Showing posts with label Amazon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Amazon. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 16, 2020

Echo Dot Clock

I really like my Echo Dot Clock. I'm thinking of getting another one to replace a clock radio - a radio that never gets used. There is already an Echo Dot there, so I'd be gaining some space back. These things would be even better if they had USB ports to plug in a charging cable. Or, if I'm dreaming big, the top would serve as a wireless charging pad.

Monday, March 16, 2020

Book Deal: Hyperion

If you are stuck inside and looking for something to do, I recommend picking up Hyperion for only $2.99.

I've written about stuff by Dan Simmons before... here and here.

Friday, February 21, 2020

Friday, March 15, 2019

Monday, October 22, 2018

Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse Book 1) Kindle Edition

I bought the Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse Book 1) a few years ago. My only complaint about the book is that you'll end up buying the others in the series. (It's been fun watching the series on Syfy and I'll follow it to Amazon Video.)

Thursday, July 19, 2018

Alexa Controlled Microwave

I think I'd really rather have the voice-control built in to the microwave - requiring proximity - instead of being able to yell at an Echo have it issue commands via the cloud. But if you want an Alexa Controlled Microwave you can order it from Amazon for $155 - which includes an Echo Dot.


Thursday, April 26, 2018

Home Assistant

Don't click if you don't have time to go down an awesome rabbit hole of home automation... Home Assistant. Doing cool things and saving myself time could be a full-time job.

Works with my Honeywell thermostats, Wemo lights and switches, and probably just about everything else via IFTTT.

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Creating More Work

I enjoy my smart home things and keep adding to the list. I'm not sure they save me time, but I love the convenience of them - especially the voice control for muting the TV while my hands are wet from washing dishes or telling the HVAC unit to turn the air on while I'm in the middle of working out.

The only downside is I keep coming up with new problems to solve - some of which didn't exist prior to buying all these smart devices. For example, I don't have a good place for my Eufy Genie (Amazon Echo Dot clone) in my bathroom. I don't have a spot to put it and we don't have enough plugs to power it.

The solution... $40 to get this outlet shelf and an outlet with USB ports.



Friday, February 9, 2018

The House That Spied on Me

The House That Spied on Me:
"Thanks to the Internet of Things, I could live in my very own tech-mediated Downton Abbey. That’s the appeal of smart homes for most people, and why they are supposed to be a $27 billion market by 2021. But that wasn’t my primary motivation. The reason I smartened up my house was to find out whether it would betray me."
And, oh, Certified Refurbished Amazon Echo Dots (and devices) are on-sale.

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Friday, January 26, 2018

Outdoor Wi-Fi Outlet, Smart Plug

No surprise, I've done it again... I bought another Alexa controllable smart plug. But wait! This one is totally different. It's an outdoor plug - Oittm Outdoor Wi-Fi Outlet, Smart Plug Socket! I've got a string of lights around the porch on the back of my house. They aren't on a switch, so we have to plug them in every time we want to use them. It is fairly common to turn them on to get a little more light when we are grilling. Usually this means having our hands full when we go out there, so the voice control will be great. (I know first world problem - but first world solutions, too!)


Monday, January 22, 2018

Color Printing

I like my monochrome Brother printer. It was cheap. It works well. It has wireless, so I can put it anywhere. I don't have to take out a loan when I buy more toner. It's a laser, so my infrequent printing doesn't result in the discovery of a dried up ink cartridge. This is a current model ($80) of what I bought a few years back.

I don't really need a color printer, but I'd be tempted by the Brother offering at $210. What's totally crazy about this printer is the Amazon Dash integration:

"Upon activation, the Amazon Dash Replenishment service measures the toner level and automatically orders toner from Amazon when low. This ensures that you never run out again."

Alexa Cannibalism

Interesting chart about what things are now being done with Alexa and her friends... I know we stream a lot of music (vs. doing it from our smart phones), so that fits. We stream WUOT (the local NPR station) on our phones. If WUOT added a skill for streaming, that would also move off our phones to the Echo Dot/Anker Eufy Genie. I'm not seeing that Alexa replaces much time with tablets, the TV, or our computers - other than doing some basic voice commands for lights, thermostat, etc.




See the article at Business Insider.