Just as an aside, I understand that this new feature of Amazon Echo is available oonly on the Echo and the Dot; not aavailable on the Tap yet! Tom Kaufman
-----Original Message----- From: Pc-audio [mailto:pc-audio-boun...@pc-audio.org] On Behalf Of Merv Keck Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2017 3:33 PM To: 'PC Audio Discussion List' <pc-audio@pc-audio.org> Subject: RE: First impressions of the Alexa calling feature Hi, There have also been a few issues with the Alexa app and voice messages not being carried to the recipient. We had quite a bit of trouble with that yesterday. Even the transcripts of the messages got lost sometimes if two people attempted to message one another at the exact same time. I do think it is an excellent new feature and has great potential. We have two dots at each end of a 988 square foot apartment. we have been looking for a decent set of wireless intercoms for years. Now we just use the message or call feature on our Dots. And we are considering the Shows but are concerned about accessibility or future loss of accessibility. Merv ----- For all things Echo: echoing+subscr...@groups.io -----Original Message----- From: Pc-audio [mailto:pc-audio-boun...@pc-audio.org] On Behalf Of Dane Trethowan Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2017 3:27 PM To: PC Audio Discussion List <pc-audio@pc-audio.org> Subject: Re: First impressions of the Alexa calling feature You took the words right out of my mouth, I was going to ask whether anyone had yet used this functionality of Alexa so thanks for letting us know your impressions. Unfortunately this functionality isn't available in Australia as yet. On 12/05/2017 5:03 AM, Gary Schindler wrote: > Here are my First impressions of the new Alexa calling feature using the IOS > Alexa app! > > The setup was pretty straight forward. > > You are asked to sign into the app and enter your credentials and proceed to > the setup. you will need to supply the phone number you will be using to > receive and make calls on your mobile phone whether it be android or IOS. > > When you continue you are sent a verification code to your mobile phone. once > you are verified, you will here a chime on your Alexa device, and you are > taken to a screen where you import your contacts, allow Alexa to use the > microphone and so on. > > Once this is all done, you are given a brief explanation of how to insert > contacts to make calls and send messages, and so forth. > > Making calls from the Alexa devices is quite easy to do. You say, Elexa call > so and so. As long as the person in your contacts has the Alexa app on there > phone, Alexa will make the call for you. Anyone can download the app and > enable the calling feature. I would think they had better have an Amazon > account though! > > Making calls from the Alexa app itself is another matter. You search for a > contact in your address book and tap it to make your call. If the person > doesn’t answer,you don’t hear anything at all. You can’t power down the phone > or anything. you don’t have voiceover to end the call. The only way I got > voiceover back was to call myself with one of my Alexa devices. The phone > vibrated and eventually I heard the Amazon ringtone and I could answer or > decline my call. I think I will stick to using the Elexa devices to make > calls. > > When I called my self, the audio was quite clear. I then told my device at > hand to hang up. it did and my phone when back to normal. I guess the other > party you are talking to will have to end the calls, because there is no way > to find the end call icon if you are totally blind because you have no > voiceover. > > I think the Alexa calling and message feature has potential, and I am waiting > for some blind individual to buy the Echo show when it comes out and let all > of us know how accessible it is. > > If you call yourself for testing purposes, make sure the volume on the device > is turned down low, or you will have ear splitting feedback. > The calls don’t show up in your IOS calls either. -- ********** "Live each day as if you were goiing to die tomorrow, learn each day as if you were going to live forever"
