Tech Review: Amazon Echo Dot

The Amazon Echo Dot it the latest of Smart Home Technology. With the generation 2 launching in Canada in late 2016 I have been using mine for about 6 months now. The Echo Dot is the smallest of the available Amazon Echo's. It is perfect for small apartments or as a supplement to the Original Amazon Echo or Echo Plus I have also added on a Jinvoo Smart Plug to allow for functionality.

The features of the Amazon Echo are countless. With Amazon Assistant Alexa, I have mine set up as an alarm, to play the news, the radio, music from Spotify and Amazon Prime Music, as well as order anything from amazon.ca. Additional features for the Echo Dot include but not limited to, Free calling and messaging to phones in the United States and Canada, reminders, routines, and playing books from Audible.com. Alexa can also learn additional skills from the Alexa Store. Commands are performed simplt by saying "Alexa" followed by the command.

One of the selling features of the Echo is using routines. at 7:15 AM every week day my Amazon Echo is set up to say "Good Morning," followed by turning on a lamp using the smart plug I purchased separately, play the local news, report the traffic and weather, play the national news, turn on another light, and finally play.my favourite radio station. At 8:30 AM, My Echo turns everything off automatically. She also performs similar actions when I say "Alexa, I'm Home" and "Alexa, Good night." One more feature I use is "Alexa, help me sleep" where she plays a different type of white noise for one hour before turning it off.

The Amazon Echo is available at Amazon.ca for $59.99 and is available in black or white.