Cool replies. I will see if I can put some time into this.
To be honest, the Echo Dot is actually a lot more useful than I thought it would be at first. I was asked by a long time freind a couple months ago how I was using my Alexa device and I told her I didn’t have one, and really didn’t see how it would be something I would be interested in. Most of the advertised uses really have no use for me. Streaming for me is better done using headphones (to cut out the rest of the noise in the area) as in the living room for example, there are typically multiple people talking, TV’s and other distractions.
But I have found that it’s automation is pretty cool and useful. I got one about a month before Xmas and then got my first remote switch. It was pretty cool to put the Xmas lights on it and to simply be able to say “echo turn off christmas” and lights went off. My wife didn’t like it, but it was fun for a while. I have since moved the switch to a lamp in the corner of the living room and it really makes it easier to turn it on/off when I am up later or get up in the middle of the night.
For Xmas, I got a second Echo Dot although the intention was to get another switch instead as I really didn’t see any point in having two. But I got another switch, put the echo in my office/bedroom and put the switch on a lamp in the room. This instantly became very useful as I current have restrictions on using my left arm and I can’t reach over and easily turn off the light switch before I go to bed or get up. Now I can just tell the Echo to turn on/off Bedroom and I can control the light.
I can also easily get the time, local NWS weather etc… while lying down in the dark. You can set timers, alarms etc… and get some searchable data though I think Google Home does searching a lot better.
I found a very useful tool that I know others can use that have disabilites which is to use an Alexa Skill for Ask My Buddy, which allows you to setup contacts to contact if you ask the Echo to send an alert to XXXX and it will send an email, text and phone call to that contact. Kind of an inexpensive Medical alert button.
What I haven’t found yet, is any remote thermometers that you could simply plug into an outlet and then query from the Echo. Would be kind of cool to have one in several rooms and perhaps outside for a simple idea of what the temps are.
I can add temp stations to my Davis station, but they are pretty expensive and large which is not quite what I have in mind.
I’m guessing that a low cost WX station with temp remotes might be a less expensive solution.
So I am going to work in creating a skill to at least get weather data from my own Stations (from the web server not directly from the station) first, and then can look at a less expensive WX station for the other “toy”.
My end of year vacation is over, but I think I can put some time into this and will see what I come up with.
I also plan on getting one or more Google Home devices. I’ve played with one just after Xmas to help a Neighbor install one (really very easy) and it’s search and data capabilites greatly surpassed the Alexa Amazon echosphere. It is a later comer to the market though and automation is still limited unless the devices have IFTTT support and even then that can be a bit slow. But I can see it getting better.
Current Devices:
2 Echo Dots (Living room, Office/bedroom)
1 Wireless WeMo switch (Living Room)
1 TP-Link WiFi Plug (Office/Bedroom)
1 EcoBee3 Thermostat which still needs to be installed. I need to get it installed because the common wire is not available at the spot where the current thermostat is located.