But why? What do you want to automate?
That's the part I never understood about this stuff. What is there to automate in the first place?
For me, the Amazon Echo is more about having a connection to the world without looking at a screen. Getting answers to random questions (or utilities like timers), latest traffic conditions for travel, weather, etc are all really great applications for a voice interface. If that could also be combined with a good communication platform (voice calls, text/email messaging, etc), it would be even better.
If I lived alone with no pets I'd love to be able to automate the temperature to save money when I wasn't home. But there are usually people in my house, and there are always pets there, so I have to keep it pretty temperate in there at all times.
Other automatable things (lights, lawn sprinklers) are so easily accomplished with simple analog timers that I really do not see the attraction in controlling them via an app. Maybe it's just the programmer in me thinking... at this point in my life, I'm very jaded when it comes to software.
Security is a big one, I guess. It would be nice to be able to monitor that remotely. Though honestly I already have a dog in the house which is probably more effective than 90% of the solutions on the market.
My big thing is whole-house streaming audio, and we've had that for years with Airplay and Sonos and now with Chromecast as well. So that's cool.
Have:
Adding things to my shopping list (via Alexa - currently in the kitchen and bathroom - two most frequent rooms where I'm like "hey I need more XXXX")
Changing the temperature (Nest via phone app and command line tool I wrote, and now Alexa just did a native integration)
Finding out my schedule for the day.
Finding out the weather forecast for the day.
Playing music (via Sonos or Alexa)
Locking front door when I'm going to bed.
Getting notified of movement or sound in the house while I away (Nest Cam and Smart Things)
......
Like the OP I'd love to have the voice control available in any room of the house. I'd love to have better security features (i.e. if I drive up my driveway at 3 AM turn on the outside lights, if a stranger drives up my driveway at 3 AM WAKE ME UP WITH AN ALARM). I'd love better voice controlled Sonos music selection. Composing emails, having handsfree phone or video calls, warming up the oven at a certain time, etc...
For adding to shopping list, check out Amazon Dash.
I don't wear a watch around the house, and I don't really like smart watches honestly - I like big heavy metal automatics. Likewise I enjoy being able to leave my phone on the charger somewhere else. I dunno. I mean long term dream would be integrating things like "smart" mirrors, semi-smart AI-esque assistants, and so on. Then again, I'm currently in a zero-tech house on the beach in Costa Rica, with a barely there internet connection, so it's not like any of this is that important...
* lights * alarm clock (setting, turning it off and on, 15 more minutes) * be able to turn on my xbox/fire tv and tell it I want to watch <x>, then it figures out how * taking the dog out when it's 1am and I just want to go to bed (okay this one might take a little longer).
E.g. Home automation: Every day at sunset, lower the blinds
E.g. Home control : You say "House, lower the blinds now".