Tag Archives: Alexa

Amazon Give Alexa Follow Up Mode… Finally!

There are a few irksome things about Amazon’s Alexa which are a bit rubbish, the fact you don’t have an “Owner Mode” and a “Guest Mode” and the fact you can’t set which search engine to pull results from and the fact 90 times out of a hundred it tells you “Sorry I don’t know that”, which brings us to follow up questions which the AI doesn’t get at all. 

Amazon Echo

Amazon Echo

Lets say you want to find out where your nearest Sainsburys store is and the opening hours, then you want the phone number, it currently goes like… 
Me: Alexa Where is my nearest Sainsburys store?
Alexa: I found a Sainsburys store nearby, its approx 5 km away on London Road. 
Me: Alexa What time is my nearest Sainsburys Store open ?
Alexa: Your nearest Sainsburys Store on London road is open from now until 4pm.
Me: Alexa What is the phone number for my nearest Sainsburys store?
Alexa: The phone number for your nearest Sainsburys store on London Road is 0161…

Which is clunky as hell, that’s on the assumption Alexa doesn’t have a tantrum and tell you “I don’t know that but I’m working on adding more local businesses”. However this “Follow Up Mode” in theory means it should work like…

Me: Alexa where is my nearest Sainsburys store ?
Alexa: I found a Sainsburys nearby, its 6km away London Road.
Me: What time is it open ? 
Alexa: Its open from now until 10pm.
Me: Whats the phone number  ?
Alexa: The phone number is….

How It Works!

Amazon Echo Follow-Up Toggle in Alexa App

Amazon Echo Follow-Up Toggle

This new “Follow-Up Mode” is disabled by default and needs to be enabled using the Alexa Mobile Phone app, otherwise it won’t work, its as simple as flicking a toggle switch. You need to go to the Alexa App, then select Settings then choose the device you wish to enable it on, and scroll down to “Follow Up Mode” and flick the toggle. 

All Amazon Echo Devices will give users approx 5 seconds after their first query to ask a follow up question, during this time frame the blue ring on your device will be lit to make you aware Alexa is still listening. The Follow-Up mode is smart enough determine what is general chatter in the room verse what is a follow up question. Its not clear if it recognises the original enquirers voice or just recognises a question but its said to work. 

Its worth noting that if music is playing or an audiobook or similar it won’t remain active as its a fair assumption you won’t be asking follow up questions. Also if you wait too long and the blue ring stops flashing, you’ll need to use your chosen wake word, which is “Alexa” by default. 

Saying “Alexa”, “Stop”, “Cancel”, “Thank You”, or “Go To Sleep”, will end your session so you need to start from scratch should you do this. Its also worth noting if your query ends with these it can end your query too. 

Owner and Guest Mode

I really want Alexa to have an Owner Mode and Guest Mode, by Owner Mode, I mean so Alexa recognises the owners voice much like “OK, Google” google can be set to recognise the owners voice pattern but it can be set to accept anyones voice. Owner Mode would be great for general commands, but Guest Mode for when your having a party and you want guests able to adjust the music or change the playlist or control the lights stuff like that. 

This would also open up the option of Alexa recognising multiple people, so “Turn my light on” could turn your light on, and when the missus says it, it turns her light on, and the same for any other command, playlists being a key one, adding to your diary and such.  

This is available in the USA only for now, but I would expect it to drop in the UK soon, the updates usually roll out quite quickly. 

Its My Birthday… Again

In just a few hours its my birthday, I’m assured its time I lied about my age. I’m going with that I’m 3869 years old, and changing my name to Methstevelah, Methuselah’s cooler brother.

Spirytus 96% Polish Vodka

Spirytus 96% Polish Vodka

Last year I bought my self a new Synology NAS Unit, this year I bought myself an Amazon Echo which I mentioned wanting to learn to code in C#. I have found Javascript maybe a better option rather than C#, but I’m still exploring.

I have worked on many JavaScript applications, so I have a basic understanding, as for Node.JS I have no idea, so maybe order a book or two for my birthday. 

I have wrote my first Skill and won a Echo Dot, and working on my second skill which is domainer related and once its more complete I’ll post more about it.

My sister got me the bottle of Polish Rectified Spirytus at 96% Alcohol by Volume, which is my 4th Strongest Alcohol in my bar. 

1, Denatured Alcohol at 100%
2, Spirytus 96%
3, Knockeen Hills Poteen at 90%.
4, Hapsburg Premium Absinthe 89.9%.
5, Balkan Vodka at 88%.

