Agree. We have a three story house and it’s very convenient to use the cross-device intercom feature to check in with our kids on the top floor.
Amusing tangent: A few days ago, I was watching one of my game-streamer subscriptions on YouTube, and the player made an offhand “Alexa, (do X)” joke which unexpectedly activated the device. It was worth a small chuckle.
MIL used to do this from time to time when talking about “her”, which is how she eventually referred to the device when she didn’t want to activate it. I’ve thought about changing the wake word, but after all these years, I dunno if our old selves could adjust. 
It is officially freezing here (32F, 0C).
The cats are squabbly, and Buddy keeps pestering me to open the door, then just standing there instead of going through.
Bleah.
No Alexa or similar over here. So far as I’m aware, I speak clearly and do not have a heavy accent, but voice-operated whatevers seem to have serious trouble understanding me. Too frustrating.
Some years back when voice activated stuff was fairly new, my brother bought a high-end car (the boy’s a big shot!). He took it back to the dealer several times because a simple statement like “Call home” didn’t seem to register. Yet when the service manager said it, it worked fine. So out of frustration, my brother used the fakiest high-pitched pseudo-southern accent… and it WORKED!!! 
There was something about his natural voice that just didn’t register with the car. I’m not sure what the eventual resolution was, but the fake voice solution cracked me up!
Good morning everyone. It’s already afternoon here in Europe. A cloudy and damp +6 °C, but in the nights it is freezing, i.e. the worst of both worlds. That’s why I reluctantly eschew cycling to work - there are still frozen spots in the shade on my bike paths in the late morning. Cycling may be possible on Thursday.
I have populated living room, office and kitchen with Echo Dots/an Echo Show during the last year, over the initial reservations of mildly technophobe Möpsin.
My wife now enjoys watching TV in the kitchen during cooking, and I have also prepared a selection of 600+ pictures from the last decade’s vacations that cycle over the Echo Show’s screen when it’s not otherwiese occupied.
One use for Alexa that was not mentioned upthread was as a tea timer - we pour hot water on the tea bag and say: Alexa, three minutes.
Also our crockpot does not have a timer, and I have not found any good plug timer switches for switching on for a few hours, so we use an Alexa-controlled plug switch for that.
My MIL used to say “Alexa, set a 30 minute alarm” or “Give me a 20 minute timer” - especially as her eyesight got worse and she couldn’t use the timer on her stove. I prefer “Create a reminder in X minutes [or] at < specific time > for < whatever event >” - saves me from wondering why I set a timer.
I LOL’d.
Dunno. But I’m definitely not there. I think I drove through once or twice, back when the world ended I first moved up here from Tx.
When my ex and I first got Google Home, we called it “Simon says” for the same reason.
Um, I don’t think electricity was very widely used thousands of years ago … ?
Without the followup for context I’d have absolutely no idea what that meant.
When my ex and I broke up and I moved across the country, I “inherited” the Simon Says in the “divorce.”
I used it mostly to ask what time it was in the middle of the night - even occasionally activating it simply as a brief night light - and for stuff like reminders to move laundry to the dryer, but about a year or so ago, because [reasons] I had to change my internet account password, which borked my access to Google Home.
I tried fixing the issue a coupla times, got frustrated, and gave up. I eventually had to unplug the central Home hub (I needed the outlet to plug in my slow cooker, to make stew) and, well, inertia took over.
It’s a balmy 6 F out there, and we got quite a bit of snow overnight. I planned ahead for this and have no intention of leaving the house.
Hell, the only reason to even get out of bed is for food, tea, and to potty.
Baked a quiche last night so I have that to forage upon.
Not happy about being scheduled open to close tomorrow (guess who’ll be on the drive-thru window, freezing ALL her cheeks off) but someone’s gotta do it, I guess.
Will definitely hafta shovel.
I took all the household trash to the bin, but noped out of dragging it to the curb. It’s not that full; I didn’t even know if they were gonna pick up today, with the holiday and all; I didn’t wanna hafta put on pants and boots to go fetch it; inertia took over!
Years ago there was a (very brief) time when someone bought me a Clapper to hook to one of my lamps. I used it for awhile but it just didn’t catch on with me.
If Alexa could get up and move I would love her to make sure my cellar door is shut.
i have 2, one in the living room, one in the bedroom. i mostly ask it what time it is, esp. the one in the bedroom. when i do i think of fcm’s mil.
mine is set to “computer” as the wake word, because star trek. it becomes confused if i am watching a star trek episode. the one in the living room is voiced by a us man, the one in the bedroom is voiced by a uk man.
it is a great timer. although it can get confused by 40 and 14. i do use it as a timer, for laundry and tea; like mops, although unlike mops i do not use a tea bag.
phila got 2 inches of snow yest. mostly after 4pm. it made the eagle game more interesting. the snow was a bit sloppy so it is very icy this morning. we are in the low 20’s right now, forecast to get to 8 degrees tonight.
i was number 4 on the shuttle bus, and number 2 in the office. gonna be a day.
