Amazon Echo FAQ

BobbyT28

jobless wrote: »

The harmony elite is something like 300 quid right?... A lot of money for a remote.. It would want to come down a lot

Fairly expensive alright.

currently £234 on Amazon

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Logitech-Harmony-Elite-Remote-Control/dp/B014GXQOJ2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1476535206&sr=8-1&keywords=harmony+elite

v10

loughrey2887 wrote: »

Amazon offer all Amazon free account holders cloud storage space for up to 250 songs from your iTunes or computer collection and these can be activated by voice command for free so long as you spell them and name the songs correctly.

How do you go about this ? I can't find where to upload to !

BobbyT28

v10 wrote: »

How do you go about this ? I can't find where to upload to !

Click on your account on amazon.co.uk and click Your Music.

You will need to sign in with your amazon account on this page https://music.amazon.co.uk

At the bottom left you will see "Upload your Music" to your cloud Library

v10

BobbyT28 wrote: »

Click on your account on amazon.co.uk and click Your Music.

You will need to sign in with your amazon account on this page https://music.amazon.co.uk

At the bottom left you will see "Upload your Music" to your cloud Library

This looks for a credit card ?

degsie

v10 wrote: »

This looks for a credit card ?

Correct. You need to provide a UK credit card. Use Revolut.

bk

jobless wrote: »

The harmony elite is something like 300 quid right?... A lot of money for a remote.. It would want to come down a lot

BobbyT28 wrote: »

Fairly expensive alright.

currently £234 on Amazon

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Logitech-Harmony-Elite-Remote-Control/dp/B014GXQOJ2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1476535206&sr=8-1&keywords=harmony+elite

I paid £140

As I've said already, for all of this fancy home automation stuff, keep an eye out for amazon lighting deals on the Prime day sales, Cyber Monday, Black Friday, etc.

They often come down a great deal during these sales. Also use camelcamelcamel to track items you are interested in.

BTW The Harmony One is almost exactly the same and can often be gotten for cheaper.

loughrey

v10 wrote: »

How do you go about this ? I can't find where to upload to !

You need to download the Amazon Music program to your computer and upload via that. Get the software on the Amazon website. They won't allow me to post a URL here as I'm a newbie but Google it and download it from the UK site. Then go to 'Your Library, and 'upload'. Then it's just a drag and drop. It's free to non-Prime users too. for some reason they never gave Prime users exclusive song storage. I don't believe you need a UK card as I'm uploaded to the free 250 song storage and I only have an AIB Visa and AIB Mastercard on file.

loughrey

degsie wrote: »

Correct. You need to provide a UK credit card. Use Revolut.

I don't believe you do need to provide a UK credit card. I have uploaded a bunch of songs and I'm only using my AIB cards tied to my account. I only started doing this after the Echo came out three weeks ago so I presume it hadn't changed in the last fortnight.

loughrey

bk wrote: »

I paid £140

As I've said already, for all of this fancy home automation stuff, keep an eye out for amazon lighting deals on the Prime day sales, Cyber Monday, Black Friday, etc.

They often come down a great deal during these sales. Also use camelcamelcamel to track items you are interested in.

BTW The Harmony One is almost exactly the same and can often be gotten for cheaper.

I'm eyeing out the Logitech Ultimate that's just 99 pounds. Why is everyone going for the Elite when the Ultimate is also Echo compatible?

loughrey

bk wrote: »

Revolut is a "virtual" banking service. You install the Revolut app on your phone and then they send you a Mastercard debit card. You can load money on the card using the app and then spend it online using the debit card details, make purchses with the debit card or withdraw money VIA ATM.

However the card is usually tagged as being in the UK, so it can often be used for UK based services.

BTW this card is fantastic, it gives by far the best exchange rates for foreign currency, so great for travelling or buying in sterling. Also their technology is outstanding.



Really, didn't know that. Is that also available to people in Ireland and even if you don't have a Prime account?

The Revult sounds like a great idea, especially for Amazon Music Unlimited which will require a UK issued card. I set up the Revult card with a UK address just to make sure it's UK issued. Never heard of the service before but I can see myself using this a lot. Remind me of the old days with those 3V cards, only much better.

BobbyT28

bk wrote: »

I paid £140

They often come down a great deal during these sales. Also use camelcamelcamel to track items you are interested in.

Yeah camelcamelcamel is good. I started using Price Alert for Amzon app on Android yesterday with a hope that I get instant notifications

Looks decent https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.amazonpricealert.main&hl=en

for £2.99

you can have unlimited items

You can import your wish lists from Amazon which is amazng.

BobbyT28

bk

loughrey wrote: »

I'm eyeing out the Logitech Ultimate that's just 99 pounds. Why is everyone going for the Elite when the Ultimate is also Echo compatible?

I've both an Ultimate One and Elite.

You are correct that they both work well with Amazon Echo and they are fundamentally the same. The differences are relatively small, but here they are:

- Elite has dedicated buttons for Philips Hue lights and Wemo switches, turn them on and off and increase and decrease brightness. Very hand to sit on the sofa getting ready to watch a movie and then hit the button on the remote to turn off the lights. Note the Ultimate One can also control Philips Hue lights, but via the touch screen, which is far less convenient.

- The layout of the buttons on the Elite make much more sense then the Ultimate. On the Ultimate One, the play/pause buttons are on top, followed by the touch screen, followed by the direction and volume buttons. This is a pain as you normally have to navigate around then awkwardly move your hand to the top to press play/pause.

The Elite changes this so the touch screen is at the top, followed by the play/pause buttons, followed by the directions buttons. This puts the direction and play/pause buttons directly under where you thumb naturally sits, so no need for hand gymnastics. It is a much more natural layout.

- The Elite remote is narrower and fits in your hand much nicer. It is also heavier, which is actually good as it makes it feel more substantial and sits in your hand better IMO. It also feels more solidly built and more "premium".

So you are right, they aren't massive differences. Are the differences worth 150 more, definitely not. But the 40 more I paid I feel was well worth it.

BTW Now using the Ultimate One in the bedroom. You can have two hubs in the smartphone app without any issues.

Headshot

lads what's the Echo dot like for just Spotify in Ireland. Thinking of getting it for a gift with someone who uses alot of Spotify

ajd1969

Revolut card solved Prime Music issue for me. Use PM address when setting it up. Prime Music now working on Echo.

richardw001

Headshot wrote: »

lads what's the Echo dot like for just Spotify in Ireland. Thinking of getting it for a gift with someone who uses alot of Spotify

The echo is absolutely flawless for Spotify in Ireland - I imagine the dot will be the same.

paulbok

Headshot wrote: »

lads what's the Echo dot like for just Spotify in Ireland. Thinking of getting it for a gift with someone who uses alot of Spotify

Bear in mind the built in speaker on the dot is pants for playing music so they would been speakers to connect it too

degsie

Tip: if you want to delete your voice recordings.
Go to https://amazon.co.uk/myx
Select 'Your Devices'
Select your Echo
Click on 'Manage Voice Recordings'
Select 'Delete'

mrcheez

Voice recordings?

degsie

mrcheez wrote: »

Voice recordings?

Yep
https://www.cnet.com/uk/how-to/amazon-echo-saves-all-your-voice-data-heres-how-to-delete-them/

mrcheez

degsie wrote: »

Yep
https://www.cnet.com/uk/how-to/amazon-echo-saves-all-your-voice-data-heres-how-to-delete-them/

Interesting. I'm betting the delete is logical rather than physical.

Especially if I come home and say "Alexa play Beautiful Day by U2... durka durka Jihad"

This is information the CIA needs to know so will be stored somewhere permanently.

paulbok

Vico1612 wrote: »

Evohome has direct integration ( the Europe integration seems to be active since yesterday - I linked my Evohome account this morning )

Has anyone else connected the Evohome Total Connect comfort controller to Alexa?
I've tried through the skill, but it won't recognise my login details.
I've no trouble logging in via the TCC app and it has worked no problem for me since I've used the system.

Is there a. Com/Co.uk or location issue?

ajd1969

Yes I have linked my Evohome Total connect using my total connect username and password. You need to make sure you can log in to the ireland / UK Evohome site - try logging in here...international.mytotalconnectcomfort dot com. If you can log in here and see your controller data you should be able to then enable the skill in the alexa setting and then 'discover' your evohome controllers using the alexa app. Aleza found all my controllers no problem except for the hot water zone. I have been in touch with Evohome and they are aware of this issue and are working on it - apparently we in ireland are unique in the 'turn on the immersion' appriach to heating hot water, which is causing some delays in linking alexa to the hot water zone!

Zascar

ajd1969 wrote: »

apparently we in ireland are unique in the 'turn on the immersion' appriach to heating hot water

I always wondered this - what do other countries do?

mrcheez

Zascar wrote: »

I always wondered this - what do other countries do?

I have a combi-boiler, no immersion heater. Hot water on demand. So that's probably the way it's done outside Ireland.

ajd1969

I should have been clearer - I didn't mean to suggest that the Evohome system connects to an immersion heater - it doesn't. In my case the Evohome system controls my gas combi boiler too, with an Evohome thermostat on the hot water tank. The Evohome system shows the temperature of the hot water tank and in theory i should therefore be able to tell Alexa to 'raise the temperature of the hot water zone 10 degrees' or tell Alexa to 'turn on the hot water for thirty minutes' but that isn't currently possible becasuse of the way the Evohome system sees the hot water zone...apparently. Otherwise, Alexa integration with Evohome works well.

bk

Zascar wrote: »

I always wondered this - what do other countries do?

mrcheez wrote: »

I have a combi-boiler, no immersion heater. Hot water on demand. So that's probably the way it's done outside Ireland.

Yup, once I moved into a place with a combi-boiler, I realised how idiotic the Irish style immersion heaters are. Lovely consistent heat hot water on demand with no worrying about your mammy shouting out you for leaving the immersion on *

* Seriously I think I may have PTSD from this! :eek:

Also I think it is a lot more energy efficient and cheaper to run then an immersion tank. Only downside is you have no hot press for drying clothes.

mrcheez wrote: »

I should have been clearer - I didn't mean to suggest that the Evohome system connects to an immersion heater - it doesn't. In my case the Evohome system controls my gas combi boiler too, with an Evohome thermostat on the hot water tank. The Evohome system shows the temperature of the hot water tank and in theory i should therefore be able to tell Alexa to 'raise the temperature of the hot water zone 10 degrees' or tell Alexa to 'turn on the hot water for thirty minutes' but that isn't currently possible becasuse of the way the Evohome system sees the hot water zone...apparently. Otherwise, Alexa integration with Evohome works well.

That is weird, you don't really need to control the hot water in an combi-boiler setup, it is all automatic when you turn on the tap. Yes there is a heat setting on the boiler for hot water, but that is something that you more or less set just once to a level you like and pretty much leave it there from ever on. Most people don't even know it has that setting.

Basically when I turn on my tap, it is initially cold, about 30 seconds later boiling hot water comes out. If I want it cooler, just mix with cold water, a European style mixer tap is better with this setup. There is really no changing the temperature, it is always consistently hot after the initial 30 seconds.

Again you wouldn't tell a combi boiler to heat the water for 30 minutes. A regular combi boiler just automatically heats the water when you turn on the tap and the cold water passes through the boiler. A combi boiler can optionally have a hot water tank built in, but again you don't control it, it is filled automatically by the boiler either when the heating is on or when the taps call the hot water.

I suspect that you do have a separate immersion tank or a very weird, non standard combi boiler. Maybe one of the boiler manufacturers made a "Irish style" combi boiler because that is what Irish people are use to, even though it is completely unnecessary.

paulbok

ajd1969 wrote: »

Yes I have linked my Evohome Total connect using my total connect username and password. You need to make sure you can log in to the ireland / UK Evohome site - try logging in here...international.mytotalconnectcomfort dot com. If you can log in here and see your controller data you should be able to then enable the skill in the alexa setting and then 'discover' your evohome controllers using the alexa app. Aleza found all my controllers no problem except for the hot water zone. I have been in touch with Evohome and they are aware of this issue and are working on it - apparently we in ireland are unique in the 'turn on the immersion' appriach to heating hot water, which is causing some delays in linking alexa to the hot water zone!

I can login to that site no problem as well, but the Alexa ap is still says the email or password is incorrect when I try to link the account.

When you say see controller data, do you mean the zone temps etc?
All I can see for the comfort device when I login is my account info, mac address, (my locations/[home]/view system), when I select the comfort system it recognizes, it doesn't display any temperature data or list my zones.

Stoner

Well a lot of people have both here.
They use gas to heat the water and the rads
Or the immersion can just heat the water.
So immersions are convenient.

They were never timers years ago either

However a lot of people can't separate their heating from their hot water. You should be able to use your gas boiler to heat just your hot water but a lot of houses are plumbed to just heat everything, upstairs, downstairs water , all or nothing.

Brutal has a nice set up on his heating. He's used lightwaverf relays to switch motorised valves to give him just hot water or rads etc.

There is not a lot of difference between a cylinder and boiler arrangement and a combi boiler , limitations are generally imposed by the amount of plumbing circuits installed.

mrcheez

mrcheez wrote: »

Could anyone do a quick test of the above pls?

Ask Alexa to "play Radio X London on TuneIn" ... if that works I'll forgo the RTE requirement till it's fixed.
(you might need to omit the London part)

Deleted User wrote: »

"play Radio X" works for me.

Actually you need to say "Play Radio X UK" because there's some French station with the same name. Alexa will play that unless you specify "UK".

Apologies for that. When I tried it first they were playing music so I didn't hear the Frogs chatting away.

donegal.

dot group buy ?

amazon are still doing the 6 for 5 on the dot , so £42 instead of £50.

I think i'm going to buy one for my sister for xmas. If anyone else wants one you can pm me. I'll deliver it in inishowen or derry otherwise i'll post it.