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Smart Home devices

Kev D · 282 · 14056

england Offline Kev D

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Smart Home devices
on: November 05, 2018, 04:58:14 PM
Anyone have an amazon echo?

I'm toying with getting a couple. The 3rd generation dot for my bedroom and the 2nd generation echo for my living room, with a base speaker to go with it.  I listen to a lot of internet radio, mostly the station my friend runs so it would make it easier to listen to other than on my phone.
« Last Edit: December 28, 2018, 12:52:22 PM by Whoey »


no Offline Steinar

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Re: Smart Home devices
Reply #1 on: November 05, 2018, 07:02:21 PM
I have co-worker who is very happy with his. Personally, I really dislike the privacy aspect of voice recognition in the cloud. Each to his own.  :dunno:


wales Offline Smashie

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Re: Smart Home devices
Reply #2 on: November 05, 2018, 07:10:31 PM
I've got one, I never use it any more. Internet radio I can do from my computer or phone direct to the Hi-Fi.
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england Offline Kev D

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Re: Smart Home devices
Reply #3 on: November 06, 2018, 09:04:24 AM
My hi-fi just about runs on steam. It's so old it even has a cassette player on it.


scotland Offline Gareth

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Re: Smart Home devices
Reply #4 on: November 06, 2018, 09:30:00 AM
I'm interested to hear about this topic myself.
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wales Offline hiraethus

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Re: Smart Home devices
Reply #5 on: November 06, 2018, 09:41:49 AM
My hi-fi just about runs on steam. It's so old it even has a cassette player on it.

Chromecast Audio. :tu:


wales Offline Smashie

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Re: Smart Home devices
Reply #6 on: November 06, 2018, 09:59:41 AM
My hi-fi just about runs on steam. It's so old it even has a cassette player on it.

Yup, so does mine, it does have an aux input on it though. This is connected to an Airport express (or an appletv) so I can stream from my phone, tablet or pc. I use the app tunein Radio on all three.

Although no cassette  :rofl:
« Last Edit: November 06, 2018, 10:06:32 AM by Smashie »
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us Offline ironraven

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Re: Smart Home devices
Reply #7 on: November 06, 2018, 03:06:08 PM
I don't have one, but several of my friends do.

I love how Amazon designed it not to lie. So it turns off if you ask if it records everything or reports to the government.
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england Offline Kev D

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Re: Smart Home devices
Reply #8 on: November 07, 2018, 04:46:45 PM
At least the fixed the random giggling that freaked people out in the middle of the night

When I get mine I expect it at some time to tell me for the love of god to stop snoring  :D


cy Offline dks

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Re: Smart Home devices
Reply #9 on: November 07, 2018, 05:31:23 PM
A wife can do that too
Kelly: "Daddy, what makes men cheat on women?
Al : "Women!"

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fr Offline Whoey

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Re: Smart Home devices
Reply #10 on: November 15, 2018, 11:11:29 AM
They recently launched in Spain, and for a few weeks, there was a 35% discount on the whole range, although they still don't have all the devices available elsewhere. I did briefly consider getting a dot.

I ended up trying to setup google assistant on my RPi which I did manage to get working, sort of... it requires a USB mic or USB soundcard with a mic input. One guide suggested using an old USB webcam as they usually have a mic integrated, and that's what I used to test. There are so many guides, and some of the parts of the procedure have changed slightly, it can easily get a little confusing, but in the end, I managed to get it to trigger using the "Ok Google" and get it to tell me the time. I didn't really have time to carry on playing with it at that time so I left it at that stage. I suppose there are some additional steps to get it to run automatically without having it hooked up to a screen, keyboard and mouse, and I would like to have a proper power switch (to avoid unplugging each time I want to restart/power off) as well as the AIY kit push to talk switch included in the kit. I now see there are some more complete images out there that might have saved me a few steps coming from the clean NOOBS install.
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england Offline Kev D

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Re: Smart Home devices
Reply #11 on: November 16, 2018, 06:32:25 AM
I just ordered my devices in the black Friday sales.

The echo dot 3rd gen are 50% off and the echo 2nd gen are 35% off at the mo. So I got both for less than the normal price of just the echo.


fr Offline Whoey

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Re: Smart Home devices
Reply #12 on: November 16, 2018, 12:33:17 PM
that just made me look, and 3rd gen dot is 42% off here now... regular 59.99 eur, currently 34.99 eur
« Last Edit: November 16, 2018, 12:35:23 PM by Whoey »
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england Offline Kev D

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Re: Smart Home devices
Reply #13 on: November 16, 2018, 01:44:13 PM
Correction full size echo are 39% off, I was wrong.  I was correct with the dot though


fr Offline Whoey

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Re: Smart Home devices
Reply #14 on: November 16, 2018, 03:40:44 PM
only dot 3rd gen on sale here.
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es Offline microbe

