While Amazon's traditional options for calling up your voice assistant are Alexa, Computer, Amazon and Echo, there are several newer wake word additions you can use like Ziggy and Hey, Disney. I gave that speaker (and other speakers I just use for audio) a wake word other than "Alexa." I use the Dot mostly to play music, not necessarily to listen for commands. If you have two or more devices in the same vicinity, then it's best to give each one its own wake word.įor example, I have an Echo Show in my kitchen and an Echo Dot in the living room just a few feet away. If you're like me and have multiple Echo devices in the same area, then you already know how annoying it can be to yell, "Alexa!" and have every device compete for your attention. The second-gen Amazon Echo is still a formidable smart speaker, so don't shove yours in a drawer and forget about it. Multiroom audio (but in the same room): You may only be able to pair identical speakers together in stereo, but you can put any two or three or more speakers together in the same room, even though the feature is called "Multi-room."īut before you get started on any of this, the first thing you'll want to rein in is all those Echo devices that could mistakenly respond to you (up next). Besides multiroom music, here are some of my other faves:Īnnouncements: Say, "Alexa, announce dinner is ready," or, "announce that it's bedtime," and check out what happens (Alexa adds some audio "color" to the message).ĭrop In: You can have an intercomlike conversation with someone in a specific room - "Alexa, drop in on the kitchen" - or with the whole house at once - "drop in everywhere."
Those old third-gen hockey puck Echo Dots make perfect speakers for your garage, hallway or other less frequently used spaces.īut there are other nifty ways to use a houseful of Alexas, too. On days when you're moving a lot from room to room - cleaning the house, say, or hosting a get-together - it's remarkable how neat it is to have music playing everywhere you go. For example, if you've never experienced whole-house audio before, it's a surprisingly dazzling experience - even if most of your speakers are Echo Dots (and even if you don't have an Amazon Echo Subwoofer). Some Alexa features just work better the more Amazon Echo speakers and displays you have set up in your home. See at Amazon Why so many Alexa devices? Because more is better Read more: The Real Cost of Setting Up an Amazon Smart Home (If you're looking to purchase Alexa devices, check out the best Alexa devices, the best cheap Alexa devices and the best smart displays).
#COLOR ME CRAZY HOW TO#
Read further to find out all of the neat tricks you can implement with those Amazon gadgets you already have lying around, plus some tips on how to keep everything in order. That's because there are some unique advantages to keeping a houseful of Alexa devices. Once you do, you'll wonder why you never did it before. Should you still put an Alexa device in your bedroom and bathroom and garage (you get the gist!) anyway? Well, absolutely. Is that overkill? Yeah, you could say that. That means I now have one Alexa speaker or display every few feet throughout my home. One third-gen Dot went in my half-bath, the other in my upstairs hallway - bringing my menagerie of Alexa devices up to a whopping 11 smart speakers and smart displays. I had two Echo Dots - both white third-gen models that I'd since replaced with the better-sounding fourth-gen "orbs." But those old hockey pucks still rock, especially when paired with my black Echo Show 8, so I dug them out and found homes for both of them. I mean, only a crazy person has an Amazon device in every room, right? Well, call me crazy - but don't judge before you hear me out, because there are so many neat tricks you can do with that unused Echo Dot stuffed in some forgotten drawer or that Amazon Echo speaker that's slowly getting dusty in the corner of your living room. I'd bet that headline made you do a double-take. This story is part of Home Tips, CNET's collection of practical advice for getting the most out of your home, inside and out.
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