Amazon Echo dot 2 help

[Tom77]

Hi
  i bought it yesterday for my father set up went great, but any medical questions or history questions i get cannot answer that question sorry. and i try to ask how do you say hello in gaelic or german i get cannot answer that question sorry. i have webmd and translations app enabled be for i ask the question i ask echo to open webmd/translations app. what am i doing wrong ? and how do i know if my Amazon echo dot 2 is working properly and is up to date? i have. i do not have any problems asking those question to my google home.   thank you for any help on this

[mike27oct]

I think you have discovered a difference between Echo and Home.  Home has a more robust search; it uses Google.  I asked a Dot for Hello in German. It could not pronounce it so it sent a message to the Alexa app with the words in text form.

I would say your Dot is working fine; ask a little less complicated medical question or "regular" kinds of questions.  Answering complicated is not the Echo's strong suit, and is not a main reason to buy or use an Alexa device.  If you want to ask it tough questions, use something other than an Alexa device.

[Tom77]

Hi Mike27oct

  thank you for  replying back to me. the medical questions i am asking is what do you do for pains in your stomach or what do you do for a toothache or ear ache it does not now. or i ask who is Augustus or when did the civil war start or when did world war 2 start it does not no sorry i do not mean to be disrespectful but do not think those questions are complicated. everything thing i have read on the internet it tells you  Amazon Echo dot 2 can just about do everything google home can do .   thank you  again 

[mike27oct]

OK, when asking these questions to my Alexa devices, it told me:  for medical questions, check the Alexa app Skills Store for WebMD skill, etc.

It told me who Augustus was, and the starting dates of the two wars.

Can your Dot answer with these comments?  Can it answer any questions at all?

If you are not getting answers like I did, then call Amazon customer service

From an Amazon email:  “You can reach Amazon Echo Customer Support by phone directly and toll-free at 1-877-375-9365. We're available from 3 a.m. to 10 p.m. Pacific time, seven days a week.”

[scottrods]

Mine answers the civil war question with no issue... Day/Date, and with no hesitation. Also knows when World War 2 started... Not enabling web MD to find out others... but I imagine it would work better than yours is working, if it already answers those questions quickly...

by the way... Both wars started on Friday... So watch for Fridays coming up this year... I hear WW3 is coming...

When Trying to talk to WEBMD are you asking Alexa to "Start Webmd"?

[Tom77]

Hi
   i'm just wondering if am not asking Amazon Echo dot 2  the right r way for it to pick up /understand to what i am  saying to answer me back to my medical questions. what i do is say Alexa  what do you for a tooth ache or what do you do for a ear ache or what do you do for stomach cramps. thank you i do have the WEBMD  enabled so i can use it. yes be for i ask my questions i say alexa open up WEBMD

[malliekm]

My Dots also knew the answer to the war questions as well as Augustus. WebMD is very simple.  It can look up side effects and medications but it doesn't give medical advice that I know of.  A lot of questions  that Alexa can't answer on her own can be answered if you start your search with Wikipedia. Say "Alexa Wikipedia what medication can I take for an earache?"

[malliekm]

By the way, I've had a GoogleHome for less than a week. While it definitely can answer questions that Alexa can not, it is not the same as typing a Google question into a search box on your computer. I didn't expect to get multiple search results, naturally, as on a computer but I found that it could not answer questions that a Google search could answer on a computer. So Google Home falls somewhere between Alexa and a Google search engine on a computer or phone. Alexa and Google Home both have different strengths and weaknesses.  I'm glad I have both

[renegade600]

Hi Mike27oct

  thank you for  replying back to me. the medical questions i am asking is what do you do for pains in your stomach or what do you do for a toothache or ear ache it does not now. or i ask who is Augustus or when did the civil war start or when did world war 2 start it does not no sorry i do not mean to be disrespectful but do not think those questions are complicated. everything thing i have read on the internet it tells you  Amazon Echo dot 2 can just about do everything google home can do .   thank you  again 

you did not read the internet that closely.  just about every article will say alexa is weak when it comes to questions.  otherwise it does a whole lot more than the google home - at this time. 

there is an advantage of having your own search engine that you can set up any way you want to help with your products.   alexa does not have that advantage.   that is why google will answer stupid questions better than alexa.  one thing for sure, I would not trust either with medical questions. 

[malliekm]

Our dog just woke us up with a gagging cough. I wondered if it could be a sore throat. I ask Google Home and got about a 20 second reply about dog sore throats and symptoms and causes.  Alexa had nothing.

[renegade600]

Our dog just woke us up with a gagging cough. I wondered if it could be a sore throat. I ask Google Home and got about a 20 second reply about dog sore throats and symptoms and causes.  Alexa had nothing.

or the dog found the peanut butter.    that is why it should not be trusted except for possible first aid. 

[malliekm]

That would mean the peanut butter jar would be on the floor.  The only time it's on the floor is when I give it to him after we've emptied it   We didn't make a midnight run to the vet for a gagging cough.  It stopped.  I think both
AIs can answer some or at least help lead you to answers to questions other than stupid ones. 
Mike might chastise me for being "off topic" but I'll take my chances
This dog found his way to us a year ago during stormy night, tornadoes and all!  God clearly placed him right where he was needed (for both of our sake).
He was starved, wormy, had been shot, matted, been in a fight, full of fleas, soaking wet and afraid.  It was exactly 6 weeks after losing our 11 year old choc lab to kidney failure.  After we got him stabilized, he had all the necessary shots, tests, etc.  It was then we found out he was heart worm positive   That protocol is minimum 3 months of keeping them contained and still.  He couldn't survive a Texas summer so he was made a house dog...a house dog with horrible separation anxiety!  I couldn't leave the house without him going into full panic mode.  He was supposed to be calm and still.  So I spent all of June till the first of Oct IN the house with the exception of 3 times when my husband would stay home and we would sedate him but that didn't work all that well either.  Today he's heart worm free, happy and healthy!  This is a thank  you card I made for the vet's clinic (showing said peanut butter)

[renegade600]

just was pointing out it may not have been a sore throat if that was the only thing you were searching for. 

[mike27oct]

Yea, Monica, heartwarming story, but off topic to the MAX, yet please, lay off the "off topic" jokes will ya?

[renegade600]

speaking of off topic joke

Deep In the back woods of Tennessee, a hillbilly’s wife went into labor in the middle of the night, and the doctor was called out to assist in the delivery. Since there was no electricity, the doctor handed the father-to-be a lantern and said, “Here. You hold this high so I can see what I am doing.” Soon, a baby boy was brought into the world.

Whoa there, said the doctor, “Don’t be in such a rush to put that lantern down. I think there’s another one coming.” Sure enough, within minutes he had delivered a baby girl. “Hold that lantern up, don’t set it down there’s another one!” said the doctor.

Within a few minutes he had delivered a third baby.

“No, don’t be in a hurry to put down that lantern, it seems there’s yet another one coming!” cried the doctor.

The redneck scratched his head in bewilderment, and asked the doctor, “You reckon it might be the light that’s attractin’ ’em?


sorry - could not resist...  :-)