The denatured alcohol was acquired for a science project, such a hassle, its not really drinking, but given its pure alcohol I listed it.

Diet Death

Amazon Echo

Amazon Echo

I have just ruined my work out today by polishing off a pack of Sainsburys sugar ring doughnuts, but as my friend Saskia says Birthday Cake or Doughnuts in my case have no calories, so my hour on the cross trainer today is still valid 😛

A year on I have actually had the first part of my shoulder surgery, the left shoulder is done and and I’m well into rehab. I’m just starting to warm up my shoulder in the gym with some light machine work. Irony is when I say I’m doing light work, everyone is like should you be lifting that much ? My light seems to be most peoples heavy.

New Skillset

Sadly my new skillset isn’t going off this year as the training courses in both near by colleges who offer the course are full. Upside I’m £6,000 a year better off, which is what the course would cost, plus books and whatever else I would need.

College is bloody expensive.

Amazon’s Alexa coming to Android Devices

Starting this week Amazon will be rolling out Alexa to Android users who have the Amazon Shopping App installed. It has been available on Apple devices for sometime (apparently). I have been waiting for this, but I thought Google maybe be digging in its heels and would never allow it.

While I’m happy this sort of automation control is coming, I’m equally somewhat disappointed. I was hoping Alexa would come to Amazon Music. Instead it seems its a limited version of the Echo’s Alexa, you can get sports results, weather, ask questions about people and places, get information about your flash briefing and appointments etc.

It would also appear you can install “Amazon Skills” which extend functionality, which means your mobile phone or android device will become a sort of “Echo Phone”. A few places have suggested you will gain some degree of control over your IoT/Smart Home devices so you can use your phone to turn off Echo compatible devices.

Music and Video Control

I haven’t found any mention of Amazon Music or Prime Video controls which would be excellent. I primarily listen to music and watch prime video whilst I’m in the gym. The ability simply say “Alexa, Play my Lifting Heavy playlist” or “Alexa, Play my CardiNO playlist” or skip that slow track when you’re half way through a sprint or run would be amazing. 

Equally being able control volume, and change tracks without having to physically touch your phone means you won’t miss a beat while working out. The implications for personal trainers who use bluetooth speakers are huge, they could tell Alexa to load the certain Circuits or change to a faster track, to start and stop timers an more. 

Even though I can’t find evidence of music and video control, that doesn’t mean its not there, and if it isn’t I’ll be the first to rave at Amazon to get it sorted, fitness is a huge market and an excellent penetration point. If they haven’t gone there, then frankly heads needs to roll. 

Its one of the major functions I miss of having a Samsung, the Air Gestures, so you can wave your hand left and right to change music track and up and down to alter the volume. Given the number of phones which have Proximity Sensors it amazing how few companies actually use them. Alexa could be a massive overhaul and improvement to this, lets hope its coming.

I also anticipate that Amazon may produce their own version of an Android Laucher, like N Launcher or Nova Launcher so they can convert nearly any phone into an Echo Compatible device, that seems to be where I think they are going. 

Given that Alexa can work out which speaker you are nearest too and deliver information to that speaker, its aware of where you are, moving this feature into your phone could be interesting. My friend regularly uses an Echo Dot at house parties and tells me he uses the Alexa Remote to control the device since it often can’t detect his voice over the noise, so having your phone able to fill this role would be cool. 

Reuse Amazon Prime Day 2017 Boxes

I don’t know about every one else but I had a heap of boxes from Amazon, including a somewhat surreal incident where Amazon delivered a Russian Doll inspired series of boxes. I always reused the Amazon Packing Paper, often as note paper, or lining paper for paining / spraying and sometimes even as packing paper again, I just roll it up, rubber band it and its there when I need it. I also reuse the boxes but can’t reuse the packets sadly.  

Amazon Prime Day Packing Paper Rolls

Amazon Prime Day Packing Paper Rolls

This prime day Amazon gave me a Russian Doll Box. The largest Box had 2 x 6ft SyncWire MicroUSB, 100ft / 30m Expanding Hose Pipe, 2 hair conditioner products and 1 slightly smaller box. Inside the slightly smaller box was 1 case of Reflex Nutrition Protein Coffee, Perspi-Guard 50ml, Beard Oil, and other toiletries. Inside the larger of the 2 smaller boxes was 2 more cases of Reflex Nutrition Protein Coffee, in the smallest box was an Amazon Echo Dot, Amazon Fire Stick and a few small items. I kind of wish I had taken photo’s of it as it were truly surreal. The Amazon Echo was in separate box on top of the other boxes. 

