Amazon Echo Dot in your Tesla?

[wayner]

Here is an idea as there are obviously a few of us here using the Amazon Echo.

Why not use the Echo Dot in your car? It is powered via USB so that is readily available in the car. And it can connect to your car's speakers via Bluetooth. The one issue is getting a Wifi connection but you could solve that by using your phone as a Wifi hotspot or by having an LTE wifi hotspot. One other issue is Bluetooth conflict as if you connect an Echo then you probably can't have your phone connected at the same time.

This could be a better way of having integration, not to mention high quality voice integration, to music services like Spotify, Amazon Prime, etc. Plus you could use other Alexa Skills.

 

[Sm4llz]

I set this up and it worked. It was a pain turning on my hotspot all the time though. Also, when listening to spotify loudly in the car, it made it hard for the dot to understand my voice command. Still cool and I look forward to the upgrade to have a hotspot built into the car.

 

[artsci]

Here is an idea as there are obviously a few of us here using the Amazon Echo.

Why not use the Echo Dot in your car? It is powered via USB so that is readily available in the car. And it can connect to your car's speakers via Bluetooth. The one issue is getting a Wifi connection but you could solve that by using your phone as a Wifi hotspot or by having an LTE wifi hotspot. One other issue is Bluetooth conflict as if you connect an Echo then you probably can't have your phone connected at the same time.

This could be a better way of having integration, not to mention high quality voice integration, to music services like Spotify, Amazon Prime, etc. Plus you could use other Alexa Skills.

This is a great idea. As the Tesla skills develop having a Dot in the car will greatly expand the scope and effectiveness of voice commands.

 

[AEdennis]

Great minds think alike...

Like many... got one of these for Christmas...

IMG_20161229_161056 by Dennis Pascual, on Flickr

Blog Post to follow...

Currently driving around testing it using 3G and LTE hotspots...

 

[AEdennis]

Great minds think alike...

Like many... got one of these for Christmas...

IMG_20161229_161056 by Dennis Pascual, on Flickr

Blog Post to follow...

Currently driving around testing it using 3G and LTE hotspots...

Here is my blog post on having Alexa as a companion in my Model S.

 

[andrewket]

Hilarious, I'm doing this as well. I already had a hotspot permanently installed for two other use cases, so connecting the dot was easy.

 

[Sm4llz]

I was thinking of getting a hotspot for my blackvue cloud but figured I'd wait to see what Tesla comes out with.

 

[AEdennis]

Hilarious, I'm doing this as well. I already had a hotspot permanently installed for two other use cases, so connecting the dot was easy.

Like I reported, I prefer to have Alexa as a traveling companion. I like Slacker and TuneIn, so she's good to tell me other things. I suppose with IFTTT I can create some macros to email or text canned messages or something too.

 

[andrewket]

I'm using it for two-way (ham) radio, blackvue, and now the dot. T-Mobile had a deal last month where it cost me nothing to add an additional two lines with unlimited data, so I figured why not. I installed a MOFI router:

MOFI4500-4GXeLTE-SIM4 [MOFI4500-4GXeLTE-SIM4] - $299.99

I haven't yet re-installed in my new S.

Edit: This router is feature rich, and included ethernet ports which was one of my requirements. It's likely more router/device than most people need if all you want to do is use a dot.

 

[AEdennis]

I'm using it for two-way (ham) radio, blackvue, and now the dot. T-Mobile had a deal last month where it cost me nothing to add an additional two lines with unlimited data, so I figured why not. I installed a MOFI router:

MOFI4500-4GXeLTE-SIM4 [MOFI4500-4GXeLTE-SIM4] - $299.99

I haven't yet re-installed in my new S.

Edit: This router is feature rich, and included ethernet ports which was one of my requirements. It's likely more router/device than most people need if all you want to do is use a dot.

Pretty hardcore mobile Mifi...

My little 3G one does the work just fine.

 

[mknox]

I just use Siri on my iPhone through Bluetooth. Works great. What additional advantages would you get with an Amazon Echo in the car over Siri? (FWIW, I'm using Google Home at my house).

 

[artsci]

Installed the Echo Dot/Alexa in my Model S console this am. With the ATT ZTE Mobely hotspot installed yesterday It works great. I placed it inside the console cover. Even with the cover sliding doors closed it hears my voice commands and questions very clearly. Also have it connected to the sound system via Bluetooth. So when I ask Alexa to play a particular bit of music via Amazon music, it never fails to get it right. I'm counting on the Nikola skill (the subject of another thread on TMC) to become public so via voice commands inside the car and in my home and office I can control all things Tesla. In the meantime I'll be learning all the things I can do to expand how I use Alexa in the car.

BtW, I have had bad experiences with SIRI understanding my voice and the Tesla voice commands as well. No such issue with Alexa -- with no training it understands my voice commands perfectly.

 

[CuriousG]

I'm counting on the Nikola skill (the subject of another thread on TMC) to become public so via voice commands inside the car and in my home and office I can control all things Tesla. In the meantime I'll be learning all the things I can do to expand how I use Alexa in the car.

I'd wait for some security measures before trying Nikola inside the car. Consider these scenarios:

<breaks window>
"Alexa, ask Nikola to start my car."
drives off.

or possibly with a PA
"Alexa, ask Nikola to unlock my car."

 

[Boatguy]

Police subpoena Amazon for Echo recordings in murder case.

 

[Sm4llz]

Police subpoena Amazon for Echo recordings in murder case.

Great reminder to not murder a friend or spouse while in your car.

 

[liuping]

Great reminder to not murder a friend or spouse while in your car.

Just remember not to say "Alexa" before you do it...

 

[liuping]

I'd wait for some security measures before trying Nikola inside the car. Consider these scenarios:

<breaks window>
"Alexa, ask Nikola to start my car."
drives off.

or possibly with a PA
"Alexa, ask Nikola to unlock my car."

Same problem as using Siri to control you home door locks: My neighbor just let himself into my locked house... thanks Siri. • /r/technology

 

[wayner]

I just use Siri on my iPhone through Bluetooth. Works great. What additional advantages would you get with an Amazon Echo in the car over Siri? (FWIW, I'm using Google Home at my house).

Well Apple is still pretty tight at allowing third party usage of Siri. Amazon is very open about allowing anyone to write third party apps that use the Echo. For example I have written an Echo skill that tells me how much power my microFIT panels are generating, how much energy they have generated today, this year and since inception.

And a few of us here are working on a Tesla echo skill. This isn't very useful while in the car since you have access to everything, but it is useful in your home to be able to ask Alexa to start your car charging or start the climate, etc.

It is a small detail but having it always on rather than having to pull the phone out of your pocket is really useful.

 

[artsci]

It is a small detail but having it always on rather than having to pull the phone out of your pocket is really useful.

True. Turned on the climate control with Alexa this am when I couldn't find my phone.

 

[mknox]

It is a small detail but having it always on rather than having to pull the phone out of your pocket is really useful.

Don't get me wrong... I'm very impressed with how the Echo works. My daughter has one (I have a Google Home device myself). i usually plug my phone in and throw it into the cubby. I either have to literally scream "Hey Siri" to get the phone's mic to pick me up (or reach down and press the Home button) but after that, the interaction is through the car's mic and speakers via Bluetooth.

I was just wondering, when you're already in the car, what advantage the Echo has over Siri from a functionality point of view. I absolutely get the convenience of pre-heating etc. from inside your home via Echo.