kelly8875
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,391 
Location: Lost in my supplies...
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Post by kelly8875 on Dec 27, 2018 19:56:01 GMT
My kids got me an Echo Dot for Christmas, and I’m trying to decide what to use it for. How do you use yours?
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Post by freecharlie on Dec 27, 2018 20:02:33 GMT
I have a first gen Echo, both kids and parents have dots.
I use it for weather, toners, reminders. She plays music, we play jeopardy and get sports scores.
If it is new to the family, google amazon echo (or alexa) Easter eggs and it gives a list of funny things to do.
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Post by papercrafteradvocate on Dec 27, 2018 20:05:46 GMT
I’m playing music by the Beatles on mine right now!!
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Post by mom on Dec 27, 2018 20:22:12 GMT
Alarms, music
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Post by padresfan619 on Dec 27, 2018 20:28:29 GMT
I keep one in the bathroom to listen to NPR in the morning while I get ready.
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ellen
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,521
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Post by ellen on Dec 27, 2018 20:29:32 GMT
I use mine for music, weather updates, podcasts, timers, ordering and checking for orders on Amazon. I make phone calls with mine too. I bought two Echo Shows on Prime Day. I'm saving one to give to my daughter for a college graduation gift. She'll be a Navy Nurse and will be moving to one of the coasts. We can use it to do video calls. I know we could just FaceTime, but I thought it would be nice to give her a gift that can be used to communicate with us and others.
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ModChick
Drama Llama
True North Strong and Free
Posts: 5,063
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Post by ModChick on Dec 27, 2018 20:30:16 GMT
Timers (for recipes usually but husband starts a time at intermission so we don’t miss any of the game while we channel surf lol)
Alarms
Music
Communicating with family when they’re in the basement
Turning on and off lights (not all but a few essential lights are upgraded to the smart bulbs)
Trivia and games and jokes
We like asking her random stuff eg: a recipe called for a specific amount and I needed it in grams so I asked Alexa and she promptly told me.
Oh also hockey game scores, weather... about basically anything you’d google.
I love Alexa, can you tell. And she loves me! Haha Dh will mumble something to her and she won’t understand I ask and she always responds so sweetly. 😂😂😂 He calls her bad names, that’s why she doesn’t listen. Haha.
ETA: I almost forgot, shopping lists! Oh now I love adding to the shopping list. I always have my phone on me so if I make an impromptu stop to shop I have the list. Usually a random item like a puppy or a new car makes it on the list though. 😁
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Post by stargazer on Dec 27, 2018 20:32:57 GMT
We bought plugs so that we can control lights etc with ours. We can also use it to control the heating. We play music, run timers, keep a running shopping list on it, play games with it too.
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teddyw
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,873
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Post by teddyw on Dec 27, 2018 20:38:47 GMT
I’ve been wondering if I need one...
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Post by freecharlie on Dec 27, 2018 20:40:06 GMT
I’ve been wondering if I need one... you do. But if you want to play music on it without a speaker, get the full sized one. It has better sound quality |
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Post by red88 on Dec 27, 2018 20:59:52 GMT
Alarm, music & to turn my lights off after climbing into bed (I have Hue bulbs that are connected to Alexa)
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Post by disneypal on Dec 27, 2018 21:08:00 GMT
As an alarm clock
As a timer
To add things to my shopping list
To play music
Asking questions (instead of going online and looking on google)
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Post by cmpeter on Dec 27, 2018 21:09:36 GMT
My Dot is in my bedroom. I use it for music, timers and to look up things on ocassion. She’s very underutilized though.
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Post by Katie on Dec 27, 2018 21:11:49 GMT
As an alarm in my bedroom
In my office, I use it for music and radio. And setting reminders. And asking about the weather.
In the living room, mostly for timers, and nightly reminders at 8pm to give the dog her medicine.
And sometimes, from my scrap room I will intercom to the living room to ask DH a question.
OH - and I use it to turn on lights and the Christmas tree. If you get smart plugs you can do that. THE BEST!!
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scrapngranny
Pearl Clutcher
Only slightly senile
Posts: 4,766
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Post by scrapngranny on Dec 27, 2018 21:29:17 GMT
We have had ours a couple of years, a gift from our DD. I don’t use her for much. I use the timer of anything that cooks a set amount of time. I don’t use the timer for baked goods. I want to see how much time is left and always check a couple of minutes before it is supposed to be done to make sure it isn’t getting over cooked.
I just got some smart plugs that are Alexa friendly, it I have found it’s just as easy to control them from my iPad or phone. I would really love to find more must have uses, but so far she sits quietly most of the time.
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Post by mcscrapper on Dec 27, 2018 21:44:21 GMT
My dd gave me a Dot for Christmas and I've used it quite a bit so far but I'm sure I am grossly under-utilizing her features. Excited to learn more.
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Post by JustCallMeMommy on Dec 27, 2018 21:46:38 GMT
Mine tells me the weather every morning.
It also turns my bedside lamps on and off.
I set a timer when I start bath water so that I don't forget.
I sometimes "drop in" (intercom) on other dots in the house.
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PLurker
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,751
Location: Behind the Cheddar Curtain
Jun 28, 2014 3:48:49 GMT
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Post by PLurker on Dec 27, 2018 21:53:25 GMT
all or most of the above and I stream a too distant for over the air community radio station my DD is sometimes on.
I mostly use her for bedtime music. not a silent get to sleep person.
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Post by Just Beth on Dec 27, 2018 22:02:08 GMT
We are pretty geeky. We have a Dot upstairs and one downstairs so at our house Alexa can:
Lock our front door
Turn on the house alarm
Turn on and off the outdoor lighting
Show the Ring doorbell camera on the TV
Control the thermostat
She might be able to control the garage door, I can’t recall at the moment.
We also use her for timers, to play ocean sounds while we sleep, and
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Post by cindytred on Dec 27, 2018 23:13:31 GMT
Mine are underutilized too. I've had the dot for 2 years and mostly just ask it for weather info in the morning as I get ready for work. I got a Spot for Christmas so I put it in the kitchen. I'm using it to make shopping lists, alarms, timers, and weather. I like to play Jeopardy and Akinator on it too. My brother has a Show and I like to drop into their kitchen to see what they are up to.
Cindy
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Post by jovifan on Dec 28, 2018 3:43:29 GMT
My kids excessively ask alexa to fart....soooo that’s fun
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Dec 28, 2018 4:25:49 GMT
My Dot lives in my sewing room. Mainly I use her to play music (excited that Apple Music can be played on it now!). I also use her for timers, weather and math equations (quilting). The math may be my favorite use for her!
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