Nor do we.
Whatever that might be.
Or that.
Or that. 
Try it the Navy way – "four zero"and “one four”…
It’s warmed up to 19/-7, wind chill -5/-15. It’s supposed to be up to 34/0 Thursday and Friday, and then up to a balmy 39/3.9 on Sunday. And no more water, either liquid or solid, falling out of the sky through Sunday.
Any of y’all familiar with the saying that “the angels are combing their hair”?
Also 50 and 15 - I’ve learned to enunciate and speak just a tad slower.
the large wash cycle is 42 minutes. i usually set the timer to 40. i have learned not to do that. shouting at a device is humanizing. i now say 41. if i am a bit late to get to the machine the world will not end.
i have not heard of angel’s combing hair. interesting…
My google dot has lately become confused when I say “play WSKG” (my local NPR station) it’ll play a random youtube collection of old programs from WSKG. If I say “play NPR” it’ll play WSKG.
Cute saying! Never heard of it.
Although when I was a kid I used to comb my hair over my mother’s LP 33 black vinyl records to watch the specks of dandruff fall out.
Well, then, good afternoon!
I still remember the ads! That was a helluva catchy jingle.
There’s a poop joke in there.
Never heard it before. What does it mean?
She’s training you!
I’ve emerged from my cocoon o’blankets and am sipping some very hot Earl Grey (and using your coaster FCM! it amuses me to no end) while watching the world become whiter and whiter and zomg that did not come out the way I intended!
Monkey is singing the Song Of His People so he’s getting some wiggly-string playtime and an occasional tossed treat to chase.
I’m finishing off a J and day drinking may or may not have already commenced.
… what? Ish muh dayofff.
Good morning all. A chilly 14F here in N. Ali-bama, getting to 27F later in the day. Might have to get the big Parka off the coat rack wen (if) I go out today. Need to pickup my prescriptions, stop by the gym to delay my exercise training with a staff member, and pickup my Jersey Mike’s. Once those are done, I’m indoors for the rest of the time.
I do not have Alexa or any other communications device, maybe one day I will need it but it seems today is not that day…But I do find it fascinating what other Mumpers are using it for.
Mops, welcome and hope you enjoy our company here.
wet one, it gets crazy here in N. Ali-bama when we have snow, I imagine a couple hundred miles south they will take it as a sign of the apocalypse…
Taters, even when it’s someone you hardly know, it still affects you because it’s one less relation still living. I know.
And need to get moving so I can sloth all afternoon. Take care all.
Spot and I have breakfasted. I shall take out the recycling shortly.
This gets you the Butlerian Jihad, then we have to spend the next 14,000 years eating worm poop.
That could never go wrong.
GMTA. I had oatmeal also.
Welp, I found out that driving into a morning sunrise 4 days post cataract surgery is very tricky. The glare was blinding. Switched my route to side streets where I could go slower and where the tree canopy blocked more of the glare. Scary there for a few minutes. I rarely set out into the sunrise at this hour very often but will have to attempt to try to remember that, no doubt also at sunset when I’m much more likely to be on the road. Probably should budget (ha! ha! ha!) for a pair of polarized prescription sunglasses when I get my new post cataract surgery eyeglass prescription. That will be in March supposedly, til then I’ll have to plan driving strategically to handle sunrise & sunset hour driving.
Had my big bowl of oatmeal, watching a Minions movie with the kidlets. Wrangling them on an out of school for MLK Day while their parents attempt to work from home. Harriet and Sorenson call it “Grandma Basement School” since we take over the big basement tv/playroom for the day. Disney movies and buckets of popcorn will rule the day, with lots of snuggling under afghans on the sectional which is the size of my front yard. My main job is to keep the 7 yo from battering, bruising or bullying her 3 yo brother. I’ll try to read them a couple of MLK kids books if they wind down enough.
Everyone, stay warm and well fed. Consider yourself virtually hugged from the frozen winter storm advisory (minus 30 wind chills) wastelands of the Great Plains. Stay inside for cripes sake, snuggle pets, eat comfort foods and swill hot drinks.
Now post this discourse, dammit! [note to all, unlike FCD moooom I am not nice]
When SIL comes to get the truck, he’ll be leaving the grands with me. School was canceled today because of the icy roads. But I told him NO TREVOR! I like that dog, but he’s just too much for me to deal with when I have the kids.
I started transplanting my peace lily, but I didn’t have enough potting soil, so I called FCD and he’ll bring a small bag home with him. Dishwasher is full and sloshing. Kids will be here soon. My peace and quiet is about to be destroyed, at least for a little while. And I’m thinking it’s a good night for potato soup - especially since one batch will feed both of us with no leftovers.
Still can’t find the tote bags. Maybe they’re in one of the big suitcases? Hope so - I’ve pretty much checked everywhere else. Dammit.
That’s where I store stuff like that sometimes.
Do have a look.