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Comment by k__ | Hacker News Reader

Interesting.

We have an Echo and to this day we haven't found any use for it.

Talking is broadcast and most of the time we search stuff for ourself on mobile. Also, it often simply says it has no answer.

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If you create a custom skill you can do almost anything.

Here is our fun little project for Halloween https://youtu.be/BdbjoniAP0s

> We have an Echo and to this day we haven't found any use for it.

I briefly played with the webhook in ifttt and I think the "serverless" aws or Google Cloud could use this as a custom dash button. Instead of going to a dash button and pressing it if you run out of tide, you simply say "echo, trigger detergent" or I'm thinking with custom programming, "echo, trigger [predefined post request here that starts a series of actions]"

It also supports youbsaying Alexa order tide, or Alexa reorder tide. And she will ask you if you want to buy the most recent tide product you purchased again.

I'm the same as IgorPartola, I use it for kitchen timers, music and smart home controls, but I've also written a few skills so it can play movies/shows on my Chromecast, tell me my last bank transaction, etc etc. Those are pretty useful, except the Dot fails to recognize my longer sentences way too often. Sometimes it'll even recognize the skill I want to launch but not the rest of it.

You seem like the person to ask, so... did you write a "Stavros Home" skill (to borrow from your SN) which can do all of that centrally, or multiple skills?

The problem I'm finding is I can train myself to remember about 5 skill names that can each do one or two things, but thats about it. I'm wondering when I write my own, if i should just have a central skill for my house. Also how did you link into the Chromecast? I have a chromecast buried in my Vizio Smartcast TV and i'm wondering how i can link it in.

Smart home control: “Alexa turn the lights on.”

News.

Kitchen timers.

Music control.

These are my most popular uses.

The timers seem good, also music.

Light seems to slow instead of just hitting a button

I guess that depends where the button is located. If you are sitting down on your couch and forgot to turn off the light it definitely beats standing up and walkin back to the door.

If the switch is within reach anyway then I totally agree that a voice command is more cumbersome than just hitting the switch

Decent switches are relatively quick. It's not instant, but in my house close enough that I open the door, say "Alexa turn on the lights" and lights turn on before I close the door behind me.

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