Alexa

[Andrew Denny]

There appear to be various mentions of Alexa on the forum, and I presume at least one of them is a guide to making the B2 Alexa-friendly. But can anyone recommend a definitive thread? 

Thanks 

Andrew 

[fred.w....@gmail.com]

At present, I THINK that the Brennan units do not support the ability to link with the Google or Amazon voice controlled home systems, 

however there is an experimental Speak to B2 app.

Fred

[JFBUK]

Hi,

I don't think there is definitive thread on this.

I posted this some time ago in response to a similar question

An Echo can see a Brennan as a Bluetooth speaker and a Brennan can see an Echo as a Bluetooth speaker but the Brennan only allows other devices to access the HDD as NAS or a DLNA server.

There are Alex Skills which can access a B2 as a DLNA server (Our Jukebox) which requires DLNA to be enabled on the B2 and the creation of an 'Our Jukebox' account on the web.

'Our Jukebox' creates its own index of the Music on the B2 HDD as which it stores in the cloud under your 'Our Jukebox' account

'Our Jukebox' can be controlled by voice commends to Alexa but when I tried it I found it a bit kludgy.

Note that you cannot have DLNA enabled when you want to use any Sonos speakers you have.

John

[Andrew Denny]

OK, seems I'm on my own here, I don't understand John's answer sorry, it's too complicated for me. I will have to await a later model. :-) 

[Daniel Taylor]

I think you can send music from an Alexa-enabled device to the B2 over Bluetooth.  Is that what you want to do?

You also can send music from the B2 to the Alexa-device over Bluetooth, but in that case, Alexa will not be in control.

[Andrew Denny]

No, I want to be able to say "Alexa, play Radio Three please", or "Alexa, play [xx album on my B2]" and have the B2 do as Alexa tells it. 

(Incidentally, am I the only person to say please to Alexa? I took my cue from 2001, where they always say 'please' to Hal, but maybe I shouldn't!) 

 

[fred.w....@gmail.com]

You can already say "Alexa play Radio Three please" and she will do this! (not using the B2),  However making a device as complex as a B2 ( not just switch on/off) is not readily possible for a small manufacturer.

Have you tried  saying thank you too?

Fred

[PMB]

Great film Granny!

'2001 A Space Odyssey' if anyone is wondering about the reference.

Paul

Brennan Support.

[Andrew Denny]

"Open the pod bay doors, please Hal".

I've never heard anyone point out Dave's politeness. Of course, he gets a bit shirtier as it goes on, but that's understandable. 

But I'm often saying please and thank you to Alexa just in case she's holding rudeness against me and brings it up later when we are having an argument. I suspect that's how Skynet (in The Terminator) gets started. 

[JFBUK]

Hi Andrew,

if you did not understand my post then the fault is with me , there was too much information in too few words :)

The simple answer (as you've discovered) regarding Alexa voice and the B2 at the moment is "No"  

John