Echo dot alarm clock11/11/2023 If you already have a smart home ecosystem, you’ll likely want to choose a compatible smart alarm clock, as there are models like the Amazon Echo Dot or iHome for Apple products that are essentially smart speakers with a digital alarm clock added. Think about how smart your home already is, and if you want your alarm clock to be compatible, what other features you might appreciate, and of course, if the overall look and feel of the clock works in your space. I really hope they appreciate being able to see the time as much as I do.Before clicking “buy,” you’re going to want to think about what your goals are, and whether your chosen alarm clock is up to the task. Nobody tell my family what they’re getting for Christmas. At the time of this writing, the EDC is on sale for $35. The EDC makes for a great gift for anyone who doesn’t have (and isn’t totally against) having an always-listening Alexa in their home. I’m just glad it doesn’t sound like mono trash the way my second-gen Echo Dot does. It’s an Echo Dot - it sounds good enough - so it’s not going to blow your ears off like an Echo Studio or HomePod. The sound on the EDC isn’t improved over the regular Echo Dot and that’s fine. It’s still an inexpensive way to get your smart home started. For me, it’s not worth wasting breath asking Alexa for the time all day so I’ll gladly pay $10 extra for the time. The Echo for everyone - At $59.99, the Echo Dot with Clock is $10 more than the regular Echo Dot. A motion sensor to let me silence alarms and timers with a wave of my would have been icing on top (maybe for the next version, Jeff?). Set an alarm and you’ll see a dot next to the clock that lets you know it’s actually set (no need to double-check with Alexa anymore). Set a timer and it shows a countdown I hated asking Alexa how much time was left on a timer when I cooked. However, if you ask Alexa for the weather, it’ll show the temperature on the face. Other visual information - The time is what you’ll see most of the time. The Echo Dot with Clock supports all Alexa voice commands. But as a bedside clock or in the kitchen - its simplicity is an incredible asset. Look, the EDC’s clock isn’t useful if you’re putting it in a place where you’ll never see the time. I’m sure my blood pressure doesn’t spike up as often (my doctor told says it’s normal and I trust her). I’m less frustrated daily because Alexa failed to understand me. At night, the fabric exterior masks the clock just enough so that the LEDs aren’t harsh at all there’s barely a faint glow.Īfter a month of using the EDC, I can definitively say the clock has made me a more tolerable human. A light sensor automatically adjusts the brightness so it’s bright and visible during daytime and dimmer (but still readable) in the dark. The digital clock doesn’t blind your eyes when the lights are off, either. That’s important to me because I don’t want more potentially harmful blue light blasted into my already deteriorating eyeballs after futzing around with my iPhone all day. I realize Amazon basically just made a smart alarm clock, but unlike, say, Lenovo’s Smart Clock, the EDC isn’t a screen. The nearest competitor to the EDC - Google’s Nest Mini - now looks weirdly naked by comparison. That’s why it’s so stupidly awesome the EDC shows the time. Repeatedly asking for the time is easily solved by just seeing it. But when it doesn’t hear me or my voice is shot from a night of drinking, getting the time becomes a chore. Asking Alexa to tell me the time is nice when it understands me. Getting the time has been a voice-controlled affair since then. What time is it? - I haven’t owned a wall or bedside clock (any kind) in my apartment since I got an Echo in early 2015. The clock is there, underneath the fabric exterior. It would have been nice if it came in a color other than light gray - the pink the regular Echo Dot comes in is dope - but that’s not a deal-breaker. The EDC looks good and doesn’t take much space on a shelf or counter or bedside table. You get the same volume, Alexa, and mute buttons on the top. Same exact design, same size, same sound quality. ![]() Same Echo Dot package - So the Echo Dot with Clock (which I’m abbreviating to EDC) looks just like the regular clock-less Echo Dot. ![]() I haven’t had to shout at Alexa to tell me the time in the morning since I got it and I think - I think - I’m less grouchy because of this. But I have to say: it’s absolutely awesome. ![]() Sure, Amazon just added a digital clock to the front of the Echo Dot. Do we really need Alexa to help microwave us a potato? Do we need the digital assistant in a pair of glasses? No, we don’t.īut the Echo Dot with Clock! Now, here’s an Echo that’s cheap and valuable because Amazon kept it simple. These days, there’s a disturbingly long list of Amazon Echo devices - many of which probably don’t need to exist - designed specifically to bring Alexa into your life.
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