Amazon Echo/Alexa: Do You Have One???
LynnNM
6 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (45)
LynnNM
6 years agoRelated Discussions
Toaster Ovens, do you have one and what do you make?
Comments (33)I never had any use for a toaster oven until I had no oven. I remembered the little toaster oven from my youth that made burned toast that my grandmother then scraped and buttered anyway. I haven't had a working oven in quite a while. I finally broke down and purchased a countertop oven perhaps the same size as the one Sharon is showing, maybe smaller. It wasn't a high end model, just an Emerson from Target. This Thanksgiving I did a 12 pound unstuffed turkey in it. I didn't think it was possible but it was. Since I carved it and froze the meat and almost everything for that meal I was able to do everything one item at a time. We had Thanksgiving on the sailboat where my son has been living in Long Beach since September. I find that it runs hot and I have to adjust the temperature dial down about 25 degrees. Also deep loaf pan quick breads will tend to burn on the bottom before they are baked through. So I divide the recipe into three mini loaf pans instead or use a small bundt pan. Glass also tends to lead to burned bottoms on my quick breads. We make lots of cookies, one-loaf quick bread recipes, pies and crisps and small bundt cakes. I haven't attempted yeast bread yet but I will at some point. I've baked pumpkin halves, and stuffing, and sweet potatoes. As long as the baking dish fits, I think almost anything can be baked in it. I don't use the mini cookie sheets one can purchase for toaster ovens, they are so small they are silly. Mine has a removeable bottom liner so I use that with parchment. It slides into the rack slot. Works fine....See MoreHave you ever returned a item you brought at Amazon ?
Comments (23)I think the success of returns is directly linked to whether you are buying verified by Amazon products, or 3rd party sellers who also post (crap) for sale on Amazon. I've been burned twice now by 3rd party sellers. I will never again buy something on Amazon from a 3rd party seller. Amazon was only partially useful in attempting to resolve both issues. I could type the whole saga out but in the end, I bought products on Amazon no one would stand behind. One product was not as advertised (was a cheap Chinese knock-off, not the genuine thing), and the other product was advertised as having a life time warranty which the seller would not honor. Both times the 3rd party sellers were unresponsive, and actually 1 seller got weirdly upset and borderline personal with me (it was borderline creepy). All communication went through Amazon's system too, so they can follow the conversations. In the end, the defective product is still for sale through the same 3rd party seller on Amazon and still comes with a lifetime warranty no one will likely honor. I wanted to love Amazon. I used to love Amazon. But they are wrecking their good name by associating with 3rd party sellers who are shysters and so as much as it kills me, I'm no longer buying anything from them....See MoreAmazon Echo Silver: I need :o)
Comments (12)PJR is still in Hawaii. He'll be home for 21 days, for a wedding, etc. September . Thanks for asking....See MoreOkay, so I want to know about the Alexa/Echo . . .
Comments (50)@pinkmountain, Here's an example of what kinds of things a listening advertising device can do. Today, I was having a casual conversation with some friends in the dining room where my now unplugged and vacant echo device is. I mentioned the irony and my disgust at how much pornography is on the Internet when compared to other great information which is also there. I remarked that I didn't understand where people got the time to mess around with all that, relating an experience I had with a class where the teacher was trying to demonstrate the value of the (at the time) new feature of video streaming, and most of what he was finding while casually nosing around, was pornographic. Later when talking more about the dumbing down of our culture, I remarked how awful I thought the movie "Book Club" was and how ridiculous I thought the plot premise was, that such accomplished mature professional woman would be interested in that book, and then went on to talk about how silly I thought S&M was in general, giving a scathing opinion of my reaction to renting the movie, "The Secretary." Now, with the algorithms world we live in, had my device been on, at some later point, I would have seen ads for porn and S&M "accoutrements" showing up somewhere in my feed. In fact, it will probably happen now that I have posted this on this board. I'm trying to see that quality input gets to my brain, and I really dislike the burden of having to work so hard to filter out the garbage. This is all a bit backwards to me. You admit that the internet contains a wealth of information - you do realize that each and every time you search for anything online or do any sort of activity on the internet it's stored, don't you? (I'm assuming you do, based on you later mentioning that it'll probably show up somewhere due to your posting here.) So you realize the magnitude of the wealth of information on the internet and you obviously use it so you're okay with all of your information being out there/data being collected but you unplugged your Echo because you don't like the idea of it collecting your data the same way the internet does? I will say that I find it quite ironic that you're so worried about a device listening to conversations you're having - the same conversations that you just shared with a bunch of strangers on the internet, in detail. I'm trying to see that quality input gets to my brain, and I really dislike the burden of having to work so hard to filter out the garbage. You also realize this garbage you speak of is garbage you created, don't you? You're the one having these conversations, which is telling the device that these are topics you're interested in, so it suggests things based on that. If you weren't interested in this "garbage", you wouldn't be having in-depth conversations or such strong opinions about them, and then later sharing it all with strangers on the internet. You mention algorithms so you evidently know how the internet and advertising works. In translation, this should mean that you understand that it's collecting data that you're providing in order to provide a more customized experience for you. If you stop being interested in and having conversations about this so-called "garbage", then you won't have work so hard to filter it out. It's a pretty simple concept. But let's not beat around the bush here. This statement should actually read "I only want to see information that 100% agrees with my opinion and I dislike having to filter out anything that doesn't." I just can't get over the irony of someone who is so paranoid about a device listening to them and "spying on them" posting such negative and judgmental viewpoints to a bunch of strangers, who may also have opinions unlike a device. And these topics are so first worldesque and the tone of superiority just staggers me. For what it's worth, I think narrow-mindedness, lack of perspective, and a focused & cynical concern with what everyone else is doing with their lives when it has no interference with yours does a far better job of demonstrating the dumbing down of our culture than any of the things you mentioned. The internet contains so much great information, you ought to utilize it to get some perspective....See MoreBunny
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoLynnNM
6 years agoJoaniepoanie
6 years agoLynnNM
6 years agoLynnNM
6 years agoLynnNM
6 years agoBunny
6 years agoLynnNM
6 years agoBunny
6 years agokellysar
6 years agoBunny
6 years agokellysar
6 years agomaddielee
6 years ago
Related Stories
ENTRYWAYSNo Entryway? Create the Illusion of One
Create the feeling of an entry hall even when your door opens straight into the living room. Here are 12 tricks to try
Full StoryINSIDE HOUZZSee Which Smart Home Products Remodeling Homeowners Chose in 2019
Home assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Nest are on the rise, according to the U.S. Houzz & Home survey
Full StoryHOME TECHHow Smart Devices Make Homes More Accessible
Find out how one couple with a health challenge uses a smart speaker, and learn how tech can help with everyday tasks
Full StoryRUSTIC STYLEAt Home on the Range
Cabin retreats in idyllic locales fill the pages of the new book ‘American Rustic.’ We take you inside one of them
Full StoryEXTERIORSAppealing Color Palettes for Colonial-Style Homes
Spruce up your exterior with one of these classic and fresh color combinations for siding, doors and trim
Full StoryCONSUMER TRENDS RESEARCHCharging Stations, Home Assistants Are Top Tech Picks in Kitchens
Home assistants and high-tech faucets remain popular in kitchen remodels, the 2020 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study finds
Full StoryHOME TECHAre Smart Speakers Here to Stay?
Here’s a look at how people are using this new digital assistant and what features are available today
Full StoryHOME TECHThe Most Stylish Home Assistants to Make Any House High-Tech
Because who wants to look at a clunky gizmo every day?
Full StoryHOME TECHRenovating Homeowners Are Split on Smart Home Tech
Nearly half of those we surveyed are putting so-called smart tech in their homes. Just over half are not. Where do you stand?
Full StoryLATEST NEWS FOR PROFESSIONALSHome Security Systems and Home Assistants Are on the Rise
Plus, see what other home system updates homeowners made last year, from the 2019 U.S. Houzz & Home report
Full StorySponsored
roarah