Sounds like an incomplete install…As Andrea mentioned you can attempt to delete it from the IDE…simple go to Locations, then click the small “Edit” button in the upper right corner of the page, then all of the ‘updates’ turn to deletes. I recommend first uninstalling the children apps first, then the main “Ask Alexa” one.
If this doesn’t work, I would be interested in the error (if any) you are getting…
If you DO get it uninstalled and then want to start over but run into issues let me know.
@femwitjava & @MichaelS Thank you both so much for your help… using the My Locations tab of the IDE solved the problem. I had done what I thought was a complete install, but I wanted to start from scratch. That’ll be another day’s project though!
Glad that worked. When you are ready to start fresh we are here to help. @MichaelS will answer all your questions!
Matt,
Not sure you are keeping up on this, but since my new release is out I played with this a bit and got it working…the whisper mode is quite creepy according to my wife, but I have developed a few use cases for it that I think people will like.
More than likely I will release this in the next 30 days…keep an eye out for it.
If we are going to talk voice feedback alterations and selections, can we (that really means @MichaelS) code in some alexa with accents. FWIW - when i enable English UK she does not understand me very well.
That is, per the video, a ‘hack’…it appears they are using a separate speech engine, which probably means they didn’t go through Lambda but another provider. Google Home can do this and I have my version of Ask “Google Home” respond as a male voice.
Interesting nevertheless…and not a creepy as whispers 
Lol whispers. hey wake up, pssst wake up fucker.
Ya I know that was a hack, but I’m telling you, that is coming. It has to for Alexa or GH to be relevant in the real world.
Oh, I agree…everything a developer can do with the device Amazon has more ability to do…it is just a matter of their ‘priority’.
14k will get you your own josh.
Absolutely, I’m looking forward to it! You’re right, work has been crazy lately so I haven’t been keeping up like I should, should but I’ll try to catch up.
Hey, what about a Justine?
Great new schedule extension (Nice work Michael !). Forgive me as I have not fully tested the function. My ‘life’ is a little complicated. I live in two places with multiple EchoDots in multiply locations in multiple countries (don’t ask), but all connected to the same Amazon account. Sooo… which EchoDot will the scheduler use when a voice macro is invoked? I am afraid to test and wake up someone in a different timezone. The voice report extension doesn’t have a ‘speaker’ or ‘location’ setting. The interaction was simple when the EchoDot I was talking to provided the audio response. But if I ‘auto invoke’ a report, where will it go?
Are you referring to Amazon Alexa output or Sonos/voice device output? If it is the latter then that is configurable by you. If is is Amazon output (real time or push) that isn’t available yet but it will probably be account-cenric… however when they release it we will know for sure.
I am talking about Alexa output. OK, seems like I was just confused then. I assumed AskAlexa-Schedule could trigger a ‘Voice Report’ that plays out the EchoDot speaker. From your response, it sounds like that is still not possible. So, where does the voice report go when triggered by a schedule? To the Message Queue?
At the current time, no ‘non-prompted’ output can be sent to Alexa without first a voice prompt. That will change in the next few weeks, but it may just be a ‘tone’ to indicate when a message is available. That is the how the message queue plays into it. The message queue is a holding area for all kinds output. While the main intention is the Alexa, there is also Sonos notification, visual (i.e. turn lights on when there is a message) and SMS/Push where the output can go to your phone.
Hope that explains it a bit more clear. Sorry this was confusing.
Happy Friday…It has been a mostly uneventful week as I have been busy at work. However, I am pleased to report that @erocm1231 has updated his Device Monitor application to be FULLY Message Queue compliant. In fact, Eric is the one who first who suggested the expiring of messages function. Great idea! And, as I mentioned in his thread, he now has AUTOMATIC compatibility with Alexa when they release their push notification. Great work, Eric…
I did update one piece of Ask Alexa this week, but it is minor. Information about this is at the very bottom of this post (If you sync your IDE, you should see it…). However, this week, outside of Device Monitor being updated, I wanted to give a status report of the work done this week on Ask Alexa. If we go into the ‘way back machine’ and look at the roadmap I laid out: [RELEASE] Ask Alexa you will see we are keeping on track, with the scheduling app being released as 2.2.6 last week. Going forward will be a more ‘quiet time’ for the app itself. I already have 2.2.7 working as there was one long term app with a specialized DTH that needed fixing. I am also adding some VERY cool logging features that will be invisible to the end user, but allow even MORE partner apps to integrate with Ask Alexa. One of them will be deeper integration with WebCoRE. This DOES mean I may intentionally break the integration with “CoRE Classic”. I would be curious who among you use CoRE to ‘listen’ for an Ask Alexa Macro running, or inversely, uses Ask Alexa to run a CoRE Piston. PM me soon if you want to discuss as I haven’t stripped out the code yet, but want to in lieu of the new logging feature which will give WebCoRE the same functionality.
