaction with her.

Funny, when he was in the hospital, I almost cancelled my long awaited order. I am SO glad we got it.


By Alex S TOP 50 REVIEWERVINE VOICE on June 19, 2015



2) The Echo has become the most used appliance in our home. - I requested an Echo (Alexa) in late 2014 and Amazon sent me an invitation to purchase one in February. I've used it daily since then. This review is going to sound a bit contradictory. I love her. I hate her, I love her. Let me start off by saying that Alexa, while I do love her, is at times about 50% smarter than a bulldog. Her IQ is somewhere between 25 and 160 depending on what you've asked her. You will very quickly learn how to talk to her in a way that she will understand and it's not unlike speaking to a small frustrating toddler. Alexa, when was George Washington born? George Washington was born...blah blah Alexa stop. There were rumors his teeth were wood but these turned out to be false, ALEXA stop speaking! There will be many times she will not understand what you're saying which can be both frustrating and hilarious. Alexa, put tomatoes on my shopping list. I've put potatoes onto your shopping list....Well, guess I'm eatin potatoes. That said, now that I've learned how to speak to the Echo it usually does exactly what I want it to do. I think the echo is well worth the price Amazon is asking and I'm thinking of getting a second one for the living room.

Pros:
+ Amazon has done a great job updating the Echo and adding features to it frequently. Since my purchase, they've added traffic reports, sports scores, Pandora, IFTT, voice control over the smart lights and appliances in your home, iTunes support, Spotify, and new fun features like rolling dice, and Simon says.
+ You can use the optional echo remote to control the volume or speak commands. It works really well from a good distance (I've tried 20-30 ft). I use it frequently and feel like it's worth the additional cost.
+ The Speaker sounds great with music and gets plenty loud.
+ You can teach the Echo how to understand you better using a Voice Training feature in the app.
+ It integrates with Audible! All I have to say is "Alexa, play my book", and it starts off from where I was listening on my phone or PC. You can also say "Alexa go back" and it will go back 30 seconds. Yay!
+ Bluetooth streaming is seamless. Just say "Alexa pair Bluetooth" and you'll be connected in 30 seconds.
+ It does a great job at finding the music you want to play quickly. "Alexa play kids music", "Alexa play my 90s station on Pandora". "Alexa play American Pie".... playing American pie by Don McLean.
+ Using "Simon Says" you can make Alexa repeat anything you say.
+ I love the shopping list. Throughout the day my wife will add things to the shopping list as she thinks about them and then when I go to the store the list is on my Echo phone app and I don't have try to remember what she wants.
+ One of my favorite things to do is mess with my kids using Alexa. My son will go into the kitchen and ask her questions. I sit in a different room and speak into the remote asking it to answer other random questions or I tell it to play country music and he gets super confused. I'll say things like "Add Landon needs to brush his teeth to the to do list." and when Alexa repeats what I've said he jumps. I find this a non-stop source of enjoyment that I am probably going to pay for one day.
+ The Echo has the ability to start and stop timers and alarms. Just say "Alexa set an alarm for 8 am", or "Alexa set a timer for 15 minutes". I find the timer very useful in the kitchen when I'm cooking more than one thing.
+ You can pause, stop, skip, and start music with your voice and it works really well. You can also control the volume with your voice by saying "Alexa turn the volume up." or "Alexa volume 5".
+ The jokes and random facts it can answer are really fun and can also be very helpful. Every time someone comes over I'll ask it questions like "How many teaspoons are in a cup?", what's 962 x 47?, or "How much does an Adult Elephant weight?" and the Echo can usually answer me.
+ They built in a lot of funny Easter eggs. You can say "Alexa Beam me up", "Alexa I love you", or "Alexa do you find me attractive?" and you'll get pretty funny responses.
+ There are lots of other random things it can do. Give you sports scores, tell you the weather, inform you of traffic conditions, order stuff on Amazon (thankfully not enabled by default), and read the news.
+ The Amazon Echo SDK is coming soon! That means software developers will be able to make new apps that work with the Echo.

Cons
- It's not portable. You have to keep it plugged in at all times. They should come out with a wireless rechargeable version.
- I wish you could ask the Echo to do more than one thing without repeating it's name "Alexa". For example I'd like to say "Alexa add milk, eggs, olive oil, and onions to my shopping list" and have it add 4 items to the list instead of 1.
- Currently the Echo only supports English. It will translate words for you but it puts them into your Echo app because it can't speak other languages.
- It would be great if they gave you a second keyword that would let Alexa listen until you tell her to stop listening. Sometimes I don't speak fast enough and the Echo thinks I'm done talking before I've finished my sentence.
- The shopping list is only stored in the cloud, not on your phone. I can't always get an internet connection in my grocery store, especially when I'm in the back of the store. When I lose the internet I suddenly can't access my shopping list. As a work-around you can use IFTT to copy the shopping list to another app on your phone. That said I still think they should copy the list to your phone in the echo app because not everyone is going to set up IFTT.
- When asking questions, the Echo is only good with facts. I can ask it "What is the capital of France?" but I can't ask questions like "How do I substitute Baking soda for baking powder?" or "Read me the next instructions for this fried chicken recipe.". I'd like if they expanded it's question answering capability in the future. Food and drink recipes should be on their short list of features to add.
- I'd like if the Echo had an equalizer built in. Some of my audiobooks sound just fine but others can sound muddy and I'd like to be able to bring out the voice by tweaking the mids, treble, and base on the speaker.

In my opinion, the kitchen is the perfect location for the Echo. We spend a lot of time in the kitchen and I love listening to music or my Audio books when I'm cooking. My hands are usually full and being able to control the music with my voice is very convenient. Overall this is a fantastic device. Amazon has proven they are committed to the Echo by frequently pushing free updates to it so I have no doubt that it's going to become even more useful as time goes on. Great job Amazon! Not every gadget you put out is perfect but you've got a real winner on your hands with this one.


By Canon man on June 19, 2015




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