4 best uses for Alexa in every room of your home-CNET
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To my surprise, the first morning their wakeup routine went off, they got up, made their beds, and were dressed and dancing before I even came in to check on them! I’m telling you, Alexa is some kind of magician in our house right now. When I purchased our Echo Dots, I originally thought they would be great for turning on lights (more on why this didn’t work out below), playing music, and answering fun questions. Like I mentioned in my last post, we’re looking at screens less and making better use of our time. In general, Taps are better for moving between areas where you only want to play music on occasion, though it's not too much of a hassle unplugging and replugging the Echo or the Dot. Put either an Echo or an Echo Dot in a central spot in the room you inhabit most often, and you'll rarely be out of shouting distance.
For example, if your garden lights are on a smart plug you can call it "garden lights" and so on, which it better than asking Alexa to "turn on my smart plug two". Because you've setup your smart home devices and told Alexa what they are, you can then search for them. One advantage of choosing lights and plugs from the same brand is that they all use the same hub and app, so that keeps things tidy when it comes to setting up. At the same time you might end up paying more for your bulbs and plugs than you actually need to. There are a number of different Echo models, but they all feature Alexa and they all offer the same Skills and voice controls.
Saving Live Views with Alexa
At just $50 and with all of the same Alexa functionality as the full-size Echo, it's one of the best bargains in all of tech. Setting it up is easy, too -- just plug the thing in and follow the Wi-Fi pairing instructions in the Alexa app on your mobile device of choice. Originally hailing from Troy, Ohio, Ry Crist is a text-based adventure connoisseur, a lover of terrible movies and an enthusiastic yet mediocre cook. A CNET editor since 2013, Ry's beats include smart home tech, lighting, appliances, and home networking. First, tap on the Live View button for any of your Blink cameras.
Log into your Google Home app to connect your thermostat with Google Assistant. The app is a central place for managing compatible home devices, such as your smart speakers, TVs, and air conditioner, and is available for both iOS and Android users. Second, Alexa can have a hunch that one of your smart home devices isn’t working as it should. For example, if a smart light bulb stays on when you’ve otherwise told Alexa to shut the house down for the night, you’ll get a notification asking whether it’s still lit on purpose.
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Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. You can sync your Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, and Microsoft Calendar with Alexa, so you can add events, look them up, and get reminders about upcoming appointments. How to control your TV with AlexaAside from the Harmony Remote, there are several ways you can control your TV using your voice. If you're getting rid of or gifting an Echo, Echo Dot, or other Alexa speaker, you'll want to reset it.
The Blink Mini security camera works indoors so that you can keep track of what’s happening around your house from anywhere and at any time. Whenever the camera detects motion, it will send you an alert via Alexa. The camera also boasts a built-in speaker so you can hear what’s going on and talk to whoever you see in the live footage.
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Of course, the Ring Video Doorbell 4 also connects to Alexa. Anytime the doorbell is pressed or motion is detected, you can program Alexa to provide an announcement. You can also see, hear and talk to visitors through any Echo Show or Echo Spot device. Plus, it supports virtually every streaming app you could ever want, including more recent services such as HBO Max, Disney+, Peacock and Paramount Plus.
This means you can change your home’s temperature from far away, create a schedule, and set up automations. Perhaps the most impressive thing about the Echo Studio is that it can adapt to the acoustics of any room, straight out of the box, and will continue to adapt every time you use it. You can also add lighting scenes to these groups, which allow you to quickly call up custom brightness and color settings if you’re using smart lightbulbs with those options. The next level involves connecting Alexa with your other applications and using a voice command to launch them. You can have Alexa play your current audiobook from your Audible account, play your favorite songs from Spotify, set up a ride with Lyft, or check traffic and arrival times from Waze. Since Alexa is managed using the Alexa app, you can also use your smartphone to interact, meaning even folks using Apple iPhones or Android devices can find a way to access digital butler services.
Install room sensors to control each room’s temperature and save on energy costs. From there, follow the steps and your device will be up and running in no time. If you’re looking for a smart thermostat, Vivint has the answer. The Vivint Smart Thermostat is designed to keep your home comfortable while helping you save energy. Hunches is still considered a newer feature, but it’s easily one of the best Alexa skills for having an intuitive home.
For a limited time, get a free security camera, 20% off + a free month of monitoring. The best idea is to place an Alexa-enabled device everywhere you want coverage. If your basement windows are your most likely break-in spot, make sure you park an Alexa nearby. You could also have one located near your fire alarm or CO2 detector. Open your Alexa app and tap Devices at the bottom of the screen. You can upgrade Guard’s functionality with the sound of barking dogs and set it to automatically connect you to emergency services if an alert is triggered.
This fifth generation model is special in the way that it doubles as an Eero Wi-Fi mesh router, giving you a simple and easy way to expand your home’s Wi-Fi network if there are any dead spots. Furthermore, it gains some useful tap gestures to dismiss alarms, notifications, and more. Follow the steps below to make as many routines as you like. Once you have those Skills enabled, it's worth reading through some of the details in case there are any specific phrases you'll need to use. For example, you might have to say "Ask Hive to boost my heating" to get the response you want from Alexa. You can almost think of Skills as apps, but because many will only then interact by voice, they're not apps you will ever see.
Instead, you import scenes in from your devices themselves, provided that those devices' apps offer a way to create them. Once your devices are up and running, you'll need to introduce them to Alexa to let her start controlling them. Part of that setup process typically involves giving your device a name. This is an important step because that name is what Alexa will use to identify the device when you give a command.
Select your network and enter your home network password . If you don’t see your Wi-Fi network, scroll down and select Add a Network or Rescan. Select the “+” icon in the top-right corner of the screen to add a device. That kind of fine-tuning can help guide you through a gradual expansion of your setup.
But the added LED display supports certain settings you might not know about. Tap Combine speakers, then tap Stereo pair / subwoofer. Tap one of the speakers you want to use, then the app will highlight compatible speaker options -- tap one, then tap Next.
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