Amazon Packing Paper

I reuse this stuff for all sorts. Mostly I use it for notes and masking paper. If I’m drawing, painting, spraying or anything like that, I use this to mask off areas. Like I’m going to do some swirl marks on he car, so I purchased some Hycote Clear Lacquer also from Amazon Prime Day. I’ll use the packing paper with low-tac tape to protect area’s around where I’m working.

I also use it when doing messy tasks or when my sisters kids are over being messy. It can just go directly into the Burnable Skip at the Recycling Facility or if not too messy into the Local Authority Paper Recycling bin. 

I have also used it as wrapping paper for posting packages, and reused as packing paper for padding too, going full cycle. 

Amazon Boxes

Amazon Prime Day Packing

Amazon Prime Day Packing

I reuse the smaller A4 Paper size boxes for home storage. The biggest boxes I use for Charity Donations, whenever Amazon send me the large boxes (Approx 20″ x 30″), I have a sort out and fill it with Charity Shop items. 

My purchase of an Amazon Echo means my old small bluetooth speakers are no longer required and only worth £10 on ebay, but I can Gift Aid them to the local Animal Rescue Charity. The FireStick means I can donate my old NowTV box which I paid £20 for with 6 month entertainment pass, but is now only used for BBC iPlayer and 4-On-Demand, that can go to the Charity Shop too. 

Its well worth donating your old items which are often replaced by Amazon orders to Charity, use the Amazon Boxes as the Impetus to have a sort out. Everyone has a cupboard or drawer or something which needs sorting out, the Amazon Box is your proverbial kick in the ass to get around to it. 

Failing that, the Amazon Boxes work well for packing and storing your goods, or shipping gifts to friends and family or back to the seller from other places (as if you shop anywhere else). 

Charity Shop Bound

I am visiting the Charity Shop on Monday with a Pressure Cooker, Now TV box, Bluetooth Speakers, while I was sorting the Pressure Cooker out, I decided to get shut of a load of plates which were bought for a family event but not used in years. This lead to more kitchen sorting out and now I have filled the medium and large Amazon boxes.

After the Charity Shop, its on to the recycling facility to get rid of 3 bags of rubbish, then I have to get to cleaning and touching paint up which all this sorting revealed.  

Now its your turn to make use of those boxes rather than just flatten them and recycle them. 

Samsung App Stops Texting and Driving

Samsung are releasing an App which will stop users from Texting and Driving, which they have called “In-Traffic“. It is currently being trialled in the Netherlands, but soon should end up global. I’m all for this app, mostly as I’ve mentioned a few times I’ve had on-coming cars nearly drive into me while holding a phone in-front of them, on top of the steering wheel.

There isn’t much information about how the app will work exactly but it seems it uses the phones GPS and various Sensors to detect if your in a vehicle or a bike. I would guess it monitors your speed over the last minute or two, and if your moving faster than say 6mph it activates. It would need to monitor some previous time frame to allow for slow moving traffic and traffic lights etc.

Voice Automation

I actually thought Voice Automation with apps like Siri, OK Google and Alexa etc would progress to the point where they would read messages and allow a response long before more draconian methods like this came into play. I had a Tom Tom 910 a long time ago which used to read text messages out, I remember a particularly embarrassing occasion where it read out a sexting while my mum was driving.

I have been looking for a decent app to move to the next track or play certain songs, or to mute my music on command, I think a driving app which allows more voice control should be the future and a huge seller. This is where Samsung should be focussing  its money rather than blocking access. 

You can almost fully use voice controls for SatNav, when I have been lost, I simply say “OK Google, Directions to X”, it comes up on the screen in the Magnetic Phone Holder, I press navigate and off it goes. I would like the ability to be able to say “Navigate” or “Go”, if you are listening Google ;). The AirVent magnetic phone holders are great for SatNav usage, I have mine charging while on SatNav so the phone gets VERY hot, having it on the cool air works brilliantly. 

One of the interesting features of Samsung Phones are the air motions. These are basically when playing music you can wave you hand to the right, which moves to the next track, or to the left for the previous track. There are a bunch of “Air Motions”, I have to wonder how they would fair in a phone mounted in a car. 

