Comfort Automation/ Security System Forums > General HA Information > HA in the News > Amazon to Launch New Product Echo for home automation |
Comfort Automation/ Security System Forums > General HA Information > HA in the News > Amazon to Launch New Product Echo for home automation |
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slychiu Administrator 
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According to recent reports, Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) is planning to launch a new variant of its home automation device called Echo. This new device which can be voice controlled will be smaller in size compared to the original hardware and also become more mobile. This new device is anticipated to feature the smart home assistant of Amazon called Alexa. People familiar with the matter stated that this device may be out on the market in the following weeks. Echo is temporarily being used for music, questions, lists, and other commands, depending on the type of gadget that is connected. The original Amazon Echo device has a price of $180 as of now, and the lower price will most probably be utilized in order to entice a broader range of consumers. http://www.streetedition.net/amazon-to-launch-new-product-echo-for-home-automation/661946/ Has anyone had any experience with Echo? |
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Ian Member
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I now have an Echo.My primary home automation is using HomeSeer software interacting with zwave, Insteon, X10 and Blue Iris. I have the zwave board in my Comfort II and use a combination of this and some hard wiring of outputs between the Comfort and HomeSeer.I have the Amazon Echo interacting with HomeSeer via a software bridge 'HA Bridge'.I also have an Android tablet that is bluetoothed to the Amazon Echo. Using this I can get voice notifications from HomeSeer to the Amazon Echo. This all works. It would be good if I could link Comfort directly to the Echo and both send commands to Comfort as well as receive voice notifications. |
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slychiu Administrator
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Have you see this topic, interfacing by uPNP > smarthings> Echo? http://www.comfortforums.com/forum27/4534.html direct to echo not yet. I am not sure what their communications is. |
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Ian Member
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Interesting thread - but I don't have 'SmartThings'. With the Echo, technologies have 'skills' which then enable that technology to interact with the Echo. There is a web site to let you build your own skill, I suspect that is beyond my ability. I believe the Echo itself is little more than a portal and that things happen in the Amazon cloud. I guess if there were a Comfort interface you would need an Ethernet connection - luckily I do. |
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slychiu Administrator
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Is anybody familiar with the "Smart Home Skills" to use with Alexa? |
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