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21
Alexa Tips & Tricks / Re: Passive Aggressive?
« Last post by pendragenet on January 26, 2024, 10:55:10 pm »
Hmmm.  I don't have AC, so I can't test that theory.  But I did turn it off and then asked what the thermostat is set to and then what the heat is set to.  In both cases, Ziggy said "IT is turned off".

I guess I'm gonna have to let him win this argument...
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Alexa Tips & Tricks / Re: Passive Aggressive?
« Last post by jwlv on January 25, 2024, 02:15:03 am »
I think it's the skill that goes along with your smart thermostat is the one that's giving you the answer. It's up the the people that made the skill to use the wording that you prefer.

In a way, it kind of makes sense. If you ask what the thermostat is set to, you may want to know if it's in heat mode or AC mode. So it'll respond, the heat is set to X.  But if you already know that your thermostat is set to heat mode and you ask what is heat set to, it'll just tell you the thermostat is set to X.
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Alexa Tips & Tricks / Passive Aggressive?
« Last post by pendragenet on January 24, 2024, 09:19:02 pm »
Hi all,

I have a question for you.  I recently installed a smart thermostat and I love it.  However, it seems to have created an argument between Ziggy (Alexa) and I.

If I ask "Ziggy what is the thermostat set to?" He will reply "the heat is set to X".

But, if I ask "Ziggy what is the heat set to?" He will reply "the thermostat is set to X".

Literally every time I say "thermostat" he replies with "heat" and every time I say "heat" he replies with "thermostat".

Have I pissed him off and he's being passive aggressive? 

It seems like a stupid thing, but it is starting to really annoy me.  I want him to reply in kind and stop playing word games with me.

I asked him why he does it - he gave me the silent treatment in response.
24
Amazon Echo Discussion / Re: Remote usage to aid elderly relative
« Last post by renegade600 on January 22, 2024, 06:54:15 am »
first of all, is she using her own account or sharing yours?    Hopefully it is her own account.   If yours, you really do not want others to access your info.   Never know if a visitor, whether caregiver or friend may try to abuse it.     

Youtube has always been flaky when it comes to echo devices.   Maybe download the church service then upload it elsewhere, check out ibroadcast.    It is a free cloud service for media content and it works with alexa.   

For other family members, as long as they log into her alexa account, they can specify which device to to play stuff on.    For example, you can command alexa on your phone to play church service on her show.   just use the name of the dot as part of the command.

Need clarification, are you wanting the show to play the church service video but the sound on the dot?    If so, it cannot be done but you can group the two together and it will play on both. 
25
Amazon Echo Discussion / Remote usage to aid elderly relative
« Last post by hambone5@swbell.net on January 21, 2024, 04:58:04 pm »
Sort of an elder care tech support question.

Caring for an elderly family member who currently is in assisted living.  She is sight impaired.  We have her connected to Amazon Echo Dot which she can use easily for simple tasks.  She has an Echo Show, but limited ability to manipulate it.

Wondering if anyone knows of a way that family members could manipulate remotely, and direct to play on a device in her living quarters?  Ie, a Dot/Show type of product that we could use remotely to find her church service for her which airs live on Youtube, but then have it play on her device?

We currently use Echo plugs to help her turn on/off devices. She uses the Dot to make hands free calls to use and to ask Alexa for simple information (news, time, date etc). 

A big improvement would be if we could remotely find online content (her church service transmits on Youtube) that using her account on line we could pull up but have it play on her device in her room?

A final question for any Echo mega users.  If WE had the SHOW in one of our residences.  Could we pull the church service up on the show and direct it (through the Alexa app) to play the audio on her Dot in her room??

Thanks for reading this and for any suggestions.
26
Amazon Echo Discussion / Re: alexa plus cometh
« Last post by Joachim47 on January 19, 2024, 09:44:24 am »
That's the way how companies monetize the work of necessary improvement of lackluster products under AI cover.
27
Amazon Echo Discussion / alexa plus cometh
« Last post by renegade600 on January 18, 2024, 11:36:23 am »
Quote
Amazon is reportedly planning a premium subscription for its household AI assistant Alexa. The e-commerce tech giant Amazon is reportedly planning to launch “Alexa Plus” — a paid version of its voice assistant for better and more informative results. This premium price tag may come with additional features and functionality, similar to that of ChatGPT Plus and Copilot Pro.

https://www.pcguide.com/ai/alexa-plus/

not surprising
28
Amazon Echo Discussion / Re: Amazon Prime Video Commercials
« Last post by Joachim47 on January 13, 2024, 08:40:56 pm »
The money is in returned sales to prime users who believe they are saving money while prime rate continues to go up. The little side benefits are all only to keep he and she buying staff on their site. Starting to become more selective of what I buy where since the price differences are not always in amazons favor and urgency is sometimes an excuse rather than a reality of need.
29
Amazon Echo Discussion / Re: Amazon Prime Video Commercials
« Last post by scottrods on January 13, 2024, 08:19:22 pm »
Maybe the whole idea is to make tons of cash from future licensing? I can't see any benefit in this crap either... I'm sure there's a reason. Just not quite straight forward.
30
Amazon Echo Discussion / Re: Amazon Prime Video Commercials
« Last post by jwlv on January 12, 2024, 06:00:38 pm »
According to Reuters: "Amazon.com will lay off several hundred employees in its streaming and studio operations, it said in an internal note on Wednesday as companies extend their massive job cuts over the past two years into 2024."
Source: https://www.reuters.com/technology/amazon-lay-off-employees-prime-video-studios-divisions-information-2024-01-10/

In my opinion many of these streaming providers are spending way too much on creating their own content. Think how much cash Amazon burned in creating the Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power series? They only got one season completed. I watched the entire first season when it came out. I thought it was rather boring and very long and drawn out. Am I dying to see season 2? Nah, I can take it or leave it. But what's the point of making their own content? Is it to get more subscribers? Is it to keep current subscribers from cancelling? To me, it had zero effect on my decision to subscribe or not subscribe to Prime. Yet they spent hundreds of millions of dollars on it. According to Entrepreneur magazine, they spent nearly $1 Billion dollars on it.

There would be far less risk for Amazon to just license content from other studios that are known hit shows & movies.
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