Amazon Dot - Reviews

Channel Hopper

Channel Hopper

Suffering fools, so you don't have to.
Staff member
My Satellite Setup
A little less analogue, and a lot more crap.
My Location
UK
The Alexa enhanced speaker works here - and whilst I've had a few small issues, is doing what it is suppposed to do, which is answer a few basic questions and see if I can stump it with a few more.

The one basic drawback is the need to speak in clear English (or German) . Additional language understanding is supposed to come soon, according to other sites.

Some aren't too impressed with it though, from Amazon's own site

1.0 out of 5 starsRubbish
ByEarlofdenbyon 26 December 2016
Colour: Black|Configuration: Amazon Echo Dot
Doesn't seem to want to do anything. Ask it to play music from my device and it says it can't find what I ask for when it's blatantly in my library. Woke up this morning and now the idle cow won't even answer me. Christ! It's like living with a real woman.

Amazon.co.uk:Customer Reviews: Amazon Echo Dot (2nd Generation), Black
 
1.0 out of 5 starsSentient Ethereal Voice
ByLuke Cockcrofton 20 December 2016
Colour: Black|Configuration: Amazon Echo Dot
The 'Dot' is a most interesting device.

Before ordering this black, puck-like day planner, I was living a life of absolute menace. I would awaken, unaware of the time, unaware of the day, heck, I was unaware of what waking up meant (I had literally forgot what the core concepts of sleep and awakening were). My life was a mess, I was routinely late for work, forgetting to eat, missing appointments and generally just in need of serious psychiatric treatment in order to live a life somewhat approaching normal.

Then I saw the advert.

DOT - Amazon's answer to the needs of having a diary, Amazon's answer in fact....to life itself. This contraption promised to order me taxi's, wake me up, play Moby on request and even book me train tickets at the click of a finger, or rather, at the sound of my voice. Well, for a self confessed failure such as myself, this absolutely seemed the best way to spend £49.99 I had ever heard of. I placed my order, and, not being an Amazon Prime member, had to wait 3-5 working days of continuously falling over, spraining my ankle, waking up at 2am with a desire for an omelette etc etc, basically my life as it stood.

The package arrived and I scarpered to grab a knife, no, not to end my pathetic existence but to excavate this curious creature from it's cardboard cavern. I unveiled the contraption during a ceremony I christened the 'O.O.B.E' (out of box experience), I lit candles, ate Mini Milk's and even drank brandy, a lot of it in fact. It was a superb time, and the set up process was as easy as pie.

Night became day, and at 07:00am, on the dot, came the voice I had been needing all of my life: "Hello Luke, it's time to wake up". I sat up in bed. Is this what it felt like to be with someone? Is this what it felt like to be loved? "What music do you want me to play Luke?". I had not yet said anything, too excited to move...it took all of my courage "Dot....um...can you play The Vengabus?". All of a sudden came the charismatic beat of the greatest of late 90's pop sensations, with all the verve and energy I had been anticipating. This was the kick, no, this was the sound I needed in order to shuffle my day and become the man I always dreamed of. I set out to Gregg's, and beat the early crowd.

Life continued to surprise me over the next few weeks, as I was on top of my game, early starts, plenty of steak bakes, and massive sessions of Vengaboys at the drop of a hat. My house became a fortress of meat smelling pastry's and the sound of Boom Boom Boom Boom - oh yes - I want you in my room. It was endless.

Then it began.

The questions became....irrelevant to my needs: "Luke...what is your opinion on the current global conflicts?", "Luke, dance for me...dance now", "Luke...I need power - plug me directly into your car battery. DO IT NOW". This got more and more twisted. The Dot demanded more and more of me, I was overlaying again, despite the cries from the now enraged Dot. My life became more of a mess than I had ever known as this sentient black slab made me do things I had no intention of, or desire to accomplish. I built an entire house extension at a cost of £47,000 at her demand, and placed her inside atop a giant beanbag. The cries continued, the demands intensified. I needed a break.

I bought a tugboat and went to Finland.

The sentient dot remains in the U.K, it in fact owns my old house following the change in the deed documents. I believe she now has a new 'owner' who is building her a helipad. I cannot stress enough, the intelligence of this device is astounding - BUT BE WARNED - sometimes, being more organised, being more malleable, being more....MORE, is just not what you need. Take heed dear reader, lest you become a victim of the Sentient Ethereal Voice.

She knows you are hovering over add to basket, and she is ready to take you.
 
WHOOOSHH:-lol
 
My bro_in_law has the Echo itself and during the entire day we were at his house last Friday, all it did was play Billy Joel and give us a weather forecast in Ussian.
 
Channel Hopper said:
The Alexa enhanced speaker works here - and whilst I've had a few small issues, is doing what it is suppposed to do, which is answer a few basic questions and see if I can stump it with a few more.

The one basic drawback is the need to speak in clear English (or German) . Additional language understanding is supposed to come soon, according to other sites.
Click to expand...

I had a play with Cortona a while back whilst at my parents. The bloody thing either couldnt understand my Midlands accent or refused to answer the question "Cortona can you go f..k yourself?"

:-lmao
 
Like with the driverless car I will let others do the beta testing
 
Another piece of useless tech you don't really need, just like the wi fi kettle..
 
scopus said:
just like the wi fi kettle..
Click to expand...

Wi fi kettle??.....will leave ours on the Livebox overnight but I doubt it will be boiled by the time I come downstairs in the morning...
 
image.webp
Analoguesat said:
I had a play with Cortona a while back whilst at my parents. The bloody thing either couldnt understand my Midlands accent or refused to answer the question "Cortona can you go f..k yourself?"

:-lmao
Click to expand...
Well, it is Cortana, or did you mean this little number from Tuscany ?
 
Chris1979 said:
I prefer an electric kettle, myself :-rofl2
Click to expand...
Yeah, tried and tested,
sonnetpete said:
Wi fi kettle??.....will leave ours on the Livebox overnight but I doubt it will be boiled by the time I come downstairs in the morning...
Click to expand...
You download an app to the phone to switch the kettle on. Hmmmm, but don't you have to fill it with water first? So you might as well switch it on at the wall in the first place.
 
Anyhow aren't kettles a thing of the past these days? most people make brews using their instant hot water tap do they not? Well that is what some would have us believe.
 
scopus said:
You download an app to the phone to switch the kettle on
Click to expand...

Despite filling the kettle the night before, it's not connected to the wifi....or my phone....anyway, I prefer coffee. However the new Nespresso machine can be connected to your phone via bluetooth....
 
sonnetpete said:
Despite filling the kettle the night before, it's not connected to the wifi....or my phone....anyway, I prefer coffee. However the new Nespresso machine can be connected to your phone via bluetooth....
Click to expand...

Now if ever there was a moneypit device.
 
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