[NO LONGER SUPPORTED] Ask Alexa

Michael, got it working, found that I needed to remove all the devices from the Ask Alexa re add them then run the set up for Amazon again and I got it to go through and then update the Amazon developer tool.

Thanks for you help you rock!

Whohoo! Great! just in time for you to re-install this weekend when I drop a new version :slight_smile:

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Gee Wiz what is new now?

You know what they say, practice makes perfect!

Yeah… That’s light years beyond my coding ability. But that would be awesome!

Lots of bug fixes, and some device specific functions (like Nest or Stelpro). Also some filters for the voice reports…

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Alexa has the Simon says feature that repeats what you say. I use the echo remote to do just that…

yeah, but that only allows me to have it repeat what I say only on the device the remote is connected to. I want to say to the one in my living room, Alexa, Tell home to inform the boys it is dinner time. And she plays a message on the speakers in their rooms.

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How did you remove and re-add them?

Removed the devices from the ask Alexa smart app, all of them then readded them again and it was all good.

That’s cool - can you share what you did to enable that functionality?

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I don’t think he enabled that functionality. He wishes he could do that.

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Actually, I’m very close to making that a reality… Very close indeed!

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That’s totally possible with a little programming…instead of having alexa flip a light switch for example, you have her play an MP3 to the speakers with what you want to say. The MP3 could be your recorded voice, or created with the TTS function.

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This is what I’m working on now…

I plan to morph this into telling Alexa to play on speaker X C what I actually say… An interception of the card maybe…

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If you are looking to use predefined messages you can create an Ask Alexa macro that turns on a virtual switch. The virtual switch can then trigger the “Notify with sound” app or one of the rule apps to play a message on a dlna speaker. If you want to get really fancy you can even use additional conditions (time, occupancy etc) to play different messages in different situations and different speakers.

I use it so my kids can ask: “Echo, ask my home if it is time to go to bed” and they get a different answer on the dlna speaker in the same room based on what time it is.

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Sorry for the newbie question but I’m just now setting this up.

But anytime I add a switch that is a momentary button tile type I get the warning about “There was an issue parsing the device labels. Be sure all of the devices are uniquley named/labeled and that none of them are blank (null).”. I’m not even for sure if I will need these switches but wanted to set them up just in case.

Is this a know issue of am I doing something wrong?

This error is indicative of a device label actually being blank, even though you see the name in your mobile app. This will also appear if you have a device listed twice within the main app…for example, a dimmer is also a switch…it can ONLY be listed in one of those categories, not both.

Typically if you have duplicates it will tell you, so I am leaning toward a blank label. Removing items one at a time will help you identify this…or you can go through all of your devices and look at each one individually.

Let me know if this helps!

I knew this and thought I had double-checked that before posting but I must have been looking at a different type of device, thanks. And thanks for the hard work on this app!

No problem…to be clear, you did find the issue? Was it a thermostat?