Ditching Sonos if voice control takes much longer

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31 replies

Airgetlam
My mother, god rest her soul, was an elementary school librarian, and while not a technophobe, certainly couldn't get her mind around the whole process of electronics. I used to spend a lot of time writing up instructions for her on how to do all sorts of things like hooking up TVs to VCRs, etc. But once a device was set up, including computers, she was a wizard. It was just the setup that she got hung up on.

I have fond memories of visiting her at Vienna Elementary in Vienna, VA, and setting up all sorts of things for her.
Bruce
melvimbe
Getting offtopic now, but my mother is similar. She doesn't want to understand how things work, she only wants a set of instructions to follow. So something as simple switching tv inputs caused her much trouble. She didn't want to understand that you hit the input button till you get the input you. She only wanted to here. "Push the input button twice". That would have been fine, except if she pushed the button 3 times by accident, she was completely lost.

She has gotten a lot better, lately but she still isn't very good with the concepts.
Danny
M
Userlevel 2
Badge +3
just sharing:

https://www.cnet.com/news/sonos-lays-out-terms-for-voice-control-ahead-of-alexa-skill/
T
Userlevel 5
Badge +10
Interesting. I received no email, but my Sonos gear was purchased in Canada, where Echo products aren't sold. However, interestingly, Alexa a few days ago started accepting Canadian addresses in its config setup for the first time (useful for weather etc.), so I'm betting Amazon will soon be selling Echo there. Canadians, Alexa and Sonos-Alexa may be on their way to the Great White North. Too bad I'm now in Brasil, lol (but with Sonos/Echo here as well).
passopp
Too bad I'm now in Brasil, lol (but with Sonos/Echo here as well).

If usage is limited to North America at first, you could route your traffic through a US VPN service (if the new upcoming Sonos terms do not prohibit such a workaround). Depends on your internet connection though.
T
Userlevel 5
Badge +10
Too bad I'm now in Brasil, lol (but with Sonos/Echo here as well).

If usage is limited to North America at first, you could route your traffic through a US VPN service (if the new upcoming Sonos terms do not prohibit such a workaround). Depends on your internet connection though.

I can use Echo Dots in Brasil. I just can't set a local street or city address. So I have them set to a US address (although I can now change to my Canadian address). So, for example, instead of saying "what's the weather," which will get me Detroit weather because of the current setup, I must say "what's the weather in Salvador Brasil."
Not a biggie. I can make everything else work in Brasil, just as I could make everything work in Canada before Alexa allowed Canadian addresses. If fact, because my Dots in Canada and Brasil are on the same account I can control lights and door locks in my Canadian house from my Brasil home, using Alexa. Brasilian Spotify also works fine with my Alexa account either in Canada or Brasil
I'm expecting no problems with Sonos. Pre-Alexa everything Sonos works fine in Brasil. Only Slacker is a problem, easily solved with a SmartDNS service I use for other reasons. Slacker is North American only, so is geolocked. Tidal and Deezer Elite are Brasilian accounts because both are cheaper here and they are also fine on Sonos in both Brasil and Canada. But I have VPNs available if needed. I use them because sometimes life on the internet is difficult for those who bounce back and forth between two countries.
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