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  • Review count
    4
  • Helpfulness votes
    102
  • First review
    May 22, 2016
  • Last review
    May 22, 2016
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  • Average rating
    4.3
 
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  • Answer count
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  • First answer
    May 22, 2016
  • Last answer
    May 22, 2016
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dev0's Reviews
 
Control your life with the Amazon Echo. It started with a music player that could play anything from Prime Music to Spotify and Pandora, and it gives you hands-free convenience, yet it can now control lights, switches and thermostat and answer questions thanks to advanced voice recognition. Use the Amazon Echo to order an Uber or even pizza from Domino's.
 
Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Oh Alexa, you've spoiled me..
on May 22, 2016
Posted by: dev0
Verified Purchase:Yes
I purchased the Amazon Echo to augment my other smart devices. Boy, has it made me lazy. Gone are the days when I'd have to stretch my arm out ALLLLLL the way to the lamp on my nightstand to turn it off. The days of pulling out my smart phone and setting my alarm for the next morning are also gone. Now, a simple "Alexa, turn off my nightstand" and "Alexa, set my alarm for 8:30am" is all I need. Even walking through my living room, I find myself saying "Alexa, turn on the kitchen lights" and "Alexa, play my favorites playlist." You see, it's addicting, and having a wireless speaker that plays music AND controls your life with simple voice commands means you end up buying two. I started with one in my living room but found that I had to yell to turn off said nightstand lamp or turn the thermostat down.... so I bought another. I have now repositioned the one in my living room so that it can hear me when I walk in from the garage, and added the one in my bedroom, which can hear me from the entry or my bathroom.
Now, if only she could automate the rest of my life. Amazon is working on it though - I receive weekly emails about new things you can do with Echo.
My Best Buy number: 0030065024
My Best Buy number: 0030065024
I would recommend this to a friend!
+79points
95of 111voted this as helpful.
 
Cleanse air for people living with allergies, asthma or other respiratory problems with this air purifier that features HEPASilent technology which captures up to 99.97% of particles, including pollen, dust mites, mold spores and pet dander.
 
Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Great filtration at an added cost..
on May 22, 2016
Posted by: dev0
Verified Purchase:Yes
I purchased this filter, along with the SmokeStop replacement filter with charcoal for the area near my cat litter box without first checking the direction of the air flow. Unfortunately, the air flow doesn't move in the direction of my larger BlueAir 650E so I ended up moving it into my bedroom, as it is the only other suitable large area that could use the filtration. I've not used the unit with standard filters so I can't give my opinion on those, but I can say that the unit moves some serious air... from right to left with the 'front' facing you, or left to right with it away from you (the important specification I didn't check!). I usually sleep with the unit's fan on level 2, though it has to be across the room, as the noise will grate on you if placed next to the bed with the blower facing the head of the bed. It's not LOUD on that fan speed, it's just the frequency of the sound. I'm sure it's more livable on the lowest fan speed of 'HepaSilent', but as an allergy sufferer with a cat (whom I'm allergic to), I keep it at 2-3.
Reading other reviews online, there are definitely less expensive filtration units, and certainly MUCH smaller units (this unit is about the size of a laundry hamper and, as I said, the air moves from side to side, not in through the front/bottom and out the top/sides like other competing units - so make sure there's plenty of room!) but none of them can clear the allergens from the room as fast as a BlueAir unit. The one thing I wish the unit came with was a remote or an automatic setting like my 650E. I researched the Sense+ series from BlueAir before this purchase, but while they allow you to control the unit remotely, they still require an additional air quality sensor for automated control and they don't have the high CADR of the Classic series.
Keep in mind the replacement filter costs when purchasing this unit, as they do recommend replacing them every 6 months.
My Best Buy number: 0030065024
My Best Buy number: 0030065024
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
 
Give your Samsung Galaxy S7 a fresh makeover with this Candyshell grip phone case. The lilac and gray design adds a soft touch to your device, while the raised rubber design delivers a firm grip. The raised bezel makes this Candyshell grip phone case a smart choice for protecting your phone’s screen from damage.
 
Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Good drop protection
on May 22, 2016
Posted by: dev0
Verified Purchase:Yes
For people who need a little extra grip in their life, I definitely recommend the Speck Candyshell Grip series. You get 6' drop protection and a little added grip to help reduce the chance of dropping it in the first place. The front has a decent sized lip to help protect the screen as well. Some other thin cases skip the added lip over your screen edges to save a little thickness, which unfortunately doesn't help your screen any in the case of a drop.
The only negatives with this type of case would be the added grip getting in the way of removing it from a pocket or bag and the chance of damage to the grippy rubber, which, like any rubber on a phone case, will eventually wear/peel depending on how you use it and what you put your phone in.
My favorite slim but still protective and semi-grippy case would be the Speck MightyShell. It has a little rubber on the sides and inside the case and a textured back surface which helps to improve grip while also repelling fingerprints (and smears from oils/lotions) that are all too common with smooth backed cases. The front lip is also ever so slightly thicker to protect the screen.
My Best Buy number: 0030065024
My Best Buy number: 0030065024
I would recommend this to a friend!
+4points
4of 4voted this as helpful.
 
With a 3.4-amp shared output and 12,000 mAh capacity, this myCharge Hub Ultra HB12V power bank makes it easy to keep your USB devices powered and ready for use. An included 4-amp charging base with wall prongs simplifies replenishment.
 
Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Great portable charger
on May 22, 2016
Posted by: dev0
Verified Purchase:Yes
I love this charger. It's great to be able to charge my iPad Air 2 and my Logitech Type+ keyboard together (at the same time!) and still have battery to spare. The included charging dock (with extra USB port) recharges the battery in 4 hours just by dropping your battery on it while plugged into a wall outlet, and in a pinch, the battery can also be recharged using any micro-usb charger, albeit at a slower charge rate (1-2A vs 4A). The only negative would have to be the price, though you're definitely getting a premium product with a high quality finish and advanced battery safety technology built in.
My Best Buy number: 0030065024
My Best Buy number: 0030065024
I would recommend this to a friend!
+3points
3of 3voted this as helpful.
 
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dev0's Answers
 
Control your life with the Amazon Echo. It started with a music player that could play anything from Prime Music to Spotify and Pandora, and it gives you hands-free convenience, yet it can now control lights, switches and thermostat and answer questions thanks to advanced voice recognition. Use the Amazon Echo to order an Uber or even pizza from Domino's.
 

Does amazon echo products work with iTunes.

Would Alexa play my music that is already on my iPhone or iPad?Or is it just amazon prime music that I have to buy?
Hello Amanda,

Amazon Echo will definitely play any music already on your iPhone or iPad! You can connect your devices to Alexa using bluetooth and play via the music app on your device. Once connected and playing, you can use your voice to skip to the next song, etc.

If you'd like to be able to pick a song just by using your voice, without going through your iPhone/iPad, you can get an Amazon Music Subscription and upload songs from your iTunes library. You can upload up to 250 songs for free, or pay an annual fee for up to 250,000.
7 years, 10 months ago
by
dev0
 
Control your life with the Amazon Echo. It started with a music player that could play anything from Prime Music to Spotify and Pandora, and it gives you hands-free convenience, yet it can now control lights, switches and thermostat and answer questions thanks to advanced voice recognition. Use the Amazon Echo to order an Uber or even pizza from Domino's.
 

What needs to be done to install this device? Is it relatively easy?

To setup your Amazon Echo, you'll need to either download the Alexa app onto your smart phone/tablet or it can be setup via a web browser on a wifi connected computer. Once downloaded/on web browser, connect the power cable to your Echo and wait for the light ring to change from blue to orange. From there, it walks you through setup in the app/browser from connecting your Echo to your wifi all the way to giving you some quick tips and giving Alexa a little 'Voice Training' to learn how YOU speak so it can better understand you. It is a very straight-forward process - they've made it really simple to get started.

Just make sure your Echo is in a central location, at least 8 inches away from any walls or windows. If you find that Echo doesn't hear you clearly or you'd rather it be in another room, it can be easily unplugged, repositioned, and plugged back in without needing to be setup again.
7 years, 10 months ago
by
dev0
 
Control your life with the Amazon Echo. It started with a music player that could play anything from Prime Music to Spotify and Pandora, and it gives you hands-free convenience, yet it can now control lights, switches and thermostat and answer questions thanks to advanced voice recognition. Use the Amazon Echo to order an Uber or even pizza from Domino's.
 

Can Echo play Pandora music without a mobile phone? in other words, can I use my phone just to set it up to the home internet and leave and it will play music without my phone being there?

