I've created a monster

[apostolakisl]

My echo came.  I came home and the house was empty.  I quickly had Alexa turning lights on/off with IFTTT.  Then trouble came.  My wife and 3 year old came home.  My 3 year old is fixated.  He will not leave her alone.  He is turning the lights on/off, he is checking the weather every 10 seconds, he is setting timers, he is playing music, he is asking Alexa questions that I don't understand, but somehow alexa does.  On the bright side, I don't know that I have ever seen him so happy.  He just asked Alexa to play songs by 21 pilots.  Who is 21 pilots and how does my 3 year old know them!?

Edited December 20, 2016 by apostolakisl

[G W]

I think you need to buy him a DOT for his bedroom.

 

I'm Gary Funk and I wrote this message.

[TrojanHorse]

Bahaha LMAO.

I've been on the fence with Alexa. I think I will wait until my 2 year old twins get upgraded firmware.

Thanks for pointing this out!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[paulbates]

We're contained more to 'bursts of absurdity', who can ask her the most off the wall question. I only added a few HA things to start with and watch what happens. In your situation I would avoid thermostats, locks, garage doors etc, if you have them.

 

It sounds like you decided on not using the portal, FWIW, it makes it a lot easier.

 

Paul

Edited December 20, 2016 by paulbates

[stusviews]

That's common behavior for a 3-4 year old. Also pressing KPL buttons, especially those in tabletop enclosures. On another note, 21 Pilots is an alternative rock group I listen to daily, especially, "(All my friends are) Heathens" from the Suicide Squad album

[paulbates]

That's common behavior for a 3-4 year old. Also pressing KPL buttons, especially those in tabletop enclosures. On another note, 21 Pilots is an alternative rock group I listen to daily, especially, "(All my friends are) Heathens" from the Suicide Squad album

I care what you think, Stu

[G W]

I remember when my three year old discovered the reset button on my TRS-80 Model III.

 

I'm Gary Funk and I wrote this message.

[apostolakisl]

I remember when my three year old discovered the reset button on my TRS-80 Model III.

 

I'm Gary Funk and I wrote this message.

Oh wow, you are oooooolllllllldddddddld.  

[paulbates]

I remember when my three year old discovered the reset button on my TRS-80 Model III.

 

I'm Gary Funk and I wrote this message.

 

I remember when the room temperature hit hi 70s it would quit on its own

[G W]

 

 

Oh wow, you are oooooolllllllldddddddld.

Ha, that wasn't even my first computer.

 

I'm Gary Funk and I wrote this message.

[apostolakisl]

We're contained more to 'bursts of absurdity', who can ask her the most off the wall question. I only added a few HA things to start with and watch what happens. In your situation I would avoid thermostats, locks, garage doors etc, if you have them.

 

It sounds like you decided on not using the portal, FWIW, it makes it a lot easier.

 

Paul

 

How does portal stop my 3 year old from changing the music every 5 seconds and setting like a dozen timers and asking for the weather for every day of the week, one day at a time?  Ohhhhhh how I hope he loses interest soon.

[stusviews]

I think we referred to it as the trash 80.

[apostolakisl]

Ha, that wasn't even my first computer.

 

I'm Gary Funk and I wrote this message.

The fact that you had a child at the time.  I was probably biologically capable of having a child in the trash 80 days, but only in my w** dreams did I actually execute the task.

[G W]

How does portal stop my 3 year old from changing the music every 5 seconds and setting like a dozen timers and asking for the weather for every day of the week, one day at a time? Ohhhhhh how I hope he loses interest soon.

It doesn't. That's an example of why Alexa needs voice recognition and why I don't use Alexa for home control.

 

I'm Gary Funk and I wrote this message.

[G W]

I think we referred to it as the trash 80.

A lot of haters that didn't understand the system called it that.

 

I'm Gary Funk and I wrote this message.

[stusviews]

How does portal stop my 3 year old from changing the music every 5 seconds and setting like a dozen timers and asking for the weather for every day of the week, one day at a time?  Ohhhhhh how I hope he loses interest soon.

 

Toddlers require constant effort. There's a button on the Echo that turns off the microphone. That needs to be done unseen, it takes only once for a toddler to catch on. I appreciate the music he likes. Wish I was there

 

Oh wow, you are oooooolllllllldddddddld.  

