Tag Archives: amazon echo

News

Tech Tip : Using Alexa As An Intercom System

If you have Amazon Echo devices in your home (or office), the ‘Drop In’ feature allows you to use Alexa as an intercom through your Echo devices.  Here’s how:

– Open your Alexa app.

– Tap ‘Devices’ (lower-right corner).

– Tap ‘Echo & Alexa’ to display a list of all of your Echo devices and enable ‘Drop In’ on each device.

-Scroll down to ‘Communications’ and select ‘Drop In’ (to select from ‘On’, ‘My Household’, or ‘Off’). ‘On’ allows only permitted contacts to Drop In, ‘My Household’ is so only devices on your account can Drop In.  For no Dropping In, choose Off. 

To Drop In (use the Echo as an intercom):

– For a specific device: say “Alexa, drop in on Living Room Echo” (or wherever the Echo is). The name of the device can also be used if you know it.

– For a group of devices, if there is more than one on in one area e.g., the living room: say “Alexa, drop in on Living Room.”

– To speak to the whole household/all devices: ask Alexa to “Drop in everywhere.”

– To end the Drop In connection: say “Alexa, end drop in.”

News

Beware of hackable smart home devices

Here are SMY IT, we are a big advocate of evolving technology and we embrace it into our own tailored IT solutions for our clients. However, the progression of technology also opens the door for hackers. They can use smart systems against you for their own personal gain. This means you need to be extra careful about smart home devices. You can do this by making sure you take the necessary precautions to prevent a security breach.

What are smart home devices?

Smart home devices are still a relatively new concept, but you most likely already use them! They are essentially devices that allow you to control lighting or thermostat, as well as playing music. They’re basically devices that help you control what happens in your home. Examples of these include the Amazon Echo range, which permits you to control these activities using your voice.

Why are smart home devices hackable?

Sometimes, the vendors are solely focused on the functionality of the product with little regard for anything else such as security, meaning it’s even easier for them to hack into your networks.

How can I make my smart home devices more secure?

Make sure you create secure passwords for each of your device, try not to use the same one twice. You can also ensure you have two separate wireless networks at home – one for your smart home devices and one for everything else. You should make sure you have security software installed such as anti-malware and firewalls to protect against these external threats, and making sure your product has the latest updates will ensure it has the most recent security measures.

This information shouldn’t make you afraid to use smart home devices, as these devices are very useful, hence why they’re so popular! You should simply be wary that hackers could be trying to compromise your personal data.

If you’re worried about this or want advice on how to protect your devices, give us a call. We’d be happy to help.