Posted on 03/04/2018 3:00:43 AM PST by Chickensoup
Tech Ping: Wanted a Device to Listen to Books and Radio and Music... So went to my local Staples and they sold me something called a fire7 get this...with ALEXA.
All I wanted was a machine that would essentially replace the Sony Walkman that was in my pocket 20 years ago.
What I got was a device that is essentially a pocket computer that tracks and listens to me. for 45 dollars. Which means that it is funded by the apps to get in my life.
I had no idea that ALEXA came with it, and I did not open it and I will be taking it back.
What a horrowshow.
Is there anything out there that is a device I could use to listen to music, download radio aps and listen to books that isn't a walking tracking device and intrusive. I guess I believe in the old idea of distributed processing, different devices for different things.
BTW my phone is steam-powered. And I like it. So no, no fancy phone.
so the fire is Amazon? I thought Android was Amazon. All of ‘em.
thank you, you are sweet!
Mine didn’t come with one, but if it is an app you can easily delete it.
is yours a fire 7?
I gave one as a gift. I never said it asked for a CC, only that it wants one to play anything more than snippets of specific music. You can ask it to stream most stations, along with their ads. But you can't ask for any specific song. Try it and let me know.
There are literally THOUSANDS of skills available FREE for the Echo device that are quite useful.
Literally there are a handful of "skills" that are useful. My family member recipient has no cell phone, so all those "skills" are out. No light switches to turn off. Basically it will stream a radio station or talk about the weather.
It’s a Kindle Fire HDX 3rd generation. If I swipe from the top down I get a menu and I pick settings. Then pick applications. then pick manage applications. You can click open anything on the list and you will get a choice to uninstall. Hope that helps. You should be able to uninstall it if it is an app.
No. Android is an operating system based on Linux, and it is used on virtually every smartphone that is not from Apple. It is also used on tablets, media players, and probably some things I don't know about. The "Fire" tablets from Amazon use it also. "Alexa" is an Amazon "app" that runs on top of Android.
There are a very few other phones/tablets that are neither Android nor IOS (Apple). A few are based on variants of Windows, and some on the Blackberry OS.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/your-location-data-is-being-soldoften-without-your-knowledge-1520168400
One thing, you may not like the headphones it comes with, but you can use anyset of headphones you want with it.
Here is the manual, if you want to look closer :
I have a Sandisk also, and listen to many audio books that I download for free from LibriVox. It’s mostly public domain, but a lot of good stuff is available:
I have Tune-In on the phone and the Fire for lots of different talk radio; but of course, that needs wifi.
(I’ve bought a few audio books from Audible; but it irks me that you need Wifi to listen to those, since I’m only connected at home.)
The slide is an HTC phone T-Mobile used to offer. It’s a “my touch slide”.
Regarding the Sim card. Since it has no function, it’s not necessary unless you are using a phone company’s data and phone plan.
It’s kinda like using a desktop computer that needs no internet access, so there is no wi-fi adaptor in it.
Again, factually untrue. From your post #17:
The first thing they will want is your CC so they can sign you up for more and more stuff.
Additionally, you now admit you've never actually used one. So everything you posted negatively about the Amazon Echo is posted out of ignorance.
Thanks for playing. Next time don't speak of things you know absolutely nothing about.
Yes, that is correct. And the SIM card is in a tray on the side. Use a paper clip to push into the little hole on the tray then pull the tray out and remove the card.
You are simply not suited to be living in the present
You got precisely what you asked for but are too lazy to learn how to use it
You are simply not suited to be living in the present
You got precisely what you asked for but are too lazy to learn how to use it
__________________
listen swamprat.
I probably am not suited to live in the present. So what!
People like me are the places where history is stored. I am one of the peoples who would like to have various and different lives and not be traveling in the lockstep of the corporations that rule the lives of many.
I understand that I am monitored, as we all are in various public settings. I understand that it “really doesn’t matter.”
But to me it does.
I grew up with men and women who were fiercely independent. Men who, if they lived today would shoot out every camera on every pole in this country. Men and women who would rebel.
I cannot rebel, nor shoot out things. But I can research and choose what to have in my life. If it is ok with you, that is fine with me.
But don’t insult me because of my own choices.
Liberty is undervalued in this culture.
see post 76 for fuller explanation.
You can get any slightly older Android phone without a cell phone service. It will have WiFi on it and if you take off all the other apps except the music player you can add music to it anytime or download whatever you want to listen to.
where would I find something like this, with wifi. Can you give me some names of models so I could start?
I just keep going to ebay and amazon looking but I cannot tell what has what.
all that is admirable but you whine when you were given very good advice you refused to accept. then to justify your refusal, you come here to whine
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.