The Amazon Echo supports Pandora. From the Alexa App, press the menu button, select music and books and you'll see Pandora. From there, you can sign in to your Pandora account or create a new one. Once your account is linked, it will add your stations and you can control them using the app on your phone or Alexa. If you listen to the same 'station' on Pandora, saying "Alexa, play Pandora" will play the last station you listened to. As Amazon Echo is always connected to wifi, it doesn't need your phone around to continue playing, it connects directly to Pandora over the internet.
7 years, 10 months ago
by
dev0
 
Control your life with the Amazon Echo. It started with a music player that could play anything from Prime Music to Spotify and Pandora, and it gives you hands-free convenience, yet it can now control lights, switches and thermostat and answer questions thanks to advanced voice recognition. Use the Amazon Echo to order an Uber or even pizza from Domino's.
 

Amazon echo and devices

Does the Amazon echo need specific lights and appliance to work, a hue light is 60 bucks just for 1. I don't have everything as a smart product, just my tv.
Hello Mindy!

The Amazon Echo supports many devices, and the list is growing every day. Amazon sends Echo owners an email weekly letting them know of new things to try. They also have a growing list on their website, which I can't link to for obvious reasons. Just know that Best Buy price matches if it's shipped and sold by Amazon, and you can go in to a store, play with it, get advice, walk out with it that day, and even have it setup for you by Geek Squad if you'd rather the professionals get it all setup.

As for the Hue lights in particular, they are supported by Amazon Echo, but you would need a Hue starter kit, as Hue bulbs require their own smart bridge to work. The bridge connects to your router and allows you to control the lights from anywhere, and you'll need to press the button on the bridge to allow the Echo to see the devices when first setting them up to be controlled by Alexa.

For some inspiration, CNET has their own smart home, which they've added a couple Echos to so they could control their garage doors, locks, etc with their voice. Do a search for CNET Smart Home on your favorite search engine.

Armed with that information, head to Best Buy and they can make recommendations on products that will do exactly what you want, and trust me, if you can dream it, you can do it nowadays with smart home devices. Just make sure you have a good router. Having an old router with a bunch of smart devices all talking to each other can really slow things down. You wouldn't want to tell your light to turn on and then wait ten minutes for it to do so. The latest 'Wave 2' routers are just coming to market, and they're designed for multiple device households with smart home and streaming in mind.
 
Products from my answer
Philips - hue LED A19 Starter Kit (2nd Generation) - White and Color Ambiance
4.7 out of 5(1,157)
 
 
 
Philips - Hue A19 60W Equivalent Wireless Starter Kit - White
4.7 out of 5(2,758)
 
 
 
 
 
7 years, 10 months ago
by
dev0
 
Control your life with the Amazon Echo. It started with a music player that could play anything from Prime Music to Spotify and Pandora, and it gives you hands-free convenience, yet it can now control lights, switches and thermostat and answer questions thanks to advanced voice recognition. Use the Amazon Echo to order an Uber or even pizza from Domino's.
 

Does Alexa recognize multiple voices?

Hello Kathleen!

Yes, Alexa does recognize multiple voices. When setting up your Echo, you go through a training process where you say the phrases on your smart phone's screen aloud so that it can learn from the way you speak.

You can always go back into the Alexa app, select settings, and Voice Training.

Any time you, or anyone around you, activates Alexa using your preselected activation word (selectable in the Alexa app under Settings, Alexa Devices, (your device name), and 'Wake Word') - it learns. The Echo keeps track of every request, along with a voice recording of the request, for learning purposes. If, at any time, you would like to remove those recordings, you can do so within the Alexa app under settings, Alexa Devices, and History - this is also where you can view more information on what Amazon uses and why, as well as other privacy information. Keeping this voice history, along with selecting the requests within the app and letting it know whether the Echo did what you wanted it to, helps it to better understand requests.

In the past, Alexa has been activated by late night hosts commenting about Amazon Echo, causing reactions from Amazon Echo devices in the vicinity of the TV. You can always disable the microphones by pressing the microphone button on top of the Echo, and you can change your wake word to Alexa, Amazon, or Echo, which is definitely helpful if you have someone in your household named Alexa.
7 years, 10 months ago
by
dev0
 
Control your life with the Amazon Echo. It started with a music player that could play anything from Prime Music to Spotify and Pandora, and it gives you hands-free convenience, yet it can now control lights, switches and thermostat and answer questions thanks to advanced voice recognition. Use the Amazon Echo to order an Uber or even pizza from Domino's.
 

