Amazon Alexa Setup

Amazon Alexa Echo Dot next to rose petals from Mother's Day. Why? Nature makes every picture better, imho.

Easy #TechTuesday

Amazon Alexa Echo Dot Setup 

I love getting questions in one of Positively Life's Facebook group called “Tech Time, Silver Edition.” We're just having fun learning about the tech in our world, and sharing simple tips that help us live better with all our gadgets– and stay safer online. Click here to join.

Recently, Cynthia asked me how to set up her own Amazon Echo Dot. Great question! I have three of them in my home and use them every day. I’ll do a future post on all the ways to safely use an Alexa Echo, but for today let’s get that Alexa out of the box and set up -in just 10 minutes!

(Some of these step-by-step directions are in the App itself, but I included them here just so you can see what's asked during setup.) 

  1. Unbox, remove all plastic covers, connect the power cord to the device
  2. On your smart phone, go to the App Store; type echo in the search bar, click on the echo word that appears, it will take you to  the “Amazon Alexa” app. Click to download.
  3. Open the Alexa app and login. You will need to know your Amazon account login and password.  
  4. Open the Alexa App, go to Settings; click New Device. Watch my iPhone video as I walk you trough the next 4 steps.
  5. Select the device you are setting up; Amazon Echo
  6. Choose the type of device you have. (The Echo Dot is the one that looks like a hockey puck. The more expensive Echo is a tall cylinder)
  7. Choose the picture of the “generation” of Echo you have. 
  8. It will tell you to turn on your Alexa device. (Turn on the Alexa by pressing the dot on top of the device. The light ring will spin for a bit as it boots us)
  9. When the light ring turns orange, ou are now ready to connect your Echo to your WiFi. If you don’t see a spinning ring of orange, unplug your device, wait a few seconds, and plug it back in again

Connecting your Echo to Wifi: 

  1. Open up the Settings app on your iPhone, click on “WiFi”
  2. The Amazon name will appear, this is your Echo device, click on that
  3. When the device connects to your WiFi, it will begin talking to you. Follow the directions that Alexa tells you do.

Return to the  Alexa App on your phone to finish the setup by following the step-by-step directions for a more personalized experience. 

Congrats! You’ve set up your device! (If all this still seems like too much, just plug in your Alexa and let her do her thing. She'll actually help you through most of this.)

Useful Hints You'll Want to Read:

*It will take a few days for your Alexa to “smarten-up” In the beginning,  the Artificial Intelligence  (ai) is learning the sounds of your speech, so you may need to repeat, or change the wording of your request until Alexa knows what you want. 

*By adding “Skills” to your Alexa app, you will find Alexa much more useful and personalized.

*It’s hard at first to remember that you need to start EVERY command with “ALEXA” That is the word that wakes it up. 

*Best time to buy an Alexa is Amazon Prime day in July, or on Black Friday/Cyber Monday in November. 

*During set up of the Alexa app it asks you to “connect your contacts” I personally DO NOT recommend doing that. Just click the “later” button. Connecting contacts shares a great deal of information to Amazon. However, if you want to make phone calls through your Alexa, you WILL need to add your contacts as this is the only way to call people using the echo. 

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What to Know Before You Update

“You Have a New Update Available for Your Phone”

Uggh. Have you ever installed an update only to discover new problems you now have to live with until the next update? Would waiting a few days have saved you time in the long run?

Rumor has it that a new update is coming for iPhone users, and those of us who have the iPhone 6, SE, or iPad mini may not be very happy about it. You can read more about it at MacWorld or by clicking here.

Here's what used to happen in my home: 

My husband would update his phone as soon as it became available because he didn’t like those “update” messages popping up every day. Then he'd get frustrated because changes were made to his phone. So I'd go into his phone's settings to try to solve the problem but sometimes I'd just have to admit, “Sorry, but you're going to have to live with it for a while.”

On the other hand, my phone’s memory was usually so full that no update could be installed until I either removed a large app like Facebook or deleted some music. So while I was waiting to clear up some memory, my husband and many others had moved on to dealing with the problems caused by their recent updates. 

Should we wait to install an update? Here’s my two cents…

It depends on the reason for the update.

If you hear that there is a major security breach and updating will keep you safer, update immediately. No question. Many updates help our phones stay safe from the latest hacks. In fact, the Federal Communications Commission has a page that tells how important it is to keep your phone's operating system up to date.

Any other time, though, I'll usually wait 5-10 days. This gives others a chance to install the update, find the bugs, and report them. The company then repairs the bugs and sends out a “fix” in a new update. Apple is pretty good about having the fix available within two weeks.

How do you know when the fixed update is available? Look for the update number with an extension. So update 12.2 becomes 12.2.1.

Another way to make sure you are updating the fixed version is to look at the date and description. It’ll usually say something like “This update fixes problems with a recent update.”

What to do in the meantime about those pesky pop-up reminders? 

I just click on “Remind me later” and figure the seconds it takes to touch my screen beats the constant frustration of having my phone bugged with problems for the next two weeks. If you don't want your phone to automatically update at night, but you accidentally clicked on “update later,” you can just shut your phone off or put it in airplane mode each night until you are ready to install.

And if you are one of the lucky owners of an iPhone 6, SE or iPad mini? You can skip the updates from here on, but you may be putting your security at risk. Instead, I'd say wait at least two or three weeks and let the dust settle before you dive in to the update. By then you will at least know what problems to expect. Maybe they won't even affect your own phone habits as much as the critics are predicting.

What if you have a phone other than an iPhone?

     To see if your Samsung Galaxy phone needs updating click here.

     For Google Pixel phone updates, click here

For other types, refer to the website of your brand of phone.

Let me know if you’ve got any questions or comments about updating.

This article was written for our Facebook group that shares easy tech tips and ideas. We believe technology can help the ordinary person in extraordinary ways without having to be a techno-whiz. Until I can find a permanent name, I'm calling the group Helping Our Seniors Enrich Their Lives with Technology. I hope you'll join us!

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From Itching to Ditching | My change to a Gluten-Free Life

Hives aren’t pretty…

I once went to my annual checkup only to have the doctor ready to call authorities because of all the bruises she'd found under my clothing. I told her it was from scratching my hives. Yes, bruises from scratching myself!
She wouldn’t believe me. So I told her it wasn’t normal scratching, but the “AAAAHH! I’m going insane from this terrible itching” kind of scratching. Now, kudos to her for being so in-tuned to signs of abuse, but it really WAS the result of hives.
Hives had been an issue with me for years, I told her.
I think stress brings it on, I told her.
I take Benadryl nearly every day, I told her.
My husband actually can’t stand to watch me in such misery, I told her.

After some convincing, she finally believed me and referred me to a dermatologist. Unfortunately, poor diet and food triggers were never discussed…

A whole-wheat, whole-life kind of girl 

Fast forward many years… to two months ago: Chronic inflammation and skin issues are raging out of control and I had to do something different. I was seeing  the benefits going  gluten-free was having on a friend's health and read countless articles regarding inflammation triggers. But how do I make such a huge lifestyle change at my age? Always a “whole wheat, whole life” kind of girl, I loved all breads but they never loved me back. Even so, I had been a “gluten-glutton” for over 5 decades (as my waist-line can prove.) The pleasant smell of homemade bread hot from the oven was all too familiar.  In fact, here in the Midwest that “deliciousness” is served at almost every meal.

To make a major change of habit, one has to make a major change in thinking. For me, that meant I needed to look at bread — and gluten —  for what it does TO me and not FOR me. 

