Amazon Echo to HA Controllers

[wkearney99]

I can certainly see the benefit of turning on bedroom lights with a voice command in the middle of the night.  Much better than fumbling about in the dark for the light switch.  It's turning out to be one of those things I didn't even realize I needed, It would be especially nice for children, who are afraid of the dark.

 
Use after dark is one area where I find it's specifically un-welcome.  Mainly because it has to reply via audio, and that's generally loud enough to wake anyone sleeping.  Like kids or the spouse. 
 
As for kids, I can't count the number of time I've had to tell our child to leave the Echo alone.  All kinds of timers getting set and the like.

 

[jkmonroe]

LOL at the guy who really thinks we have any privacy left.  That was lost 3.5 minutes after 9/11. I have friends who left the DoJ in 2004, they joke that they were doing significant stuff then, in the last 10 years they can only shudder.
 
My view: The government already knows all, sees all. Corporations have already purchased both arms of the government, and have us squabbling over distractions. I may as well get some modicum of enjoyment out of the cloud.

 
Altruistic government, and all that.  Who cares if they have my data.
 
But when the sole reason for an entities existence is to generate revenue/profit ... capitalism for the win!
 
Both of my Echo's should be here today.  YAY!  
 
//

 

[wkearney99]

LOL at the guy who really thinks we have any privacy left.  That was lost 3.5 minutes after 9/11. I have friends who left the DoJ in 2004, they joke that they were doing significant stuff then, in the last 10 years they can only shudder.
 
My view: The government already knows all, sees all. Corporations have already purchased both arms of the government, and have us squabbling over distractions. I may as well get some modicum of enjoyment out of the cloud.

 
The government has three branches, not two.  Executive, Legislative and Judicial.  Politicians being 'purchased' is absolutely nothing new and has been a problem since, well, the dawn of civilization.  The difference in recent times, however, is enough of a framework existing to eventually ferret out and prosecute those that violate the law.  Takes a while, and they don't catch all of them, but it happens enough to retain a fair degree of faith in the system.

 

[IVB]

Use after dark is one area where I find it's specifically un-welcome.  Mainly because it has to reply via audio, and that's generally loud enough to wake anyone sleeping.  Like kids or the spouse. 
 
As for kids, I can't count the number of time I've had to tell our child to leave the Echo alone.  All kinds of timers getting set and the like.

 
ditto, we've stopped using it after 9:30pm as I don't know how loud we left it and Alexa saying "ok" too loud could freak out the kid in the next room. I'm going to move it out of the bedroom, i'd get a 2nd for the bedroom but only if its under $100. It is *really* nice to use voice to start up music during the day, but the sound quality just isn't there.

 

[IVB]

The government has three branches, not two.  Executive, Legislative and Judicial.  Politicians being 'purchased' is absolutely nothing new and has been a problem since, well, the dawn of civilization.  The difference in recent times, however, is enough of a framework existing to eventually ferret out and prosecute those that violate the law.  Takes a while, and they don't catch all of them, but it happens enough to retain a fair degree of faith in the system.

 
sorry, not both arms, both major political parties. Those parties control all 3 arms. 

 

[ChrisCicc]

According to the EPIC document (link from the article):
 
"Microsoft’s “always on” voice and motion recorder, called Kinect, is now installed in its
Xbox videogame consoles. 16 The Kinect sensor tracks and records users’ voice and hand gestures
when users say the word “Xbox” followed by various permissible command options. 17 For
example, users may turn on their Xbox console by saying, “Xbox on.” 18 In order to accomplish
this, the Xbox console monitors conversations taking place around it, even when Xbox is turned
off. 19 The Xbox console can also register users’ faces using the Xbox camera as well as record
users’ facial expressions and biometric data such as heartbeat rate. 20"
 
I cannot prove or disprove this statement but it got me thinking....

 
That's true. My statement is also true. 

 

[ChrisCicc]

ditto, we've stopped using it after 9:30pm as I don't know how loud we left it and Alexa saying "ok" too loud could freak out the kid in the next room. I'm going to move it out of the bedroom, i'd get a 2nd for the bedroom but only if its under $100. It is *really* nice to use voice to start up music during the day, but the sound quality just isn't there.

 
CastleOS + Kinect + Sonos
 

Why do you assume it would need to give an audio reply to "turn on the light."  Wouldn't turning on the light be enough of a reply?

 
The Alexa platform responds verbally. 
 

Use after dark is one area where I find it's specifically un-welcome.  Mainly because it has to reply via audio, and that's generally loud enough to wake anyone sleeping.  Like kids or the spouse. 

 
Not a problem with CastleOS + Kinect  

 

[ChrisCicc]

Must we endure this constant spam?

 
I haven't been here for weeks. I know you don't like me, but you made the first off topic comment here... 

 

[wuench]

Why do you assume it would need to give an audio reply to "turn on the light."  Wouldn't turning on the light be enough of a reply?

 
Currently testing this the CQC driver I am trying to write.  it says "Ok" when successful and a longer response something about the device not responding when not.  You have to consider the use case that you may be asking it to turn something on/off in a room you are not in.  In that case the feedback would probably be welcome  and it doesn't know what room you are in.  
 
Volume control does seem to be one of the drawbacks.  It seems to operate at a fixed volume, and doesn't autoadjust based on background noise.

 

[NeverDie]

Currently testing this the CQC driver I am trying to write.  it says "Ok" when successful and a longer response something about the device not responding when not.  You have to consider the use case that you may be asking it to turn something on/off in a room you are not in.  In that case the feedback would probably be welcome  and it doesn't know what room you are in.  
 
Volume control does seem to be one of the drawbacks.  It seems to operate at a fixed volume, and doesn't autoadjust based on background noise.

This is actually a very good point.
 
Anyway, I didn't come here to fight with Mr. Castle, so I deleted my posts.  I'm outta here.  

 

[pete_c]

Geez...this is starting to get entertaining.
 
Here I have seen that I can interface the Echo with my Homeseer automation which works for me.
 
This will allow me to do just about anything......
 
Interfacing the Kinect(s) is just something that I have procrastinated a bit about. 
 
I am though mixing this with a new multitouch touchscreen that will be mounted next to it.
 
I have had everything to do this hardware wise for a while. 
 
I do want to do a side by side thing now.

 

[jkmonroe]

The Echo works perfectly on my main floor.  Single Echo, centrally located, covers the whole floor with normal voice.  The wife loves it, so I think it's a win.
 
Now to start the fun hacking it all together!

 

[jkmonroe]

For those talking about the volume, she responds to volume commands like "Alexa, volume one" or "Alexa, turn it down", just no way to adjust for ambient BG noise.

 

[wkearney99]

For those talking about the volume, she responds to volume commands like "Alexa, volume one" or "Alexa, turn it down", just no way to adjust for ambient BG noise.

 
Also note you can twist the top to adjust the volume manually, both up and down.

 

[pete_c]

Anyone noticing that CT access is slow?
 
Seeing much of this today:
 

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Only a very limited set of project pages are available until the main website returns to service.