Monday, March 06, 2023

I'm Picking Up [After Not-]Good Vibrations

I like to listen to my Amazon Echo/Alexa products.

When I'm listening to Alexa read a book, I usually set the volume to 7 during the day, 5 at night (it's a 1-10 volume scale).

When I'm listening to Alexa play music, the volume is almost always set to 10.

Which, when I'm wearing my bluetooth sleep mask headphones, presents no problems.

But since I discarded the Echo Show in favor of my old 4th Generation Echo Dot, the latter device has behaved in a way it didn't before.

It vibrates, and visibly moves. If I'm not paying attention, it moves right off the bedside table and onto the floor.

I did change bedside tables about the same time I switched from the Dot to the show. Maybe the finish on the new one is just too slick or something.

So, I've ordered this (not an affiliate link).



It's a wall mount. If cord length considerations, etc. work out well, I'll mount the Dot more or less centered a couple of feet above where my head usually ends up on the bed at night.

I'd already been considering it, because I think the sound might be nicer coming from that location, and because it should be easier to find the device in the dark and wearing a sleep mask if I want, for some reason, to use the volume buttons manually. The "vibrating off the bedside table onto the floor, waking me up with a conceivably device-damaging thunk" factor tipped the balance.

Yeah, I know, First World problems. But  waking up and being able to just say "Alexa, play Pet Sounds" instead of having to find, purchase, and manually engage the vinyl album, cassette tape, or CD? Who could live without that now that it's become a possibility?

No comments: