"2001 a Space Odyssey", what-if Alexa (short video).

[a425couple]

"2001 a Space Odyssey", what-if Alexa (short video).

Here, enjoy!
https://www.facebook.com/amityaddrisiTV/posts/745637628968958

[Dorothy J Heydt]

Post by a425couple
"2001 a Space Odyssey", what-if Alexa (short video).
Here, enjoy!
https://www.facebook.com/amityaddrisiTV/posts/745637628968958

Oh. Is there any other source, for those of us who don't do
Facebook?

[Moriarty]

Post by Dorothy J Heydt

Post by a425couple
"2001 a Space Odyssey", what-if Alexa (short video).
Here, enjoy!
https://www.facebook.com/amityaddrisiTV/posts/745637628968958

Oh. Is there any other source, for those of us who don't do
Facebook?

The link works fine for non-facebookers. Just click on the video to start playing. If a pop-up asks you to sign up or in, just click 'Not now'.

-Moriarty

[David Johnston]

Post by Dorothy J Heydt

Post by a425couple
"2001 a Space Odyssey", what-if Alexa (short video).
Here, enjoy!
https://www.facebook.com/amityaddrisiTV/posts/745637628968958

Oh. Is there any other source, for those of us who don't do
Facebook?

[Peter Trei]

Post by David Johnston

Post by Dorothy J Heydt

Post by a425couple
"2001 a Space Odyssey", what-if Alexa (short video).
Here, enjoy!
https://www.facebook.com/amityaddrisiTV/posts/745637628968958

Oh. Is there any other source, for those of us who don't do
Facebook?

http://youtu.be/3TWg80Jw8_s

There's a South Park episode that plays with this, with Cartman repeatedly
asking Alexa, Google Home, and Apple Homepod to add rude things to your shopping
list - if you have the devices in the room where you're watching, the result is
amusing, eye-opening, and disturbing.

I've bought one (Amazon Dot - an Alexa device), and played with it at home. Its
for an elderly relative. The requirements to set it up are a little lengthy:

The device itself
Wifi
An Apple or Android smartphone.
An Amazon account (can be a free one, without a real credit card attached)
A working email (requirement to get the Amazon account).

You install the Alexa app on the phone, and use it to set up the device. Its not
rocket science, but would not be trivial for a non-computer literate person.
There are a lot of video tutorials to ease this.

Once its set up, its pretty easy to use. One feature, which is the main reason
I'm getting it for the relative is that, if you allow the app access to your
contacts, you can make free, hands-free phone calls from it. You say, for
example, 'Alexa, call Dorothy Heydt', and if she's in your contacts, you call
her. (It can't receive calls without extra hardware).

Elderly people have a frequent nightmare scenario of falling, being unable to
get up, and being stuck for hours or days unable to reach a phone. There are
alert devices they can wear to deal with this, but they don't always have them
on their person. Being able to call out 'Alexa, call Kathy', and have
your daughter answer is a good backup (there's some weirdness where it
either can't call 911, or it can't do so with automatic caller location).

There's a whole bunch of other things you can do with it, such as link it to
a Google Calendar, play music, get the weather, set alarms and reminders,
but the call-out feature is the killer app for my purpose.

pt

[Robert Carnegie]

Post by Peter Trei

Post by David Johnston

Post by Dorothy J Heydt

Post by a425couple
"2001 a Space Odyssey", what-if Alexa (short video).
Here, enjoy!
https://www.facebook.com/amityaddrisiTV/posts/745637628968958

Oh. Is there any other source, for those of us who don't do
Facebook?

http://youtu.be/3TWg80Jw8_s

There's a South Park episode that plays with this, with Cartman repeatedly
asking Alexa, Google Home, and Apple Homepod to add rude things to your shopping
list - if you have the devices in the room where you're watching, the result is
amusing, eye-opening, and disturbing.
I've bought one (Amazon Dot - an Alexa device), and played with it at home. Its
The device itself
Wifi
An Apple or Android smartphone.
An Amazon account (can be a free one, without a real credit card attached)
A working email (requirement to get the Amazon account).
You install the Alexa app on the phone, and use it to set up the device. Its not
rocket science, but would not be trivial for a non-computer literate person.
There are a lot of video tutorials to ease this.
Once its set up, its pretty easy to use. One feature, which is the main reason
I'm getting it for the relative is that, if you allow the app access to your
contacts, you can make free, hands-free phone calls from it. You say, for
example, 'Alexa, call Dorothy Heydt', and if she's in your contacts, you call
her. (It can't receive calls without extra hardware).
Elderly people have a frequent nightmare scenario of falling, being unable to
get up, and being stuck for hours or days unable to reach a phone. There are
alert devices they can wear to deal with this, but they don't always have them
on their person. Being able to call out 'Alexa, call Kathy', and have
your daughter answer is a good backup (there's some weirdness where it
either can't call 911, or it can't do so with automatic caller location).
There's a whole bunch of other things you can do with it, such as link it to
a Google Calendar, play music, get the weather, set alarms and reminders,
but the call-out feature is the killer app for my purpose.
pt

In Ben Aaronovitch's wizarding police novel _The Hanging Tree_,
the hero, Peter Grant, produces a device melodramatically called
a "screamer": it's an adapted mobile phone that automatically calls
to London police HQ. Since electronics literally die (if switched on)
when magic happens in this setting, there's a two minute clockwork
timer to switch it on, and you throw it as far as you can away from
the magic before that. Then probably run in a different direction.
(Most of this is not what your relative requires.)

HQ then probably telephones Peter to deal with it, which is awkward
if it is him that the magic is happening to. Although he is quite
good at duels by now.