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I unplug it when I don't want to listen to music or put together a shopping list. Also, I wouldn't have one if it wasn't given as a gift. I can't believe these

I unplug it when I don't want to listen to music or put together a shopping list. Also, I wouldn't have one if it wasn't given as a gift. I can't believe these are even for sale. They are clearly not ready for consumers. Nearly 90% of the commands I try to give result in Alexa not knowing or misunderstanding. Why should anyone pay to beta-test the product?

52-6F-62 9y ago
> I unplug it when I don't want to listen to music or put together a shopping list. Do the Echo devices not have a hard mute switch? I have a Google Home mini and it's usually on mute unless we want it for the same reasons, or to play trivia. It is muted for weeks at a time, sometimes. Of course I wonder how much of a hard mute it is. If you touch the thing while it's on and muted it will kindly remind you it's muted and can't hear you. It would be nice to gain more insight.
- wickawic 9y ago
  Yes, you can mute an echo and it will glow red.
  - tostitos1979 9y ago
    No programmatic interface to do it as far as I know.
    - jaclaz 9y ago
      Sort of: https://www.sparkfun.com/news/2273 https://www.sparkfun.com/news/2273
3pt14159 9y ago
Security minded people should install more physical switches to outlets for this type of thing.
- codeulike 9y ago
  Wait, in the UK all outlets have to have physical switches. Is it not like that in the US?
  - wiml 9y ago
    Nope. Switched outlets are pretty uncommon in the US. (I've seen them, but not recently.)
  - stordoff 9y ago
    Is that actually a requirement? I know it's the norm, but my house still has plenty of unswitched outlets.
    - codeulike 9y ago
      In old houses some are unswitched, but modern ones are always switched I think.
djsumdog 9y ago
> Why should anyone pay to beta-test the product? I guess the pioneer of that was Microsoft and Windows 95.
Yetanfou 9y ago
I unplug it when I don't want to listen to music or put together a shopping list. ...which is when the device stores everything it hears, ready to send it to the mothership as soon as connectivity is reacquired. No idea whether it already does this but a small battery and a bit of flash go a long way when it comes to overhearing that which was not meant to be overheard...
- btgeekboy 9y ago
  Sounds like you're out of tinfoil. Can I add that to your shopping list?
notyourwork 9y ago
I'm curious what those use cases are in the 90% that don't work? I don't use mine a lot but I also don't seem to have the trouble you do.

52-6F-62 9y ago

> I unplug it when I don't want to listen to music or put together a shopping list. Do the Echo devices not have a hard mute switch? I have a Google Home mini and it's usually on mute unless we want it for the same reasons, or to play trivia. It is muted for weeks at a time, sometimes. Of course I wonder how much of a hard mute it is. If you touch the thing while it's on and muted it will kindly remind you it's muted and can't hear you. It would be nice to gain more insight.

wickawic 9y ago
Yes, you can mute an echo and it will glow red.
- tostitos1979 9y ago
  No programmatic interface to do it as far as I know.
  - jaclaz 9y ago
    Sort of: https://www.sparkfun.com/news/2273 https://www.sparkfun.com/news/2273

3pt14159 9y ago

Security minded people should install more physical switches to outlets for this type of thing.

codeulike 9y ago
Wait, in the UK all outlets have to have physical switches. Is it not like that in the US?
- wiml 9y ago
  Nope. Switched outlets are pretty uncommon in the US. (I've seen them, but not recently.)
- stordoff 9y ago
  Is that actually a requirement? I know it's the norm, but my house still has plenty of unswitched outlets.
  - codeulike 9y ago
    In old houses some are unswitched, but modern ones are always switched I think.

djsumdog 9y ago

> Why should anyone pay to beta-test the product? I guess the pioneer of that was Microsoft and Windows 95.

Yetanfou 9y ago

I unplug it when I don't want to listen to music or put together a shopping list. ...which is when the device stores everything it hears, ready to send it to the mothership as soon as connectivity is reacquired. No idea whether it already does this but a small battery and a bit of flash go a long way when it comes to overhearing that which was not meant to be overheard...

btgeekboy 9y ago
Sounds like you're out of tinfoil. Can I add that to your shopping list?

notyourwork 9y ago

I'm curious what those use cases are in the 90% that don't work? I don't use mine a lot but I also don't seem to have the trouble you do.