Echo: Who can call you?

[imoldernu]

Was a big discussion over the holiday.

Am slow with this... must be an easy answer.

 

[bizlady]

Anyone in your contacts that also has an echo. You can call room to room also. When DH is at the cabin, I can call him on the device saying "ALexa call (room device name)I use my echo at home and call the remote device.. You can also call most anyone using the device by saying Alexa, dial (area code and phone number)

 

[imoldernu]

Anyone in your contacts that also has an echo. You can call room to room also. When DH is at the cabin, I can call him on the device saying "ALexa call (room device name)I use my echo at home and call the remote device.. You can also call most anyone using the device by saying Alexa, dial (area code and phone number)

Yes... we do this, but who can call me? Anyone in my contacts? And, we only use our land line for a phone.

 

[bizlady]

Anyone in your contacts that also has an ALexa


How to here: https://www.pcmag.com/feature/358674/how-to-call-someone-from-your-amazon-echo/2

We just use our landline as well, but others can if you enable it

 

[marko]

They always make this stuff look easy on TV. "Alexa, turn on the lights, play song by Elton John, turn down the thermostat, call mom..."

What they don't show is that you have to connect up all this stuff to each piece; (AFAIK), it doesn't work right out of the box when you plug it in.

 

[imoldernu]

yes... when I go to contacts, it says:

Alexa has xxx contacts stored on the cloud. Use the Alexa app to review cloud contacts.

No contacts found.
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I am dumb... but I don't see anything on the Alexa app that tells me how to get to the cloud contacts. Just a place to add new contacts.
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I really don't want to open my Echo to every person that I have my contacts list. I was concerned about contacts that could open me to solicitations by commercial entities.
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So... if I manually add a contact, could I call that person with my Alexa echo?
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My son calls me on the echo, "drop in on"... but I don't show him as a contact. How does that work?
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I've had, and used... the echo for almost a year, and think I signed on to it, using a smartphone and a number that is no longer valid. Does that mean that Amazon is now using my landline as authorization?
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The "internet" seems to think that everyone has a smartphone to use apps... It gets confusing to this old man. My Alexa "app" is on my PC Desktop.
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Thanks for the replies. No need to answer these questions... it all works well enough for me as it is today. It was a "just wondering" thingy.
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My next harassing question will be about the Fire Stick... so far, so good, but using Alexa voice commands seems to be iffy on my "not smart TV".

Today's a snow day here in Peru... (Chicago area), so I have the day off.

 

[Chuckanut]

You’re not dumb. The internet of things doesn’t always work well and it’s not your fault.

 

[ERD50]

They always make this stuff look easy on TV. "Alexa, turn on the lights, play song by Elton John, turn down the thermostat, call mom..."

What they don't show is that you have to connect up all this stuff to each piece; (AFAIK), it doesn't work right out of the box when you plug it in.

I wonder how many people don't realize you need a smart plug for each of those things you want to control? I bet quite a few.


https://www.amazon.com/Meross-Googl...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=RC450GXGMQPTH0J52M9F

We were at SIL the other day. She said there is some interaction with Alexa between one of the lights she turns on/off, and the TV getting turned on/off.

I'm no Luddite, I do all sorts of computer stuff, build my own circuits, do programming, etc, but I just don't think flipping a switch is that big a deal. I'd rather do that than deal with potential network issues, etc. There's just not enough 'gain' there for me to want to deal with even a single problem. Flip the damn switch! They always work!

-ERD50

 

[marko]

There's just not enough 'gain' there for me to want to deal with even a single problem. Flip the damn switch! They always work!

-ERD50

+1
Whenever I'm faced with a 'solution' the first question I ask is 'what problem am I trying to solve?'

 

[broadway]

I wonder how many people don't realize you need a smart plug for each of those things you want to control? I bet quite a few.


https://www.amazon.com/Meross-Googl...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=RC450GXGMQPTH0J52M9F

We were at SIL the other day. She said there is some interaction with Alexa between one of the lights she turns on/off, and the TV getting turned on/off.

I'm no Luddite, I do all sorts of computer stuff, build my own circuits, do programming, etc, but I just don't think flipping a switch is that big a deal. I'd rather do that than deal with potential network issues, etc. There's just not enough 'gain' there for me to want to deal with even a single problem. Flip the damn switch! They always work!

-ERD50

I was at Walmart the other day and found a few remote-controlled outlets on clearance for $4. It came with a fob. Push the top button to turn on the outlet and the lamp that is plugged in. Push the bottom button to turn off. Very simple. Sometimes that is all that someone needs.