echo added event on google calender messes up time

[rocket888]

I have 2 samsung tablets (tab 2) and 2 phones, a samsung phone, and an alcatel phone, plus my echo all synced to my google calendar.

When I add an event using the echo, and specify a time (e.g. 3 pm) and then go to any of these 4 android devices, it displays the event correctly, but if I try to edit the event time, it shows the time incorrectly (e.g. 10 pm instead of 3 pm). If I change this to 10:01 pm, say, when I save the event, it gets saved as 3:01 pm on all the devices.

This offset of the time is (coincidentally?) the number of hours in the offset for my time zone.

If I copy the event on any of these devices, change the name of the event and save it, then it shows up correctly and I can edit it later with no problems.

Am I alone, or does anyone else see this strange behavior?

[DParker]

I have 2 samsung tablets (tab 2) and 2 phones, a samsung phone, and an alcatel phone, plus my echo all synced to my google calendar.

When I add an event using the echo, and specify a time (e.g. 3 pm) and then go to any of these 4 android devices, it displays the event correctly, but if I try to edit the event time, it shows the time incorrectly (e.g. 10 pm instead of 3 pm). If I change this to 10:01 pm, say, when I save the event, it gets saved as 3:01 pm on all the devices.

This offset of the time is (coincidentally?) the number of hours in the offset for my time zone.

If I copy the event on any of these devices, change the name of the event and save it, then it shows up correctly and I can edit it later with no problems.

Am I alone, or does anyone else see this strange behavior?

Where are you attempting to edit the event(s) from?  One of the mobile device apps, or via a web browser?  If a web browser, where are you running it (mobile device vs, say, a PC)?

[rocket888]

The edit is done from any of my 4 android devices. I can use any of several calendar apps. I thought at first it might be a samsung issue, but my 2nd phone is an alcatel phone. They're all android, but there's 3 different versions of android running on these devices.

If I go to google and check the calendar from my desktop firefox browser, it looks correct.

The only other puzzle is that the amazon echo seems to be setting the timezone in a slightly different way, i.e. it just says gmt-7 whereas events I add using any of the android devices label this as pacific time (which is also gmt-7).

It's weird that the time only appears wrong if I go to edit the time. It even displays correctly in the edit event dialog on the 2 phones, but when tapping on the time, it brings up another widget to edit just the time, and then it's offset by 7 hours (later). If I modify that time, say add a minute, when I save it, the time reverts back (plus the extra minute). It's as though they have two methods to display the time and one gets it wrong.

But again, this is ONLY with events created by the echo. So, it has to be something about how the echo talks to the google calendar.

[DParker]

I think I've found the issue.  But to be sure...do you have your Echo's location properly configured via the Alexa app?  By that I mean, a location that maps to the Pacific (GMT-7) timezone?

[rocket888]

I think I've found the issue.  But to be sure...do you have your Echo's location properly configured via the Alexa app?  By that I mean, a location that maps to the Pacific (GMT-7) timezone?

If you mean settings -> "my echo" -> device location, then I believe so. It has my address and zip code. It says it will use that info to decide weather, time zone, .... but I don't see anywhere else to explicitly setup a time zone.

[DParker]

If you mean settings -> "my echo" -> device location, then I believe so. It has my address and zip code. It says it will use that info to decide weather, time zone, .... but I don't see anywhere else to explicitly setup a time zone.

Yes, that's how your timezone gets set...indirectly via your address.  So, what appears to be happening is that Alexa is converting the time you specified into GMT and then submitting the event to the Google Calendar service with no explicit timezone setting, which causes it to be interpreted as being GMT.  When you simply view the event the calendar software converts the displayed time for you based on whatever time zone you have configured it for.  But when you edit the event, the time values displayed are those that were originally entered according to the time zone that was specified when the event was created.  So, in your original example....

You told Alexa to create an event for 3:00 PM.  Your Echo is configured to be in the Pacific (GMT-7) time zone, so when Alexa creates the event she first converts the time to 10:00 PM (the time in GMT) and then submits the event to Google with that value.  That value gets stored in your calendar with no explicit time zone, so it means the time is in GMT.  Then when you later view the event your app (or the web interface) converts that time for display based on both the time zone it was specified and the time zone you have your Google calendar configured for...so what you see in the calendar is 3:00 PM.  But when you edit the event the editing screen/dialog/widget displays the value that is actually stored internally, as well as the time zone in which the value was expressed when the event was created.  (You can change both, by the way.)

TL;DR version:  Everything is operating correctly.  You just need to be aware of the fact that the internally stored time and the displayed time are potentially for different time zones.

[rocket888]

So, what appears to be happening is that Alexa is converting the time you specified into GMT and then submitting the GMT. 

Ok thanks, that would certainly explain the behavior.   Most likely google accepts the time in multiple ways; my android devices must use method B which does not trigger this anomaly.

I can live with it, now that I know what's going on.

But I'm a bit disappointed . I thought the echo was going to be different; a true learning machine. I kinda envisioned that Alexa might have an IBM Watson up her sleeve that would scan these forums and figure out how to reprogram Alexa to avoid little glitches like this one. Or perhaps I dream of electric sheep.

[DParker]

... to avoid little glitches like this one.

That's just it...it's not a glitch.  As you noted, there are multiple ways to define and submit events.  Alexa is using a method that's different from some other systems, but it's still correct.

[rocket888]

... to avoid little glitches like this one.

That's just it...it's not a glitch.  As you noted, there are multiple ways to define and submit events.  Alexa is using a method that's different from some other systems, but it's still correct.

Maybe it's not a glitch but it's ugly. Still, Alexa is not playing as nicely as Samsung or Alcatel, both of which can create an event w/o this behavior.

Would Steve Jobs (have) let something like this occur on an Iphone?

[Yoda_One]

Oh my goodness. :spin:
Just send it back, it does seem that you will be happier.
This forum has been and hopefully will be for individuals which need explanation or help. If you just want to complain this is not the correct place, just move on.

[rocket888]

A glitch is what happens when a post I'm making get's submitted before I finished it.

I wanted to thank you for your wonderful analysis, since otherwise I might have not seen how to work around this problem.