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Fun with Alexa

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  • Fun with Alexa

    I just built my home this past summer, and allowed for "smart home" devices in the wiring. I did all of the low voltage wiring myself.

    At the time, I was still battling with which "smart home" platform to use, and reviews of the leading contenders kept changing. (I had used Lowe's IRIS in my previous home, but there just didn't seem to be that much ongoing development and third party devices)

    For Christmas, my son-in-law got me an Amazon Dot. I played with it a bit, asking for weather reports, stuff like that, and decided to get a couple smart plugs and switches.

    I was also able to tie in my existing smart thermostat, both garage doors, security camera system....

    Then I added another dot at my Church office, and was pleasantly surprised to discover I can control all my home devices from the office, and vise versa.

    I have fun walking into my church office and saying "Alexa, turn on Pastor Lights". My wife loves turning on the bedroom lights from the living room, before she goes down that hall at night.

    I have a new hobby!


    Just one question... why's there a tiny 666 on the bottom of the dots?
    The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

  • #2
    I have a dot too. I use it to control the livingroom lamp and my TV through my logitech Harmony hub. When I get home I say "Alexa, turn everything on" and the light and TV come on. When I leave the house or go to bed, "turn everything off" I can also tell her to change to a specific channel, or to switch to my PC or FireTV which are hooked into the TV/hub. Then on fireTV I can say "watch Stranger Things" or whatever and she puts it on.

    She also sings.

    Tell her to sing you a pirate song.

    Comment


    • #3
      I need to program a skill to let her interface with Theologyweb. Then I can say, "Alexa, Ban Rogue06 again!"

      Or "Alexa, Post standard reply #16 to JimL"

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Sparko View Post
        I need to program a skill to let her interface with Theologyweb. Then I can say, "Alexa, Ban Rogue06 again!"
        Sounds like a joke spell one of my AD&D DMs made up called "Dagmar's Instant Death". The joke was that people playing mages thought they could use it to kill opponents, whereas what it actually did was kill Dagmar instantly (which only inconvenienced him since he was immortal and would just immediately return to life).
        Enter the Church and wash away your sins. For here there is a hospital and not a court of law. Do not be ashamed to enter the Church; be ashamed when you sin, but not when you repent. – St. John Chrysostom

        Veritas vos Liberabit<>< Learn Greek <>< Look here for an Orthodox Church in America<><Ancient Faith Radio
        sigpic
        I recommend you do not try too hard and ...research as little as possible. Such weighty things give me a headache. - Shunyadragon, Baha'i apologist

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        • #5
          Originally posted by One Bad Pig View Post
          Sounds like a joke spell one of my AD&D DMs made up called "Dagmar's Instant Death". The joke was that people playing mages thought they could use it to kill opponents, whereas what it actually did was kill Dagmar instantly (which only inconvenienced him since he was immortal and would just immediately return to life).
          Alexa, activate OBP-to-Bacon protocol.

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          • #6
            Originally posted by Sparko View Post
            Alexa, activate OBP-to-Bacon protocol.
            That wouldn't do anything.
            Enter the Church and wash away your sins. For here there is a hospital and not a court of law. Do not be ashamed to enter the Church; be ashamed when you sin, but not when you repent. – St. John Chrysostom

            Veritas vos Liberabit<>< Learn Greek <>< Look here for an Orthodox Church in America<><Ancient Faith Radio
            sigpic
            I recommend you do not try too hard and ...research as little as possible. Such weighty things give me a headache. - Shunyadragon, Baha'i apologist

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            • #7
              Originally posted by One Bad Pig View Post
              That wouldn't do anything.
              well of course not. nothing to worry your oinky little head about.

              Comment


              • #8
                Curiosity never hurt anyone. It was stupidity that killed the cat.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Mrs CP and I had fun last night asking Alexa to play songs we haven't heard in ages.

                  From Glen Miller and the Big Band Era to silly children songs to old old Country like Roy Rogers and Dale Evans...

                  I found some good old songs by the Kingston Trio....
                  The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Oh, and I purposely set this all up on a guest network with limited access, and that can be shut off in a heartbeat.
                    The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      You can also use your phone Alexa app to "drop in" on any of your echo dots and use it and your phone as a remote monitor.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Sparko View Post
                        You can also use your phone Alexa app to "drop in" on any of your echo dots and use it and your phone as a remote monitor.
                        I saw something about that, but hadn't played with that yet. Can I turn lights on and off from my phone, using Alexa app?
                        The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          My granddaughter had messed up her security settings, and it was really easy for me and my son-in-law to "drop in" on her -- it really freaked her out.
                          The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Cow Poke View Post
                            I saw something about that, but hadn't played with that yet. Can I turn lights on and off from my phone, using Alexa app?
                            I have a TP-link smart plug and I can. I just go under the Smart Home menu and see my device and click on it to turn it off and on.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Sparko View Post
                              I have a TP-link smart plug and I can. I just go under the Smart Home menu and see my device and click on it to turn it off and on.
                              Yeah, I can do that - I was wondering if you could speak to alexa and say "Alexa, turn on living room reading lamp"
                              The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

                              Comment

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