The Echo Show 15, Revisited
I ordered one of Amazon’s large-screened Echo Show 15 devices when they were first announced in early November 2021, with several kind Travel Insider readers underwriting its $250 purchase cost. I also ordered, at the …
Alexa
Amazon’s new Smart Air Quality Monitor
I’ve been interested in air quality issues for two reasons and so was attracted to this device. The first is due to forest fires – like other western states, Washington has its fair share of …
The Echo Show 15 – Bigger, but Not Better
Amazon has struggled to extend its Alexa audio service into the realm of video. This latest product shows the struggle is ongoing and far from resolved. After introducing the first Echo (audio only) device …
The Amazon Smart Thermostat
Amazon announced its new Alexa-enabled smart thermostat back in September, and started shipping them this last week. Although smart thermostats, in general, have been around for some time. The Nest, released in 2011 and purchased …
Amazon Alexa/Echo Voice Response Service Resources
Amazon first released an Alexa voice-response Echo unit in November 2014. We were slow and cautious about adopting the technology ourselves, with our first review appearing in December 2016. But since that time, we’ve becoming …
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A Buyer’s Guide to Amazon Alexa Echo Units
At first a rarity and an oddity, Amazon’s Alexa voice-powered devices are becoming increasingly common and, if not essential, certainly increasingly convenient and useful in our lives. The concept of a responsive omniscient computer who …
Using an Amazon Echo/Alexa Unit to Call for Emergency Help
If you live alone, there is – or, at least, should be – always a thought in the back of your mind – “How can I call for help/dial 911 in an emergency if I …
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More Alexa Commands and Uses
Amazon continues to extend the ways you can use their voice command Alexa/Echo units, and to add to the range of products that have the Alexa capability within them. The combination of new hardware (ie …
Amazon’s New Products Announced on Thursday
Amazon announced a number of new products on Thursday 24 September. Here’s my pick of the best of them. New (4th Generation) Echo Dot and other Echo Units The Echo Dot has always been …
Who Makes the Best Smart Speaker – Amazon or Google?
Do you have a smart speaker? A “smart speaker” is one of the new family of devices that you can talk to and get answers back from, and command to do tasks such as turning …
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Amazon’s World Domination Moves a Step Forward : The New Alexa Echo Auto
There’s a massive “land grab” going on at present, with Google’s Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa both rushing to become your “go to” device for voice interaction/control. The chances are you now have competing voice services …
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Another Amazon Alexa Privacy Problem
Amazon continues to release more and more of their Alexa Echo units, and if you’re like us, you’re continuing to add them throughout your homes and offices. It requires a fair measure of confidence to …
