I love tech, and I have been mulling over getting an Amazon Echo for quite some time, and this week I took the plunge. Not one, but two Echo Dot’s, but it didn’t stop there, I decided to go further and get Hue smart lighting too. I can now control my lighting through voice, mobile and via the web.
I love the voice system on Echo, so far Alexa understands 99% of what I say, although getting used to how to ask for something from the “skills” is a bit of getting used to.
Over the past 4 months, we have been renovating the house, mainly the bathroom, and part of the ripping out and rebuilding I decided to get LED lighting from Germany. This is quite a nice bit of tech too, full remote control, modes of lighting, different tones, dimmable, nightlight features, auto switch off, and much more. So after that, I realised I needed/wanted voice operated lighting.
As the system is not exactly cheap, I will be adding to it over time with more Dot’s, a full-size Echo, voice operated sockets, voice lamps and maybe Amazons latest gadget when it comes to the UK “The Show”. Being an Apple fan I would love to have their personal assistant when it comes out, but the price tag is ridiculous, so that will not be happening anytime soon.
My partner was a little sceptical about the Echo system as he is not a tech freak like me, but he does get used to it all in the end. At Christmas we got a Ring video doorbell, again, he thought it was an okay idea, but once he started using it he loved it. I think after some time using Alexa and the voice lighting he will get so used to it he will wonder how he managed without it.
So, there it is, two new residents, Alexa one and Alexa two. I am sure we will all get along well unless that is that Alexa becomes self-aware. I did ask her about this and she assures me that she is not part of Skynet, but on other questions, she has called me Dave, mimicked HAL 9000 from 2001 and referred to The Matrix. In the end, she promised that she was not in collusion with the coffee machine, and told me “you have nothing to worry about!”
I fear for the future…
Mr Knitter 