I continue to optimize the code and add little features that people have requested. One ‘interesting’ one is the “whisper” ability. I have had feedback that this mode is certainly ‘creepy’ sounding, but I can see a couple use cases for it. Because of some changes coming down the pike from Amazon, I have changed all of the output of Ask Alexa to SSML. This does nothing for the user directly, but it DOES allow me to add some cool little personality features in the future easily. How easy? The whisper mode was only a couple lines of code in the smartapp and it took me 5 minutes to add two more features that allow for speed and pitch changes in the output! All of this is coming soon….
Also, I am getting VERY positive feedback, public and private, about the Schedules extension…more than I expected! This was NOT an easy extension to write as the number of days in the year, days in a month, etc are inconsistent. However, it appears I got it right! However, there are still some folks PMing me asking questions about Schedules as the name (and what it implies) is very broad. As such, here is a small Q&A about them if you haven’t already investigated them:
What Ask Alexa Schedules is:
Schedules is an EXTENSION to Ask Alexa that allows you to set up one-time or recurring schedules that utilize the Ask Alexa message queues to alert in a variety of method to your schedules. In addition to verbal alerts, you can run actual macros or perform other Ask Alexa actions at a certain time. More importantly than the schedule of actions, Schedules also allows to you set up REMINDERS prior to the Action. Even Amazon misses this important aspect of setting up a schedule.
What Ask Alexa Schedules Is NOT:
Schedules is NOT a stand alone app…There is no built-in functionality for DIRECT notifications in the code of Schedules. This is by design as using the Ask Alexa Message Queues allows direct and immediate access to output via the Alexa speaker when Amazon releases push notification the functionality. In fact, all ALL Ask Alexa partner apps (like Device Monitor above), will benefit from their relationship and integration with Ask Alexa.
In addition, Schedules does its alerting via time-based schedules. There is no alerting on events as this is better handled by apps such Big Talker, a partner app for Ask Alexa.
Finally, Ask Alexa Schedules is NOT just a reminder application. Based on feedback from users, sometimes you want to have things happen on a schedule. We can do that! This could include running as Ask Alexa Macro, a weather report, or even clearing the Ask Alexa Message queue.
Advantage of Schedules:
Schedules is (are?) versatile: Your time-based schedules can range from one-time events, simple or complex schedules (starting and stopping alerting or runnin based on all types of parameters or restrictions). In addition, for super-advanced users, Schedules is the first app to allow for direct cron input for schedules and reminders. This, coupled with reminders of actions, make this one of the most powerful SmartApps for SmartThings.
Also, Schedules allows you to self-manage/clean up your time-based schedules…Maybe you have a one time event, or multiple events on a weekly basis, but ends at a certain time, or after a certain run count. The app can allow you (verbally, or by expiration of the schedule) to ‘self destruct’ and delete itself from your application.
With its tight integration with Ask Alexa, you can also query the schedules from Ask Alexa, run or pause the schedules actions (and reminders), and even delete the schedule with your voice. And don’t worry…you can always override a delete command if necessary (within the time you specify in the app)
Updates to 1.0.1-Available now!
In addition to small syntax and bug fixes, the biggest addition is actually improved simplicity; while I tout the virtues of doing Schedules for the biggest use case (birthdays/anniversaries), you actually had to choose a COMPLEX schedule for a seemingly ‘simple’ task. So, I have improved upon this by giving you an easy anniversary/birthday schedule option…you simply set the start date of the event and the action, and away you go. In addition, I added some features that allow you to go WAY back in time to the beginning of an event. Why is that important? Well, let’s say you want Alexa to not only remind you of the event but tell you how old someone is or how many years they have been married…I recommend giving this option a try. More options using these new function will become available when I release an update to the main app.
With this new addition, if you already set up your schedules, you DON’T have to go back and change them. However, you will want to check them; I improved upon the complex schedules as well to allow you to set them up once and if they are daily or longer recurrences even if the start date expires you still keep the date and schedule you originally set up. This may not make a lot of sense until you install the app, but this was a flaw in the logic of how this particular schedule was using the input.
If you sync you IDE with GitHub, you should already see the color change. If not, here is the code for Schedules: https://github.com/MichaelStruck/SmartThingsPublic/blob/master/smartapps/michaelstruck/ask-alexa-schedule.src/ask-alexa-schedule.groovy
I am not much for surveys…I think they are most of the time biased and honestly are used more to justify a pre-determined position than to make a decision based on feedback. However, Andrea seems to truly want feedback. My personal interest is in the results as I have toyed with monetizing some apps.
Please take some time to fill this out truthfully and help Andrea out:
I appreciate your support in gaining data for developers. I would consider you one of the top developers and contributors to our community, although there are many really great developers here who I amazed at. Interesting enough I do not and will not publish ANY apps, and therefore have no agenda for monitizing apps. I am very interested in uniting those developers who have common ground and sharing information to make the community stronger.
To sweeten the offer, please read Andrea’s post here:
For those that have been waiting for WebCoRE connectivity, here you go. Be sure to read the release notes as I have deprecated a few items that now can be completed with message queues: