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Alexa has changed my life: Confessions of a first-time Echo owner

By Patrick Schmidt

LAS VEGAS, NV - JANUARY 05: An Amazon Echo device is displayed at the Ford booth at CES 2017 at the Las Vegas Convention Center on January 5, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ford is incorporating the voice operating device into its vehicles. CES, the world's largest annual consumer technology trade show, runs through January 8 and features 3,800 exhibitors showing off their latest products and services to more than 165,000 attendees. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - JANUARY 05: An Amazon Echo device is displayed at the Ford booth at CES 2017 at the Las Vegas Convention Center on January 5, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ford is incorporating the voice operating device into its vehicles. CES, the world's largest annual consumer technology trade show, runs through January 8 and features 3,800 exhibitors showing off their latest products and services to more than 165,000 attendees. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images) /
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If you are on the fence about spending money on an Alexa-enabled device from Amazon, just do it, because it’ll change your life.

I didn’t think I needed to buy an Echo or Echo Dot on Amazon but after I did, I’m so glad that I did because it has totally made my life so much easier and lowered my stress levels. If you’ve been on the fence about purchasing an Alexa-enabled device from Amazon, I’m here to tell you it’s time to take the plunge and get one because it’ll do the same thing for you that it did for me.

I got a couple of Amazon gift cards for Christmas so I had money to burn and I didn’t really know what it was that I was going to treat myself to in 2018. After browsing through a few different departments and not falling in love with anything, I decided to see what all the fuss was about with these Alexa devices. It could have been the Alexa Super Bowl commercial that helped convince me to do so, but whatever the motivation, I’m glad I did it.

I ended up buying an Echo Dot and an Echo. I bought the white Dot and the Sandstone Fabric Echo and it was pretty much love at first sight.

It takes only a few minutes to set up both. All you need to do is download the Alexa app to your phone and go through a few steps, including connecting your devices to your wi-fi to complete the configuration. And that’s it. Then you’re free to start experimenting with your Alexa devices and start getting your money’s worth.

I use the Echo at my desk and use it like I would if I had a secretary or personal assistant. I use it to set reminders, alarms, play music, get weather and traffic updates and there’s a flash briefing you can set up to get all the daily news from a number of news sources. What I really love is you can set a routine, which will give you a rundown every morning (or whenever) that will run down your calendar, weather, news, etc. It’s perfect to listen to when you’re getting dressed in the morning, or while you’re in the shower getting ready to attack the day.

I have the Dot set up in my bathroom to play music when I’m in the shower or brushing my teeth or shaving and because it’s the size of a hockey puck, it rests easily on top of my vanity. I’m already planning on buying a Dot to put in my bedroom, one in the kitchen and soon enough, I’m sure I’ll have one in every room of my home.

Oddly enough, I find myself talking to Alexa like it’s a real person. In a weird way, Alexa is my new best friend and that was something I did not expect when I made the purchase.

If you were thinking about buying an Echo or a Dot or the other Alexa-enabled devices (Plus, Spot, Show, Look) on Amazon, I can’t recommend them enough.

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