Note to those of you who have celiac disease and can't even tolerate a crumb of gluten without severe intestinal side effects: My heart goes out to you. Thankfully I only have a sensitivity to wheat. A sensitivity means your symptoms come in the form of abdominal pain, reflux, gas, nausea, diarrhea or constipation. Life's little annoyances, right? Along with that, you may also have other symptoms, like fatigue, joint pain, brain fog, stuffy head, and even bouts of depression due to gluten. I realized I'd been dealing with “all of the above” all my life.  Do you think you might have a sensitivity to gluten? Read  The Fourteen Most Common Signs of Gluten Intolerance.

Meanwhile, my dear (falsely accused) husband is eating almost anything without a problem. He doesn’t know why I need to make such drastic changes. After all, he's watched me eat “normal” foods for years so why can’t I now? But after seeing the problems with inflammation progress from rosacea and hives… to eczema, dermatitis, and even some hair loss, he agrees, something HAS to change. Why NOT try gluten free, nothing else is working. Maybe the effects of eating gluten, along with other foods like milk and edible nightshades, are to blame for these visibly crazy reactions in my body. It's time to ditch the gluten.

Fast food, gluten-free style

To make any change in habit, a replacement needs to be found for whatever is being taken away. Now fruits and veggies fill my fridge more than ever. My morning toast is now a GF cracker or oatmeal with my fav toppings. Sandwiches? Go topless and bottomless — I'm talking buns;) When my friend is ordering fast food, she asks for her sandwich meat to be wrapped in a lettuce leaf. Since that's not always an option, ask for a fork or you’ll be picking up that hamburger and all its toppings with your fingers. I know. I tried. It wasn't pretty!!
Some fast food restaurants do offer some gluten-free alternatives. My local sub sandwich shop doesn't have GF bread, so I either get a salad or I order the sandwich “fix'ens” which is the meat, veggies, and toppings layered into a sandwich box.

Take a pill? No thanks

A life of chronic inflammation can eventually cause diseases and conditions including some cancers, rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis, and hay fever. Since inflammation needs to be well-managed, NSAIDS are often recommended, but too much of anything isn't good. NSAIDS are hard on your stomach. I've already done damage to mine by using acid-reflux medications, so for me it's not even an option. Controlling my diet is a healthier choice.

Maybe your issues are more than just gluten…

If you’re going gluten-free to help decrease inflammation, remember there are other foods that make pain and symptoms worse. Fatty red meat, dairy, soy, and peanuts are just a few that can increase inflammation in the body. Also food additives like MSG, sugar, and aspartame. Even vegetables from the nightshade family like peppers, tomatoes, and potatoes (not sweet) are problems for some of us. So if you’re thinking about ditching gluten, don’t believe every GF product is right for you. Read the labels and make informed decisions.

 Health is a process, be patient

I still have lingering issues but things are definitely looking up.
These things take time, I know… poor health doesn't happen overnight, good health is worth the effort. Improvement is a process that comes from patience, getting educated, and making right choices, time after time.
Sometimes I'm strong: sometimes not…but knowing the quality of my life is gradually improving keeps me going. After all, what price can we put on more quality time with family and friends?

Aa healthy life is more golden than all the rolling wheat fields in the Midwest.
So thanks, but no thanks;
I’ll pass on the bread… and the Benadryl, too.
Happy eating, happy feeling, friend!

_____________________________

Do you or someone you love live the gluten-free life? You can share what you've learned in the comments below.

National Podcast Post Month Challenge


Feel like a challenge? I do! I'm not running a marathon or climbing a mountain, but I might as well be! This episode marks the first of the 30 day challenge where I podcast every day for the month of November. I'm accepting the challenge at #NaPodPoMo to become a better podcaster, and to help celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the “birth” of podcasting!

You can join me! It doesn't have to be in podcasting, unless that's a goal you have, too. No, just think about this…has there been something you've been wanting to learn, a goal you've put off achieving? Well, do something positive for yourself, something that inspires you to be a better you…commit to taking your own challenge as I take on mine. Do that for the next 30 days and positively change the direction of your life.

We can do this!

Quotes included:

One day you will thank yourself for never giving up. Unknown

Set a goal SO BIG you can't achieve it…until you turn into to the person who CAN. Unknown