 

Talk about old, I was in high school when Bill Haley and his Comets recorded "Rock Around the Clock," the first rock and roll record that made the term popular.

[larryllix]

Trash 80....eeewww, I remember setting up a filing system for a guy on his using the cassette tape drive as storage.

 

The "cloud" was the mess of recording tape inside a cassette gone bad by stopping fast too many times and the tape balled up inside.

 

I also remember Tandy was the largest home computer company one year, and then the bottom feeder the next year, due to their "end to end, total control" policy. The market presented alternative options to their 67 Watt power supply that couldn't run a harddrive.

Edited December 20, 2016 by larryllix

[stusviews]

I think we referred to it as the trash 80.

 

A lot of haters that didn't understand the system called it that.

 

I actually enjoyed the trash TRS-80 until I got an IBM XT with 640 Kb RAM and a gigantic 20 Mb hard drive

[G W]

The TRS-80 Model III had two full-height 360kb floppy drives. I pulled both out and installed two half-height 360kb drives in the bottom bay and two half-height 720kb drives in the top bay. I had more storage than I could use.

 

I'm Gary Funk and I wrote this message.

Edited December 20, 2016 by Gary Funk

[larryllix]

Back on the Echo / Dot

 

My 6 year year old granddaughter is disapointed, when we vist, and Alexa doesn't come with us. Her father pointed out that her Siri will do the same thing, but she just isn't that interested. I mean, iPads are only for youtube cartoons and stuff. right?

 

In comes the $49 Dot deal! Well she is getting one for Christmas and the lack of a Prime membership can be a blessing. She can't order stuff that will show up at the door with a credit card bill, and her favourite songs will only play a 30-45 second sample, over and over again. What did the fox say?.....OMG!

 

 

Another of her favourites is to add 100 boxes of chocolate chip cookies to the shopping list and then ask what is on the shopping list to hear it back. We always laugh when it isn't our list or it obvious when we go shopping and see it, and it is obviously a mistake from a child.

 

OTOH the Alexa technology is great for school kids to check their math homework and other factula information.

 

My middle son, being the smartbutt he is, jumped in and asked how many teaspoons in a cubic yard. Alexa got it right.

 

 

Shopping list. A few days ago shopping we found "Foot Cream" on the shopping list. Quizing my wife she had no idea either. late I realised she was looking for "Thick Cream" and Alexa misunderstood. Dang grammar based spell correctors!

Edited December 20, 2016 by larryllix

[apostolakisl]

Toddlers require constant effort. There's a button on the Echo that turns off the microphone. That needs to be done unseen, it takes only once for a toddler to catch on. I appreciate the music he likes. Wish I was there

 

 

Talk about old, I was in high school when Bill Haley and his Comets recorded "Rock Around the Clock," the first rock and roll record that made the term popular.

 

Oh great, there is a button to turn the mic off.  He'll find it and "test it" soon I'm sure.  At least now I know about it too to turn it back on when he turns it off.

 

I had to turn off the panic buttons on the alarm system after several events there as well.

[user181]

How does portal stop my 3 year old from changing the music every 5 seconds and setting like a dozen timers and asking for the weather for every day of the week, one day at a time? Ohhhhhh how I hope he loses interest soon.

Children need to be given boundaries, and have those boundaries enforced. Trust me, it will pay dividends in the future.

[paulbates]

Its hard to have this kind of technology/ capability and expect children to self manage, at ages where they are learning and exploring their world verbally. Smart phones, tablets, computers can/should be managed and locked. Alexa can't be currently, (eg voice id). And even if you put it on a higher shelf to prevent direct access to the mic button, constantly managing the mic button would make it worthless IMO. 

[cowinger]

change it's name to echo and wait until they get tired of trying to get alexa to do things!!

 

Or better yet you could change the name but tell them it's only in the way they say the name "Alexa" that it's not working. See how many variations you get.   A little holiday entertainment!

Edited December 20, 2016 by cowinger

[apostolakisl]

change it's name to echo and wait until they get tired of trying to get alexa to do things!!

Actually already did that since I have a daughter named Alexis.  I did it this morning before he woke up.  I'm sure by the time I get home tonight he will have figured out the new name.