Amazon Echo

[dimity_blue]

Have any of you heard about Amazon Echo? It sounds amazing!

Can you imagine how useful this would be for disabled people? You can tell it to arrange for a taxi, so probably an ambulance as well. Tell it to turn on or off lights or the TV or play music...

Obviously, your lights/TV/whatever would have to be connected or able to receive a signal but talk about helpful.

Comments

[leesa_perrie]

It does sound extremely useful. Could you save up for it? I know you'd need to do something to make appliances and lights complient with it, but it would at least help with other things in the meantime.

[dimity-blue.livejournal.com]

I'll have to save for it (and maybe sell a body part). It really does look like it'd come in handy!

(Joking about the body part. Mostly.) :oD

[snailbones.livejournal.com]

They look amazing - there's a vid of one being used for the first time by Jim Chapman last week on YouTube: https://youtu.be/oFLuJDBF_xc

I'm really really tempted to get one, if only so my mum can get music to play without me having to remember to turn it all on for her!

[dimity-blue.livejournal.com]

Music or the TV or the lights... It looks incredible.

[sammason.livejournal.com]

I hadn't heard of this device. You may be right about its usefulness but it's quite pricey.

[dimity-blue.livejournal.com]

And the Smart gadgets add to the price. But still, I think it'd be a big help.

[sammason.livejournal.com]

Indeed. Thank you for including me in this conversation. Until recently I'd have asked you to start a thread on friendly_crips. Obvs you're still welcome to do that if you want to.

[stargatesg1971.livejournal.com]

It does look very useful, a bit pricey but no doubt the benefits outweigh that in the long run.

[dimity-blue.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the sheer convenience outweighs the rest!

[amedia.livejournal.com]

That sounds amazing--if we could get one for my mom, it would take a load off my dad! Her new motorized wheelchair is already a big help, but this would be incredible.

I hope you're able to get one!!!

[dimity-blue.livejournal.com]

It does sound good, doesn't it? I hope it works for your mom.

[amedia.livejournal.com]

Well, I sent an email to all my siblings with a link to the U.S. version of the doodad and a brief explanation of what it can do besides play music--it's funny how Amazon touts it primarily as a remote-control speaker when that's probably the least impressive thing it does! So far I've heard back from a couple of them who think it's a cool idea. If we all pitch in (there are four of us), it should be affordable to get the gizmo and some of the special switches for lamps and things. And my brother-in-law, who runs the IT department where he works, should be able to set it up and troubleshoot it. (Mom's very computer-savvy, but she doesn't have good use of her hands.) *hopefulhopeful*

And, as I said to my sibs, it's a good thing she wouldn't be able to use it for the thermostat, because if Mom could change the temperature back up or down every time Dad futzed with it, we'd have World War III on our hands! ;-)