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Re: Smart Home devices
Reply #15 on: November 16, 2018, 03:57:06 PM
I have Google Home for over a year now (I used a UK version in Spain) I added a Chromecast for my TV, and a Chromecasr Audio for my old receiver. I also added a couple of Philips Hue lights that can be controlled by Google Home. Even if not optimal, I like this tech a lot. I use it to get the weather forecast, to tell me the time, to turn on/off TV, to stream music to the stereo direct from Google home, or from my mobile, to turn on/off the living room lights, to set a 10 minute timer to cook pasta, to tell me the news, and the list goes on. The biggest letdown for me is that I cannot set a custom call name for it. I would rather say "Hey Natasha" if I wanted to start the service, then the boring and idiot sounding "Hey Google".
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england Offline Kev D

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Re: Smart Home devices
Reply #16 on: November 16, 2018, 04:05:12 PM
I already have amazon prime and music unlimited and I have the hive heating control system at home, with my heating, a couple of lights and sockets on it, that the echo is also compatible with, so the echo was the way for me to go.  It's just a shame amazon and google fell out over the you tube thing, which means I don't think I can have it play you tube videos on my fire tv sticks.

My mum lives with me and since I told her all about them she wanted one to, so I've bought her a dot for her room.

That's the weekends entertainment sorted, they all arrive tomorrow.


fr Offline Whoey

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Re: Smart Home devices
Reply #17 on: November 16, 2018, 06:57:26 PM
The trigger word limitation is probably the silliest thing but also the thing that turns me off picking between them

Amazon has 4 base options: alexa, amazon, echo, computer

While google has the basic integration there now it's not enabled yet so you get either: hey google, ok google

Yet as seen here you can setup alexa on your own device to have both custom keyword and reply: https://blog.hackster.io/l3-37-droid-from-solo-recreated-as-an-amazon-alexa-3d1946d28cf1
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es Offline microbe

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Re: Smart Home devices
Reply #18 on: November 16, 2018, 07:34:20 PM
The trigger word limitation is probably the silliest thing but also the thing that turns me off picking between them

Amazon has 4 base options: alexa, amazon, echo, computer

While google has the basic integration there now it's not enabled yet so you get either: hey google, ok google

Yet as seen here you can setup alexa on your own device to have both custom keyword and reply: https://blog.hackster.io/l3-37-droid-from-solo-recreated-as-an-amazon-alexa-3d1946d28cf1

Hacking a software dev kit is not something anyone can pull off. 
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es Offline ThePeacent

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Re: Smart Home devices
Reply #19 on: November 16, 2018, 08:13:43 PM
They recently launched in Spain, and for a few weeks, there was a 35% discount on the whole range, although they still don't have all the devices available elsewhere. I did briefly consider getting a dot.


guess which Spaniard got one  :whistle: :D

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ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: Smart Home devices
Reply #20 on: November 16, 2018, 08:15:08 PM
That must be a hell of a box if you need that many knives to open it!  :ahhh

Def
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es Offline ThePeacent

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Re: Smart Home devices
Reply #21 on: November 16, 2018, 08:19:00 PM
That must be a hell of a box if you need that many knives to open it!  :ahhh

Def

it was  :D
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england Offline Kev D

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Re: Smart Home devices
Reply #22 on: November 16, 2018, 08:43:32 PM


fr Offline Whoey

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Re: Smart Home devices
Reply #23 on: November 16, 2018, 09:47:08 PM
The more I see that L3 alexa, the more I think about repurposing my rpi, at least then you can do custom keywords
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ie Offline Don Pablo

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Re: Smart Home devices
Reply #24 on: November 16, 2018, 10:09:09 PM
You can put that interactive software on a Pi?  ??? :o
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fr Offline Whoey

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Re: Smart Home devices
Reply #25 on: November 17, 2018, 11:16:15 AM
You can put that interactive software on a Pi?  ??? :o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4KK212-Jss

The voice bit is "Amazon Voice Service SDK on a Raspberry Pi"

Movements are Arduino powered, but he says only because he didn't take time to learn the pinouts of the rpi, as it should be possible to run it all there...
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england Offline Kev D

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Re: Smart Home devices
Reply #26 on: November 17, 2018, 05:17:00 PM
My echoes all arrived this morning and are all set up.  Setup was really simple using the Alexa app on my phone. I'm really impressed with them and the sound quality from the dot is better than expected to.

As for wake up words,  there are only 4 choices at the moment,  Alexa, Echo, Computer and Amazon.


es Offline ThePeacent

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Re: Smart Home devices
Reply #27 on: November 17, 2018, 06:31:26 PM
yes, easy peasy to install and set up.  :salute:
next step...skills!  :popcorn:

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england Offline Kev D

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Re: Smart Home devices
Reply #28 on: November 17, 2018, 06:56:25 PM
I've only setup the hive skill so far.


fr Offline Whoey

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Re: Smart Home devices
Reply #29 on: November 17, 2018, 07:01:01 PM
yeah afaik you have to use a custom device to have anything other than the default 4 keywords.

I wonder if it's possible to use the SDK on an actual device...
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