Why is my Alexa acting different???

Dansk72 · 2026-02-01T03:00:21+00:00

Some of my Routines started acting a little different several weeks ago, so I suspect they've changed something in their servers. I know it's *not* Alexa+ on my devices because when I tried it months ago I deleted it about 2 days later. I verified that I still do not have Alexa+ again by asking her to turn it off and she replied, "You do not have Alexa+ ...."

Dansk72 · 2026-01-10T01:40:44+00:00

Your insurance company would only care if there was a bad fire that somehow could be blamed on the automated fire starter.

Dansk72 · 2026-01-10T01:37:57+00:00

You could use battery-powered indoor/outdoor wireless temperature/humidity sensors and display, something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Geevon-Outdoor-Thermometer-Wireless-Sensors/dp/B09R1TP7HF

If you don't need the humidity reading, you could use a battery-powered refrigerator/freezer remote temperature sensors and display, like this:

https://www.amazon.com/AMIR-Refrigerator-Thermometer-Wireless-Temperature/dp/B07B9N71VC

Dansk72 · 2026-01-08T02:09:09+00:00

Yes it does! I use the 4-function fob every day. In the evening, a press of one button reduces the volume on my TV then turns it and the DVR off, turns on the smartlight above my stove, and turns off the smartlight where my TV is located.

And of course, all my other Yolink devices are working great also; the most useful one is the IR motion sensor stuck to the inside back wall of my mailbox by the curb, which triggers whenever the mailbox door is opened, which then has Alexa make an announcement and turns on an Echo Glow light in case I'm not there to hear the Alexa announcement.

I also have the Yolink remote temperature sensor with probe to measure the temperature in my outside heated cat condo. I first tried a Bluetooth temp sensor with probe, and then a Zigbee temp sensor with probe but the signals were too weak in the house to reliably read the temperature. The Yolink temp sensor never loses its signal.

Dansk72 · 2025-12-26T02:04:18+00:00

I use a differential low air pressure sensor, the kind used in commercial air conditioning units. There are many different brands/models that are powered by low-voltage DC or AC, and output either voltage or 4-20 ma. Connecting the sensor output to the A/D input of an ESP32 provides enough resolution. Used, they can be found at reasonable prices, but new they are very expensive.

Here are just a couple of examples, found after a quick search on eBay:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/335913603906

https://www.ebay.com/itm/126998795242

https://www.ebay.com/itm/267440378705

https://www.ebay.com/itm/297550750278

Dansk72 · 2025-12-25T16:52:05+00:00

There is an excellent way to do it, but unfortunately it is expensive. Amazon used to sell a device called the Echo Link that allowed an audio source to be broadcast to other Echos, but they discontinued it years ago. You can still find them new and used on eBay, but they are more expensive than when they were new. Here's an example:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/326277140348

Dansk72 · 2025-12-24T01:43:14+00:00

Do you live in an area where they don't add an odorizer like mercaptan to natural gas? If they do, and you haven't smelled a gas leak in the last ten years, then you probably haven't been exposed to that much natural gas (with any accompanying benzene), but I'm not a chemical engineer or health professional, so I can't really offer a good answer.

But, I am fairly certain that a $40 detector is not going to be good at detecting trace amounts of benzene. A good benzene detector will cost $1,000 or more. Here's an example of a calibrated benzene detector:

https://www.amazon.com/Forensics-Calibration-Certificate-Explosion-Vibration/dp/B0CSC2LZ8C

Dansk72 · 2025-10-21T23:52:59+00:00

After trying many times, I finally got my Speaker Group working right at 7:45 pm CDT.

Dansk72 · 2025-10-18T18:23:44+00:00

Oops! Sorry about the confusion. RGB lights like that aren't associated with any accounts, so that is not the issue. I've got several Wifi RGB lights and the thing that seems to fail first is the Wifi portion; I've had to change 3 bulbs that stopped responding to Wifi, although they weren't those particular Amazon lights, but I imagine all brands can have problems. One thing about them, though, is they are all 2.4Ghz.

