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Alexa can now integrate with smart security systems and automate smart lighting through a feature called Alexa Guard. That then means you have devices in that group that will all react when you say "turn my bathroom on", for example. In reality, it works best with on/off applications, although in the case of lights, you can also say things like "Alexa, make my bathroom lights brighter". Basically, follow the manufacturer's instructions to get those devices working. This usually involves plugging it in, connecting to a hub or more commonly your Wi-Fi network, installing the app, searching for your device and entering a passcode.
When you have Cloud Storage and use an Alexa enabled device, a Live View entire session is saved unless you stop it manually. The best way to learn what’s going on in your kids’ world is to talk with them. Ask about what they see and experience online on a regular basis to help them develop healthy media habits; don’t simply monitor their media use behind the scenes. When you both feel relaxed, ask open-ended questions about how experiences during their day made them feel or how they think others may be feeling.
How do you talk to kids about technology?
Install room sensors to control each room’s temperature and save on energy costs. From there, follow the steps and your device will be up and running in no time. If you’re looking for a smart thermostat, Vivint has the answer. The Vivint Smart Thermostat is designed to keep your home comfortable while helping you save energy. Hunches is still considered a newer feature, but it’s easily one of the best Alexa skills for having an intuitive home.
Use a Voice Remote for any peripheral areas where you don't care about music, but you still want to issue commands to Alexa. I used to recommend a Tap for family members interested in a device in their own space near a center room, but now you can pick your always-listening device of choice. The Tap loses some of the charm of the other two since it's not always-listening.
Tech how-to: Control your computer using your phone
To create a simple timer using an Alexa voice command, you can say, “Alexa, start a timer for minutes.” It’s possible to set a timer for up to 24 hours. It’s also possible to adjust the alarm’s noise if you’re unhappy with the default. Over time, smart thermostats “learn” what temperature you prefer and adjust accordingly.
If you’re looking for more insight on the cost value of smart home devices, check out our report on how Matter devices can save you money. Also, be sure to see our ultimate smart home guide for more direction on getting started with a connected home. From here, you can add more Echo speakers to Alexa Guard. Tap the gear icon in the top-right corner of the screen and select Echo Devices to add more speakers. Or you can tap Away Lighting to add smart lights that will turn on and off to make it look like someone’s home when you’re away. You’ll want to make sure you're taking full advantage of this personal assistant.
How to set up Alexa Guard
You can select your home or work address or add a new one here. Then, set whether you want the reminder to occur as you arrive or leave the location. Sometimes, we don’t realize how much energy we’re consuming until we see a detailed report. A smart thermostat will track your energy usage through time — meaning you can see your consumption behavior and potentially change tactics.
They’ve been hanging out in their room together and listening to music, having Alexa tell them jokes, asking Alexa questions, and having Alexa turn their new Echo Glow all sorts of colors. Speaking of making better use of our time, an afterthought of a gift is really changing the way our days run. Most of the time, one Echo or Dot will be sufficient if you place it in a central room in a medium-sized home. One wall of separation is the limit if you want Alexa to clearly hear you, though, and you'll want to be in the same room if you want Alexa to hear you over music or the television. To one Echo unit, any other Echo products tied to the same account will also recognize them.
Let us know in the comments where you keep your smart speaker. Not that we talk a lot of smack in our house, but I don’t need Alexa calling people by mistake when I am not expecting it. Plus, I am okay with getting my phone and pushing the contact to make a call. I mean, we don’t even have to dial or memorize phone numbers anymore. The original Echo's a fine choice if you want a virtual assistant, and a device to fill a large space with only decent-sounding music. $180 price tag aside, it's still the best stand-alone product of the bunch.
For example, if your garden lights are on a smart plug you can call it "garden lights" and so on, which it better than asking Alexa to "turn on my smart plug two". Because you've setup your smart home devices and told Alexa what they are, you can then search for them. One advantage of choosing lights and plugs from the same brand is that they all use the same hub and app, so that keeps things tidy when it comes to setting up. At the same time you might end up paying more for your bulbs and plugs than you actually need to. There are a number of different Echo models, but they all feature Alexa and they all offer the same Skills and voice controls.
If you have more than one Echo device, you can set them up to play music throughout your house. Knowing how to use Alexa will help you make the most of your virtual assistant. Alexa, the brain that powers all the best Alexa speakers, is an asset in your smart home as long as you're using it properly. In order to begin setting up your virtual assistant, you will first need to download the Alexa app.
In our head-to-head review of the Echo Show 10 and the Echo Show 15, we ultimately gave the Show 15 the W. That said, there are plenty of reasons to consider the Show 10, especially if you already have a command center like the 15 and simply want a bigger, badder display for the kitchen. And if you have an Echo Spot or an Echo Show, you’ll be able to monitor your home from the screen on those devices.
If you have an iPhone, you’re probably familiar with Siri, Apple’s A.I. Alexa works similarly in that you can simply ask it questions. To interact with Alexa, you simply say “Alexa” and then follow up with your question or command. The Echo puts out pretty good sound, but if you want to boost your audio, here's how to connect it to a Bluetooth speaker. You can use Alexa to change your colored smart LED bulbs to any of 123 colors; here's a list of all the colors. If enabled, Drop-In lets other Alexa users call your Echo device unannounced.
The most affordable way to extend Alexa to multiple rooms is to buy the Echo Dot and extend it with the Remote. This makes sense if you already have a speaker system for the Dot, or if you don't care about using Alexa for music streaming. Thanks to an audio line-in on the Tap and the magic of Bluetooth, you can link the Tap to the Dot either over a cable or wirelessly.
The Echo's main competitor -- Google Home -- does let you group speakers for synched audio, so Alexa's trailing behind here. Alexa is not yet able to recognize Groups that were created in the Wink App. New groups can be created in the Alexa app which are compatible with voice commands. Click ‘Create group’ in the Connected Home Settings in the Alexa app, select the devices you would like to group and save a name for the group. You will now be able to tell Alexa to turn on or turn off this group name. The Vivint Smart Thermostat connects with voice assistants to allow you to control your home’s temperature hands-free using just voice commands.
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