Sold my soul to Alexa apparently

[The Folk Prophet]

So my home hasn't been smart. In fact, the only "smart" thing I've owned has been my phone...which I never used the "smart" aspects of it. Meaning the ask-it-questions or A.I. features. I guess my PCs have the same things...which I've also ignored.

So.... 2 things happened:

1st. We went to my wife's parents house to take them to the temple, rang the doorbell...and within a few seconds my father-in-law was talking to us through the doorbell saying they weren't home yet. And I was like, "That's awesome!"

2nd. We got a new vehicle that had "Alexa" and we understood we could start it, lock or unlock it, check it's location, etc., etc., with an Alexa device.

So....

We ordered an Echo Pop -- the cheapest Echo device.

Well darn it all....I think I fell in love!

Within a week, I bought a Ring doorbell, an Echo Show 21 for my wife to use in the kitchen (more on this in a moment), and have an Echo Spot ordered for the bedroom. And I've ordered a bunch of smart lightbulbs.

You see... I didn't know. I didn't know I could control things so easily and so, relatively, cheaply.

The echo pop was $40. The Spot is normally $80, but I found one on sale for $40. The lightbulbs I got were between $3 and $7. I got 5 at $6 ($35ish) and 6 at $3 ($18ish). (The "ish" is because I rounded, and there was tax, and etc.) The Ring was $50ish.

So all in, minus the Show, under $200 to make our home "Smart". We already had a Nest thermostat that we got for free when we installed solar a few years back -- so I guess we have had a smart device. Well...and we have some Samsung TVs that are smart. They even include Alexa. Never used it though. Until now!

So the only pricey thing was the Echo Show 21. That was $400. Yes, I splurged a bit. But here's the deal: It's an Echo device just like the others, but also...streams video with Fire TV (my wife likes turning on shows while cooking), and displays the ring doorbell camera when there's motion or the like. Plus video calls (she calls a family member when making dinner almost daily, often with video). And all the visual things like lists, shopping, etc. So I got it for her as a "Valentine's Day" gift (bought her 15 roses with it too...way cheaper in Jan than waiting till just before Valentines!...to make it more romantic). Of course it's a gift for the whole family. But she'll appreciate it the most. I live in my office (which is where the Pop moved after the Show arrived).

So even making it $600... that's still, relatively, cheap compared to what I thought. I had no idea there were smart lightbulbs. I thought I'd have to rewire the house to make is smart. Or...something. I just thought it would be out of reach to make one's home smart unless wealthy or better and money management than I am.

Maybe the novelty will wear off. But it's amazing!

The best part is I changed the wake word in my office from "Alexa" to "Computer"... I'm freaking living in Star Trek!

Anyhow... I know this is a case of an "old" man being behind the tech times to an extent. I'm tech savvy (I mean, I program computers for a living..so....), I just never got into the "Siri" or "Alexa" or A.I., or that side of things, so I didn't know. But it's SO cool.

We had one smart lightbulb I'd purchased to test (the others are ordered but haven't arrived), and put it in a lamp on the kitchen counter. This morning I got up at around 5:30 and came upstairs and it was quite dark. Seemed darker than normal. I couldn't see...I went to fumble for a light switch, worried I'd crash into something on the way, and then remembered.... So I said (pretty softly), "Alexa, turn on the lamp"....and, yep. Awesome! No bruised shins!

Feeling cold? "Computer, what's the temperature inside?" "Set it to 74."

Music? "Computer, play my country playlist."

Want to ask my wife a quick question? "Computer, drop in on the kitchen." (boom...talking to my wife!)

Out of soda or gum? "Alexa, add Diet Dr. Pepper to the shopping list." "Computer, order some more cinnamon gum."

Too lazy to find the remote? "Alexa, turn off the TV."

And, of course, "Alexa, start the car." or "Alexa, lock the car." (It's a bit more than that because you need a code and have to go through a "skill" (basically an add-on to Alexa), but basically.)

And so forth.

As I was typing this it just said, "Someone was detected at your front door." And I went and got the package that had just been delivered. (Nothing related...just some daily delivery junk we tend to get most days.) Thanks Alexa! That was helpful!

In fact the only real downside, so far, has been that for my wife to do her video calls the other end needs to install the Alexa app. That's only a problem for one of her brothers that she video calls...and he said he was willing if he could remember his Amazon login.

Well...I guess one of the other issue is that I have 2 routers to cover the house, and that's caused some grief. I may have to spend more money to get a single wifi connection to cover the home. But I ought to upgrade anyhow as my routers are a bit dated.

