By Jada Jones
Copyright dailyrecord
For the last four years, I’ve been using Amazon Echo devices as my alarm, speaker and how I even check the weather. In an old apartment, I bought myself the Echo Dot 3rd generation and 4th generation with clock and they still work perfectly, despite them being lugged along with me through four different homes. When I moved into my latest home, I went to buy more for my kitchen and library and realised that the clock function wasn’t available anymore. I browsed the range of Echo devices still on the market and settled on two Echo Pops. They’re currently down to £24.99 on sale. I use the Echo Pop in my kitchen to play music or audiobooks as well as setting timers so I know exactly when to start on my next step. One of my favourite things about it is that I can set music or books to play on every Echo in my house. I’ve even linked up a smart bulb with my lamp so I can ask Alexa to turn it on. This is particularly helpful when I’ve got my hands full. The Echos let me know when there are any updates for Amazon deliveries, which is handy when I’m expecting a parcel. Not only that, but I’ve set routines. I can have lights turn out at specific times and every time a soothing rain sound switches on when it’s time to settle down with a book. Another handy feature it has is that when I’m reading a book on my Kindle, with wifi, and decide to listen instead. It picks up right from the page I left it on. This has been a game-changer when I don’t want to stop reading my book but need to do the dishes. There are other devices that claim to do similar things, my cousin swears up and down by Google’s Nest devices (from £189 on Curry’s). However, when I’m at her house, I find myself forgetting to say ‘hey’ first to activate the speaker. I’ve also heard Apple has a HomePod for £299 that does something similar. I love Apple technology, which might make me basic to those who live and breathe tech, but I’ve been fairly loyal to the brand for years. I’ve got an iPhone, MacBook Pro and even an iPad mini, although I’ve not used that in years. Despite that I still find myself loyal to Amazon’s Alexa speakers. Friends have sometimes asked if I’m worried about the speaker listening to me, but they all have a button to turn off listening if that’s a concern. I use the app sometimes to set alarms and trigger Alexa features when I’m not in the same room. For those who want a clock on their speaker that they can see at a glance, particularly handy in the morning when deducing if there’s time for five more minutes at a glance. Amazon’s Echo Spot has dropped down to £44.99 from £79.99 in a limited-time deal. My only request, is for a pink shade. I like the lilac and teal well enough, but I’d much prefer a pastel pink any day of the week.