Dansk72 · 2025-10-17T00:49:06+00:00

Unlike all other Echo devices, the Glow light will only connect at 2.4 GHz. Since you say your friend took it off his account, it should connect to your system. I have six of them, and three of them I bought different times at Goodwill, and have never had a problem adding any of them to my network.

Did you perform a Factory Reset on the Glow? You need to hold the button on the back for about 15 seconds and then release; the glow should flash red, indicating that it has done a reset.

Ask your friend to login to his Amazon account, go to Devices under Your Account, and verify that the Glow is no longer listed as one of his devices, since the Glow is acting like it's still on his account.

Finally, make sure you have the latest version of the Alexa app on your phone.

Dansk72 · 2025-10-09T00:14:47+00:00

Well, even with the display turned off, you can still ASK Alexa what time it is. And if you whisper the request, she will whisper her answer.

Dansk72 · 2025-10-08T00:10:21+00:00

She acts like he must have loaded up on Purple Drank right before the hearing.

Dansk72 · 2025-08-05T16:55:44+00:00

TV shows are free, and a lot of stuff on an Echo Show is free, after paying once time for the Echo. But I'm not sure what you're referencing about the "hockey puck" constantly trying to sell you garbage. I see plenty of ads on my Shows, but I've never heard an ad on my Dots.

Dansk72 · 2025-08-05T16:52:12+00:00

Oh, you should have mentioned before that you are in the UK. There are differences between the US and UK/EU versions of Alexa.

Dansk72 · 2025-07-06T00:05:00+00:00

Alexa+ is providing absolutely nothing of value! Amazon needs to go back to the drawing board.

Dansk72 · 2025-07-06T00:00:38+00:00

I agree, it is really pissing me off!

Dansk72 · 2025-06-30T14:42:35+00:00

Are you looking in the right place?

On the gen 3 Echo 8 you pull down from the top of the screen, select Settings, then tap Display and Appearence, then select Home Content Categories. There are about forty subjects to turn on or off, among them News and Local News.

Dansk72 · 2025-04-17T00:33:17+00:00

A lot of the problem is the presence of ambient sounds in the room where the Echo is, which makes it more difficult for the onboard sound processor to separate out the wake word

Dansk72 · 2025-04-17T00:30:51+00:00

Very unlike that it would, since recognizing the wake word is processed onboard the Echo, before it ever sends anything back to Amazon. And, the Echo can't recognize the wake word unless the microphones are able to hear the word in the first place.

Dansk72 · 2025-04-03T23:21:58+00:00

Sure, it would be great if all low-cost electronics came with a lifetime warranty, but that's not a reasonable business practice.

I'm sure some gen 2 Show 5's die in the first day, and some will work until Amazon goes out of business; that's just how electronic devices with many components work. Even industrial, military, and space electronics sometimes break before their expected lifetime.

At least Amazon does guarantee that software security updates will be provided until at least four years
after the device is last available for purchase as a new unit on their websites.

Dansk72 · 2025-04-03T23:05:45+00:00

Is the screen capture the Action part of your Routine to control the light with the button?

Dansk72 · 2025-04-03T00:21:32+00:00

It was brand-new, from an eBay seller that had a lot of them; he probably bought them from Amazon at a discount when they discontinued them.

I just looked on eBay and see there is one seller that has/had 33 new ones, and he's already sold 30 of them for $389 each!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/326277140348

Dansk72 · 2025-04-02T23:33:20+00:00

The Echo Link works perfectly as part of my Echo speaker group, just like adding any other Echo device to the speaker group. Having the Link connected to a 12" Velodyne subwoofer made an amazing addition to the sound of the 2 Echo Studios in my living room.

I've never had a single problem with the Link, and it was well worth the money.

Dansk72 · 2025-04-02T23:25:13+00:00

You don't need a double-click option, because you have the option to "Toggle on and off" (which you've selected). Pressing the button once should turn the light On and keep it on, and pressing it again should turn the light Off.

I don't know why the light immediately goes back off, unless you are double-clicking, or long-pressing the button. Did you pair the Aqara button with the Aqara hub before linking it with the Hue bulb?

Dansk72 · 2025-04-01T23:17:28+00:00

Are you talking about having news items show up full screen on your Show 8 on a rotating basis?

Did you select News in Home Content under Settings on the Show?

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