Alexa, delete everything....

[rcjordan]

...but just for today.

Amazon offers a privacy option allowing a voice command to delete recorded info. But, it is heavily limited --only allowing removal of the current day's recordings.  Amz thereby gets itself off the privacy hook, but knows full well that nobody is likely to use it consistently.

As we truly only use Alexa for timers, reminders, & the rare intercom message,  I do not care if Amz wants to listen in.  But they were dickheads with this half-assed option, and that did bother me.  So, I programmed my smarthome text-to-speech to tell Alexa to wipe the slate.  It's been running a couple of months now. Works 95% of the time.

[Rupert]

Are they guaranteed to only listen if you say "Hey Alexa"?  Seems like they have to be listening all the time, and its a fine line between recording the voices, and litening for patterns or words, and using that data.

I LOVE your wipe it solution

[rcjordan]

>guarantee

I think we have enough anti-surveillance whistleblowers embedded in the general workforce that it is not worth Amz risking further public distrust to do full-on listening.  Besides, they are still going to get the lion's share of recordings they want from 99.9% of their userbase by offering only an opt-in setting that expires daily.

>solution

Credit, of sorts, to Louise.  When I programmed the Washing Machine notification, it just broadcast over the 2 TTS speakers.  Louise thought it was fabulous ^{(ultra-high WAF on that one)} but wished it would broadcast over the entire house so it'd reach her office.  Hmmmm... the TTS speakers were near the Alexa Dots... and I had past experience with using an old tablet to voice command Dots.  Bingo! Whole house announcements!!  Just preface the TTS with "Alexa announce."

[Rupert]

Washing Machine notification

?

When the cycle is finished?  I guess that is off the power usage?

[rcjordan]

>When the cycle is finished? 

yes

>I guess that is off the power usage?

yes

This Rule (RM ver 2.5), I believe is the one I used as a template:

https://community.hubitat.com/t/better-laundry-monitor-port-update/3109/16

[Rupert]

awesome