I did my own research on the Echo Tap in the UK and I was very surprised at the lack of availability of the tap, it must come with the Plague or something <smile>. Out here now all the Echo devices - Tap, Dot and Echo - are available if you know where to look and all are delivered free of charge, even the Google Home is locally available now. That’s correct about the Echo range of products, they don’t recognise any local services at the moment so use is a little limited however Amazon does recognise that people in Australia use Echo devices thus they’ve made the setup easier than it was for people living outside the US, UK or Germany, you can for example setup the local time for your region so - at the very least - Echo knows what the time is, what date it is and so on which is handy if you’re wanting to use Google Calendar which I do as I can sync Google Calendar to all my devices whether they be Echo, Apple, Android or Windows. Up until recently one had to install a piece of software that would “Hack” an Echo to make it aware of your current location in time so having the localised time setting in itself is a huge step forward. I will be placing a Google Home on order shortly having found a place where I can obtain one locally and I very much look forward to the arrival of this unit. If anyone wants to experience Google Home in the meantime then a close example of it is the Google Now launcher you can download for your Android device. I have automated light bulbs etc in my house so I’m keen to see how or if Google Home can handle those, Echo certainly does.
> On 18 Feb 2017, at 7:00 am, Gordon Smith <[email protected]> wrote: > > I think one thing we all need to be mindful of here is that what sounds > “Better” to one person may not sound so to another person. Just as one’s > favourite colour, in the visual world, is ugly to somebody else. > > I never stated that the Bose was going to be my final purchase in this > market. I’m still watching with my finger on the pulse to see when Amazon > will, officially, release the Amazon Tap, (to give it its correct title) in > the United Kingdom. Just as Google has not done so with their own device, the > Tap remains as illusive as ever to all but the most determined UK resident. > > I exhibited such determination when I bought the Google Home and had it > imported all the way from Chicago. But that was due to the fact that the > seller offered me free delivery, and also said that they would foot the bill > for a return should I not be able to get the device to function. I took a > chance, and wow! I got it to work and I also managed to get it to recognise > local services and facilities. The approach of the Google Home is, however, > radically different to that of the Tap. Instead of using their > country-specific network of services and facilities, as dictated by the place > of purchase, Google uses your own account in order to pick things up. Ergo, > since Google knows that I am located within the United Kingdom, it used that > account data to define what I would most likely want to be aware of. > Subsequently, in every other respect than the nauseating American speech > synthesiser, (they use Acapela Group’s voices), I have a localised Google > Home. I know that you, Dane, do not have an Australian localised Amazon Tap. > This was another reason why I opted not to import a Tap from the US. All that > having been said, I would not for a moment deny the possibility of acquiring > a Tap later in the year if released. > > Regarding the very specifics of individual sound perception on which I > touched earlier, I think that point is particularly relevant here. I > personally like a very base-sounding system. It’s one reason why I bought the > Pioneer DX10A amplifier for my hi-fi system upstairs. I still have my 1979 > vintage 100 Watt (RMS) speakers up on the walls of my office. The amplifier > in question is world-renowned for its very full-sounding output right across > the spectrum of the human ear. And in this aspect particularly, I was not > disappointed. As it is always good practice to do, I deliberately over-rated > the speakers at the original time of purchase. I had no reason to regret that > decision when I purchased the Pioneer amp back in 2015. Each output terminal > of that amp can kick out 100 Watts RMS. Which just happened to be precisely > the maximum rating of my speakers, as I’ve already said. But, of course, I’ve > never come close to powering them up to full capacity. In actual fact, > there’s no need too. The Warfdale speaker and Pioneer amplifier combination > lend themselves one to the other with perfect clarity right across the board. > Thus, a small symbol in a piece of classical music is perfectly audible at > the same time as the dulcet tones of the deep double base. In actual fact, > when I first got the amp, the very first thing I played on it was a piece of > classical music to demonstrate just that fact. And my goodness, I was not > disappointed. > > All that having been said, I know of one person who doesn’t much like that > kind of full audio. That’s totally fine, he’s entitled to do as he pleases. > So, I guess there are two proverbs which come into play here, regarding my > purchase of the Bose SoundLink3. The first is “Caviet Entor”, (Let The Buyer > Beware). The second is horses for courses, to each their own. > > As mono systems go, the Amazon Echo Dot when encased in the add-on battery > base from Laptree, is a very acceptable-sounding piece of equipment. Indeed, > I know somebody who doesn’t like full-sounding systems for audiobooks. She > says that they detract from her enjoyment of the product. Again, that is > perfectly fine. She is entitled to do things her way. > > ======================================== > > My compliments and kindest regards > Gordon Smith: > <[email protected]> > > Accessibility & Information Technology Support Specialist. > Mobile/SMS: > +44 (0)7907 823971 > > ———————————————————— > > On 17 Feb 2017, at 19:21, Dane Trethowan <[email protected]> wrote: > > A few things here need addressing and I’ll address the most important points > first. > Regarding your Bose? you’ll have no problem with accessibility whatever as > the Bose is as accessible as any device could possibly be under the > circumstances. > Yep, the new Bose soundlink Mini has Text to Speech but that’s not a deal > breaker as far as I’m concerned when purchasing a speaker, more of a gimmick > if anything in my opinion. > Regarding Hands Free? I think you’l find that Nokia had hands free speaking > mastered in portable devices long before Apple came along. > Grant you, we’re talking about two distinctly different systems and yes > technology has marched forwards thousands of miles since the days of Nokia. > Windows phones have not been in production for around a year now and if > anyone is using a Windows phone then I can only admire them for their > patience. > The Windows phone was never truly accessible, you could only use Narrator in > the US for example so the phone just wasn’t a viable option when it came to > accessibility. > I know the particular gentleman you speak of and I do remember that when the > Apple iPhone 3GS came along he certainly made a point of rubbishing the whole > concept of the iPhone, how times have changed <smile>. > What this goes to show is that we all need to keep an open mind with regard > to technology as technology is changing and evolving so quickly. > My opinion was 8 years ago that it was just completely impossible for any > blind user to use a Touch Screen and look how far out I was, yep I have no > problem admitting it and I’m glad I was wrong. > Regarding the bass of the Bose? Well it may be the same story for you as it > is for lots of other people, “What you don’t hear you don’t miss”, in other > words if you don’t hear anything better than the Bose then you’re most likely > not going to be too worried about it. > In my case I have some B&W speaker systems here so the minute I heard about > the release of the B&W T7 - given I know what B&W Speakers sound like - I was > curious to say the least to hear the T7. > > ********** Those of a positive and enquiring frame of mind will leave the rest of the halfwits in this world behind.
