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Amazon Echo

BirdOPrey5

Staff member
Administrator
VIP
The bigger issue here is how the electronic water meter recorded all that water use in the middle of the night.

The truth is there is probably nothing recorded by the Echo. Unless someone was smart enough to yell "Alexa, I'm being murdered by _______" before it happened. Which to be honest, if god forbid someone I know tries to kill me, I will try to yell, or at least give a description.
 

BirdOPrey5

Staff member
Administrator
VIP
It's happening. Please don't be fake. I didn't get the update yet but rumor is the newest wake word will be... Computer.

 

BirdOPrey5

Staff member
Administrator
VIP
There's a great new skill... when Alexa can't answer you can have her ASK GOOGLE.

If you ask Alexa, "Who was the oldest Vice President?" she apologizes but doesn't know the answer.

But now you can say "Alexa, ask google who was the oldest Vice President?" and get Google's answer.

The problem is of course Google is now in direct competition with Amazon Alexa so this is an UNOFFICIAL skill.

You must create your own free AWS (Amazon Web Services) account and free Amazon Developer Account and follow about 30 steps to use the skill. I did it, and I can confirm it works.

The easy instructions are here: Alexa Mods | Get the Most out of Your Amazon Echo
The reddit discussion on it if you care: A highly unofficial alexa skill for google search amazonecho and Installing Ask Google Skill for Dummies (Step-by-step instructions with pictures) amazonecho.
GitHub project: GitHub - tartangurualexa-google-search A highly non-official google search skill for Alexa

Important, if following instructions, be sure when you download the .zip file from GitHub you extract the zip file to your local computer and upload the Archive.zip file in the /src/ directory. Do not upload the entire zip file. (I did it and it was a pain to fix.)

Those of you familiar with AWS may see a red flag, and know that their free account is only for 12 months, what happens after that?

Good question. In my research, since this app runs on Lambda, even will extensive daily use you will never come close to using this skill beyond level that would trigger you to be charged.

Free Tier
The Lambda free tier includes 1M free requests per month and 400,000 GB-seconds of compute time per month. The memory size you choose for your Lambda functions determines how long they can run in the free tier. The Lambda free tier does not automatically expire at the end of your 12 month AWS Free Tier term, but is available to both existing and new AWS customers indefinitely.

pricing link
So don't worry about that.
 

BirdOPrey5

Staff member
Administrator
VIP
OMG the greatest day in Amazon Echo history. A new wake word... COMPUTER!



Got custom replies for-

"Computer, locate Captain Picard."

and

"Computer, tea, earl grey, hot."
 

BirdOPrey5

Staff member
Administrator
VIP
New- Amazon Echo Show. (Video + Camera)



I personally think this was a huge mistake for the Echo, but maybe some people will like it. Video calling from a stationary phone like we imagined in 1985? Baby monitor that costs 10 times as much as dedicated baby monitors? Basically a digital photo frame with Alexa capabilities.

 

luv_jeeps

Mr. Martha
VIP
Ultra-Premium
You can also now use the Echo stuff to make and receive voice calls if you have a contact listed, and they have the Amazon Echo app installed on their phone...I just tested it and it seems to work just fine. It's pretty cool.
 

BirdOPrey5

Staff member
Administrator
VIP
You can also now use the Echo stuff to make and receive voice calls if you have a contact listed, and they have the Amazon Echo app installed on their phone...I just tested it and it seems to work just fine. It's pretty cool.
Unlike an Amazon Echo which isn't transmitting data to the cloud unless you say the "wake word" I see no such guarantee Amazon isn't transcribing your calls for marketing reasons.
 

JLS

JUOT Refugee
VIP
Just assume anything online or connected to the net is recording, storing, and selling everything you do. It's just the way it is and has been.
 
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