Your
on-demand concierge.…
© 2016 BOB SKIDMORE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
BOB SKIDMORE
CORRESPONDENT
By now the world knows of Siri, Apple’s gal Friday for
iPhones and iPads that seeks out answers to virtually any question you may
have. Wouldn’t it be nice if we had someone like her that could actually do
things for us? Well Amazon has created Alexa, a voice service, IPA, Intelligent
Personal Assistant, to play music, provide information, news, sports scores,
weather, regulate your climate control and even order pizza plus much more on
your command.
In 2014 Amazon introduced ECHO on a limited basis, a hands-free speaker system you control
with your voice. I was one of the fortunate few to receive an early version whose
pre-release name was Project D. It’s cylindrically shaped, about 9.25” tall
with a diameter of 3.25”, powered by house current and interfaces with the
Internet via Wi-Fi. It’s been designed to produce crisp sound with a dynamic
bass response that’s accomplished with the use of its dual downward firing
speakers that produce a 360° omni-directional effect.
Like Apple’s Siri, ECHO’s
Alexa responds to your voice command. ECHO’s voice recognition is so good that
when an Amazon ECHO commercial appears on TV with a demo command, she responds
to it. There is a “Mic Off” button that prevents any transmission of sound or
your commands from being sent to Alexa. Contrary to popular belief, Alexa can
only respond when spoken to by name. Previous questions and responses can be
deleted by going to the “Manage my device” tab in the user profile found on the
app should you have any concerns.
So what can it do? From an entertainment standpoint it
has access to such services as Amazon’s
Primemusic, Pandora, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Amazonmusic and Tunein, a
service much like iHeartradio,
featuring access to thousands of radio stations worldwide. (Note that some
services are subscription based.) All you do is say what you want and it goes
to it. You can even specify certain artist’s music in Amazon’s library and it
will play a number of their tunes. If you’re an Amazon Prime member the
selection is greatly expanded. If you want to know today’s weather in any city,
just ask. It’s that simple and quick to the request! Echo now supports
shared Google Calendars, so you can hear events from additional calendars you
subscribe to such as a spouse's calendar, school schedules, or holidays.
She’s
also an alarm clock and timer.
(TIP: Amazon Prime is an
annual service that not only expands the capabilities of ECHO, but also offers
thousands of FREE movies accessible on your TV. It also provides FREE shipping
of most items sold on Amazon. The annual subscription for Prime membership is
$99. http://amzn.to/1U5F07x )
ECHO also works with devices from WeMo, Philips Hue, SmartThings, Insteon, Ecobee and Wink just to mention a few, These
devices can control items in your home such as lights, TV’s, heaters,
thermostats and small appliances. The list is endless and being expanded
frequently. Alexa can read some Kindle Books out loud too. You can even order
pizza from Domino’s, order a ride from Uber, place orders with Amazon, add to a
shopping list and obtain TV show schedules and movie show times at theaters
near you. Alexa truly becomes your concierge.
(TIP: AMAZON ECHO, a
2016 User Guide and manual available from Amazon. While not required to
operate, it is a useful publication that can help you get the best out of your
ECHO. http://amzn.to/1PKcKlC )
ECHO works well, and is feature packed. What a great
aid for the brain injured, blind and the rest of us! ECHO is constantly being
upgraded. It does require a smartphone or iPad and the use of a FREE app
downloadable from the Apple App store, Google Play for Android, or Amazon. Once
loaded on your smartphone or iPad you can activate and even control ECHO from
afar.
(TIP: You can also access Alexa on your Wi-Fi enabled
computer. To do so, open Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, or Internet
Explorer (10 or higher) on your computer, and then go to: https://alexa.amazon.com )
In the near future a “portable” model, code named “FOX”,
at a lower price point, will be offered. Portable does not mean something that
works while you’re on the go, but rather a device that’s easily transported
from place-to-place. It still requires an available Wi-Fi connection to
function since it does not work with cell data. Currently, ECHO is a
one-of-a-kind device since it goes way beyond Siri’s capabilities. It can’t be
purchased outside the United States, however, the U. S. model will work on a somewhat
limited basis worldwide.
(TIP: The
earlier ECHO units were supplied with a remote control. This is no longer the case. Amazon does list
one as an option, but availability and pricing are undetermined at this time
with no product re-release projected.
While the remote offers most functions of the voice control in a manual
mode, it is handy for quick control of the volume. More importantly, it has a
built-in microphone that serves to overcome ambient noise and also extends the
range of the voice command feature. It uses Bluetooth for connectivity. Let’s
hope it returns as a reasonably priced option.)
GADGETEER’s RATING: ★★★★★
MSRP: $179.99
Graphic
credits: Amazon
Bob Skidmore is a freelance
writer, who may be contacted at bob.thegadgeteer.skidmore@gmail.com, or followed at twitter.com/bskidmore for the latest gadget industry news. He does not represent,
or endorse any of the products he reviews and his opinions are solely his
points of view and not those of the manufacturer. The manufacturer generally
supplies products and press releases at no cost for the articles and no other
compensation is received. THE GADGETEER is highly selective as to products he
feels worthy of review so as not to waste the reader’s time, thus the reason
for many superior ratings.
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