Is echo wireless, like does it need to be plugged in to take it around the house or outside. Also can I us my iPad verbally like ask it to play a certain song from my list?

The Echo has a 7 microphone array that is always listening (unless you press the microphone mute button), a fairly loud speaker, and is always 'on' and 'online' using wifi and bluetooth. For these reasons, it does require a constant connection to power.

They have released a smaller, portable version called the Amazon Tap. The Amazon Tap works as a portable bluetooth and wifi speaker with the added benefit of the Alexa voice assistant. To greatly reduce power usage, it contains a much smaller speaker system and rather than an always listening microphone array, you manually press the DOT button to activate Alexa. This portable speaker can do pretty much anything the Echo can do, provided it has an internet connection. To charge, it uses a simple dock connected to the wall that you simply sit your Tap on until you want to take it with you - no plugging and unplugging a charger, you just sit it on it.

As for your other question: When connected to your iPad via bluetooth, I believe you'd have to select the song from your music library manually, and from there, you can say play, next, etc. Once your Echo has been connected to your iPad via bluetooth, any time you want to connect again, simply say "Alexa, Connect" to reconnect again. If you have an Amazon Prime membership, you also have the option of playing the song for free from Amazon Prime Music (admittedly nowhere near the size of Apple's iTunes store's music library), or, for an additional annual fee, uploading your entire iTunes/other music library to Amazon Prime Music with an Amazon Music Subscription. With either Amazon Music option, you CAN simply request a certain song.
 
Products from my answer
Amazon Tap Portable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Speaker - Black
4.5 out of 5(843)
 
 
 
 
 
7 years, 10 months ago
by
dev0
 
Cleanse air for people living with allergies, asthma or other respiratory problems with this air purifier that features HEPASilent technology which captures up to 99.97% of particles, including pollen, dust mites, mold spores and pet dander.
 

air filters

are the filters the same price for all models? what is the price of a filter?
Hello Shelly!

I can't post prices in my response, as those can change over time, but I have added the Best Buy SKU, which is the item number you can search for either online at bestbuy.com in the search field, or in store with a sales associate, which will get you the current pricing.

The filters range in price depending on the model of air purifier you choose. The 403 from BlueAir uses a single filter available in either standard particle filter (400PF - Best Buy SKU 9477185) or SmokeStop activated carbon for odor/VOC control such as smoke or chemicals (402SF - Best Buy SKU 9450881).

The larger 650e, 603, and 503 use a total of three filters (two on the side and one on top) and are thus priced a little higher. These use either the standard particle filter (501PFK - Best Buy SKU 9477176) or SmokeStop activated carbon (501SFK - Best Buy SKU 9450845).
 
Products from my answer
Replacement Particle Filter for Blueair Classic 400 Series Air Purifies - White
4.5 out of 5(11)
 
 
 
SmokeStop Replacement Filter for Blueair Classic 400 Series Air Purifies - Black
4.5 out of 5(2)
 
 
 
 
 
7 years, 10 months ago
by
dev0
 
Cleanse air for people living with allergies, asthma or other respiratory problems with this air purifier that features HEPASilent technology which captures up to 99.97% of particles, including pollen, dust mites, mold spores and pet dander.
 

Is this 403 model the 400 series?

When I searched for 400 series for this brand (I'm trying to figure out what the smoke filter will fit into), nothing showed up. This model, however, is 403. Is that part of the 400 series, or is the 400 correlated with something entirely different?
Hello Julia!

This model is a 400 series unit. The 400PF (standard particle filter) and 402SF (SmokeStop filter) will both fit in this unit. For odor or VOC control, the Smoke Stop filter with activated carbon is definitely your best bet. The standard included particle filter is great for cleaning the air if odors or chemicals are not an issue.

Whatever filter you decide to use, make sure there is plenty of space around the unit for air flow, as the air travels from side to side on this unit and it is about the size of a stand up laundry hamper.

Remember, BlueAir recommends replacing your filters every 6 months. The 403 comes with a magnetic filter change reminder for 182 days.
 
Products from my answer
SmokeStop Replacement Filter for Blueair Classic 400 Series Air Purifies - Black
4.5 out of 5(2)
 
 
 
Replacement Particle Filter for Blueair Classic 400 Series Air Purifies - White
4.5 out of 5(11)
 
 
 
Blueair - HEPASilent Air Purifier - White
4.8 out of 5(9)
 
 
 
 
 
7 years, 10 months ago
by
dev0