Have you seen the Amazon Echo device yet?  Mr. Fire Station is definitely a gadget guy and this gadget is a keeper. If you’ve used Siri on your Apple iPhone or other “digital assistants” you’ll definitely understand the appeal of Amazon Echo.

Think of it as Siri for your home.  It’s a cylindrical device that sits on your kitchen counter and awaits your commands.  You engage the Amazon Echo with it’s trigger-word name “Alexa”.  As in … “Alexa, what is the weather on Saturday?”  Or … “Alexa, what is the score of the Yankees game?”  Try … “Alexa, play classical music”  Or even … “Alexa, what’s the latest news?” (gives a 3 minute NPR news update)

It’s terrific because it is hands free and it’s 8-internal microphones are very sensitive (you can speak at regular room-volume).  It’s also fast – Alexa can tell you the height of the Eiffel Tower or give you a corny joke without more than an instant hesitation.  As I said, if you like gadgets, you are probably going to want one of these.  If you are an Amazon Prime member you can also get a deal – $50 off of it’s $199 price tag.

This sounds really strange, but it’s kind of nice to have another “voice” in the house.  I’m not sure if you are an introvert or an extrovert, but with our son getting older and out of the house more, it’s makes the house sound more occupied and comfortable.  Yes – I’m strange.  Yes – I’ve seen the movie Her.