Automatic Replies

It seems the “In-Traffic” app would automatically reply to text messages, its not clear if this would include Facebook Messenger, Skype, WhatsApp, Kik and others, presumably it would be for all messengers. It either responds with a standard “Sorry I’m Driving, I’ll get back to you soon.” or it can do “Fun” replies, which are expected to be animation or possibly Gifs, I’m not sure, what the “fun” method is for. However it would be cool if the app read out the message, and replied automatically, that way you would know if it were urgent and you needed to find a safe and legal place to pull over and deal with it. 

There are lots of unanswered questions, such as how will know if you’re a passenger or a driver ? Apps like the excellent Waze do a really good job of this, and ask you if you are a passenger or driver. I would like to see this be a little more complicated. Perhaps ask you to press a number of buttons in a certain timeframe which a driver would be unable to do, I’m not sure. I expect many idiots would attempt this while driving and cause more accidents. 

Texting While Driving image by Roman Pohorecki, Sat Nav image by Pixabay.

Coding Amazon Echo Skills for Alexa with C#

Amazon Echo

Amazon Echo

I was reading this months CODE Magazine and there is an article about coding new Skills for Amazon Echo and Echo Dot to extend Alexa’s functionality. When you think about how you could extend Alexa to fit into your life, it could be well worth adding C# into your life. Amazon Echo is currently on offer for Mothers Day, with a £15 discount, maybe the time to get one. 

Lets say you want to check if a domain is registered, you could say “Alexa ask NominetTool if steven.uk is registered ?” or Alexa ask NominetTool who steven.uk is Registered to ?”. I guess depending on how accurate Alexa turns out to be, you could even try “Alexa ask NominetTool to Register steven.co.uk”.

I don’t have an Echo or Echo Dot, nor do I code in C# but this article does make it seem like a fun reason to learn. Its been maybe 10 yrs or more since I last opened VC++, and probably longer than that since I last wrote any reasonable amount of code. Looking at C# it doesn’t look that difficult once the new syntax makes sense. If I can pick up a cheap Echo or Echo Dot, I may just delve in to this. 

Looking at the code sample they provided…

HowTo.prototype.intentHandlers = {
   "RecipeIntent": function (intent, session, response) {
      var itemSlot = intent.slots.Item, itemName;
      
      if (itemSlot && itemSlot.value) {
         itemName = itemSlot.value.toLowerCase();
      }
      
      var cardTitle = "Recipe for " + itemName,
         recipe = recipes[itemName],
         speechOutput,
         repromptOutput;
      
      if (recipe) {
         speechOutput = {
            speech: recipe,
            type: AlexaSkill.speechOutputType.PLAIN_TEXT
         };
      
         response.tellWithCard(speechOutput, cardTitle, recipe);
      } else {
         var speech;
      
         if (itemName) {
            speech = "I'm sorry, I currently do not know the
                       recipe for " + itemName + ". What else can I help
                       with?";
         } else {
            speech = "I'm sorry, I currently do not know that
                       recipe. What else can I help with?";
         }
      
         speechOutput = {
            speech: speech,
            type: AlexaSkill.speechOutputType.PLAIN_TEXT
         };
      
         repromptOutput = {
            speech: "What else can I help with?",
            type: AlexaSkill.speechOutputType.PLAIN_TEXT
         };
      
         response.ask(speechOutput, repromptOutput);
      }
   },
      
   "AMAZON.StopIntent": function (intent, session, response) {
      var speechOutput = "Goodbye";
      response.tell(speechOutput);
   },
      
   "AMAZON.CancelIntent": function (intent, session, response) {
      var speechOutput = "Goodbye";
      response.tell(speechOutput);
   },
      
   "AMAZON.HelpIntent": function (intent, session, response) {
      var speechText = "You can ask questions such as, what's the
                 recipe, or, you can say exit... Now, what can I help you
                 with?";
      
      var repromptText = "You can say things like, what's the
                 recipe, or you can say exit... Now, what can I help you
                 with?";
      
      var speechOutput = {
         speech: speechText,
         type: AlexaSkill.speechOutputType.PLAIN_TEXT
      };
      
      var repromptOutput = {
         speech: repromptText,
         type: AlexaSkill.speechOutputType.PLAIN_TEXT
      };
      
      response.ask(speechOutput, repromptOutput);
   }
};

It looks quite simple to program, I guess you would use a PHP or C# web interface to execute the Recipes section, or in the example I gave to handle the domain name queries. Port the Whois Family Parser over to C# and you would be able to ask questions about whois result. 

Exciting times ahead.