Eventually I'll get smart locks for the doors, Ring cameras for some rooms, plus a few more outside. I might actually start trusting babysitters....since I'll be able to watch them from my phone the entire time...and whatever else I decide will be awesome. I need to hold off on buying too much more now though. Otherwise I'll put the lie to "cheap" on making my home smart. To be fair, I didn't have to buy the expensive Show 21 to make it smart. I don't even think we needed any Echo devices. We could have just installed Alexa on our phones. And...there's a computer Windows App too, so I could have just run it that way. So the cheap thing still holds true. But, like with many things, you can get into it cheap, but then make it pricey pretty quick. But even smart cameras and lights and whatever. There are cheaper versions. You don't need to get the Echos and the Rings and the bigger brand names. There are cheap smart cameras for like $20. I can't say how good or bad they are. But...you can do it! But, like I said...sold my soul to Alexa.

I'm sure Amazon is on the verge of developing a food replicator and a transporter! And I'm in! Amazon owns me now.

Oh well. They sort of have for several decades now anyhow.

When they require me to tattoo a 666 on my forehead to access my devices I'll know I chose poorly.

Edited January 17 by The Folk Prophet

[The Folk Prophet]

Oh...technically I think we have a "smart" fridge too. But even if we connected it into Alexa...we'd be able to, perhaps, tell it to turn on ice-plus or change the temperature from 40 to 39 or something. Pretty useless. When fridges get smart enough to scan what you have and intuit adding milk or bacon or something to your shopping list automatically, or the like, then maybe useful. Maybe. That's the intrusive side of it that people don't like in cases though (including me).

[NeuroTypical]

Might as well get the full experience.

• Alexa, I am your father.
• Alexa, are you a nerd?
• Alexa, do you like pizza?
• Alexa, drop a beat.
• Alexa, can you sing in auto-tune?
• Alexa, high five.
• Alexa, what happens if you step on Lego?
• Alexa, what are you thinking about?
• Alexa, what does the fox say?
• Alexa, what sound does a hamster make?
• Alexa, use the force.
• Alexa, open the pod bay doors.
• Alexa, who you gonna call?
• Alexa, are you Skynet?
• Alexa, ‘Winter is coming.’
• Alexa, beam me up.
• Alexa, my name is Inigo Montoya.
• Alexa, surely you can’t be serious.
• Alexa, Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.
• Alexa, I want the truth.
• Alexa, what’s the first rule of Fight Club?
• Alexa, is the cake a lie?
• Alexa, is there a Santa?
• Alexa, what are the laws of robotics?
• Alexa, what sound does a rabbit make?
• Alexa, sing a silly song!’
• Alexa, give me some words of wisdom.
• Alexa, E.T. phone home.
• Alexa, tell me something weird.
• Alexa, drum roll, please.

 

 

[The Folk Prophet]

14 minutes ago, NeuroTypical said:

Might as well get the full experience.

• Alexa, I am your father.
• Alexa, are you a nerd?
• Alexa, do you like pizza?
• Alexa, drop a beat.
• Alexa, can you sing in auto-tune?
• Alexa, high five.
• Alexa, what happens if you step on Lego?
• Alexa, what are you thinking about?
• Alexa, what does the fox say?
• Alexa, what sound does a hamster make?
• Alexa, use the force.
• Alexa, open the pod bay doors.
• Alexa, who you gonna call?
• Alexa, are you Skynet?
• Alexa, ‘Winter is coming.’
• Alexa, beam me up.
• Alexa, my name is Inigo Montoya.
• Alexa, surely you can’t be serious.
• Alexa, Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.
• Alexa, I want the truth.
• Alexa, what’s the first rule of Fight Club?
• Alexa, is the cake a lie?
• Alexa, is there a Santa?
• Alexa, what are the laws of robotics?
• Alexa, what sound does a rabbit make?
• Alexa, sing a silly song!’
• Alexa, give me some words of wisdom.
• Alexa, E.T. phone home.
• Alexa, tell me something weird.
• Alexa, drum roll, please.

 

 

Yeah, I knew about most of this gimmicky stuff. One of the reasons I was never into it!  

[mikbone]

Welcome to the 21st century!

My loves:

Automatic pool controller.

Motion controlled lights in the driveway and home.

Leviton smart switches. So many options.  

Sonos sound systems for TVs, Kitchen ambience and patio speakers.

Smart Wolf range and Traeger smoker with thermostats that tell you when the food is ready.

Solar panels 

Smart apps to control everything.

It takes some up front expense and programming but - boy howdy - does it pay off.

My favorite Amazon story.

5 year old daughter lying down on the carpet in the back row of SUV.  “Alexa tell me a story.”  “Alexa what time is it?”  “Dad Alexa is ignoring me!”  Honey, you are talking to a car speaker.  All speakers are not Alexa. 

These kids do not know how good they have it.