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How to use your Amazon Echo Dot as a Bluetooth Speaker

ARTICLE – A couple of weeks ago, I wrote an article about How to listen to audiobooks and read eBooks for FREE. Since then, I’ve been thoroughly enjoying using the Libby app to listen to free audiobooks by checking them out (virtually) from my local library.

I listen to the audiobooks through my phone (Huawei P30 Pro) and the car stereo in my MINI Cooper while I’m driving to and from work each day. The problem is that these brief sessions only allow me about 40 minutes of listening per day. That’s not much time to get through a full-length novel in the time allotted for a Libby loan.

I have tried listening through the built-in speaker on my phone while getting ready for work in the mornings, but the Huawei speaker’s max volume setting isn’t loud enough for me to hear over the sound of the shower and the bathroom fan.

I thought about buying a small waterproof Bluetooth speaker than I could put in the shower with me, but I already have a speaker in my bathroom – an Amazon Echo Dot which is actually what started my new found love of audiobooks in the first place. If only there was a way I could listen to Libby through the Echo Dot like listening to an Audible book. Sure, I could use a line out cable to plug my phone into the speaker,  but the way my Echo Dot is mounted in my bathroom (see lead image) the 3.5mm line out jack is blocked – and who wants to use cables anyway, it’s 2019 for goodness sake!

Then a light bulb flicked on in my brain and I thought, what if I could use the Echo Dot as a stand-alone Bluetooth speaker? Is this possible? A quick Google and I learned that yes, it definitely is possible!


Through the Alexa app, you can set the Echo Dot to play music from other certain other streaming apps like Pandora, Spotify, etc. But as you will notice, Libby isn’t included in that list. But a little more Googling helped me learn that I can pair the Echo with my phone and use it just like any other Bluetooth speaker. Yay!

All you have to do is say “Alexa, pair Bluetooth” and Alexa will reply with “Searching…” Then you open the Bluetooth settings on your mobile device and look for an Echo-XXX entry in the devices list, click on it to connect and you’re done! Alexa will confirm that the connection has been made and then any sound that normally comes from your mobile device will now play through the Echo until you disconnect.

Now when I am getting ready in the morning,  I just say “Alexa, connect to my phone” and wait for her to say that she’s connected. Then start the Libby app. When I’m done listening, I press pause in the Libby app and say “Alexa, disconnect” and Alexa will confirm that the connection has been disconnected. Nice and simple!

I like that I’ve found another use for my Amazon Echo Dot in addition to just using it to listen to music, read the news, or listen to podcasts.

Now if I can just solve the issue with not being able to turn off the wake alarm in the morning because Alexa will say that there’s no connection to the internet…

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How to use your Amazon Echo Dot as a Bluetooth Speaker originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 13, 2019 at 12:08 pm.

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Tomorrow is Prime Day, so make sure you’re ready for all the Black Friday in July deals

NEWS – Other than Black Friday, which comes in November, the biggest shopping day of the year has been Amazon Prime Day which launched 5 years ago. Prime Day has been one day in July where Amazon heavily discounts products exclusively for Amazon Prime members.

This year, Amazon is giving Prime members 2 days of crazy deals and the event starts tomorrow on July 15th at 2:59am EDT and runs through July 16th. To take advantage of all the deals, you will need to be an Amazon Prime member. Here’s how you can easily signup today so you’ll be all set for tomorrow.

The easiest way is to sign up for a free 30 day trial of Prime is to go here. You can also get a free trial of Prime if you sign up for Amazon Family account or an Amazon Prime Student account.

Once you’re signed up as an Amazon Prime member, be sure and keep an eye on the deals posted on the Amazon Prime Day page.

You can also sign up to get a sneak peek at deals before they go live by using the Amazon app on your mobile device. For more info on how to do that, go here.

You should also be aware that many of the Prime Day deals will be featured as Lightning Deals which means you have to grab them fast because they are time-sensitive deals which will end before the end of the whole Amazon Prime Day event. The best thing to do if you see a product that you want to buy is to add it to your cart immediately. However, you’ll only have 15 minutes to make up your mind if you want to buy it.

If you happen to miss out on buying something you wanted, all hope isn’t lost because there is an opportunity to still get the deal. You can join the wait list for that product and if the same item expires in someone else’s cart, it will magically show up in yours and you will have another 15 minutes to complete the sale. Crisis averted!

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Tomorrow is Prime Day, so make sure you’re ready for all the Black Friday in July deals originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 14, 2019 at 2:40 pm.

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Let Alexa sell your unused Amazon purchases

NEWS – Do you ever buy something from Amazon and use it once or twice and stuff it in a drawer never to be used again? I think we all do that sometimes. That “sometimes” can add up and by add up, I mean in both money and unused stuff cluttering your home.

If you have a bunch of stuff that you purchased from Amazon that is no longer sparking joy, it’s time to get rid of it. But instead of taking it to Goodwill, having a garage sale, or eBaying it, there’s another option is coming soon. It’s called Amazon After and it’s an app that interfaces with Amazon and your purchase history to remind you if you haven’t used a product in a while so that you can sell it, donate it, rent it, lend it, and more. Check out the video to see how it works.

Amazon After is from Scott Amron, the same person that brought us the Keybrid Keyring Key. The app isn’t available just yet, but you can get more info and sign up to be a beta tester on his site.

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Let Alexa sell your unused Amazon purchases originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 9, 2019 at 11:34 am.

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Look up! Broadband from the sky with Amazon Kuiper

NEWS – Not content to just sell everyone on the planet everything they need, Amazon wants to help you with that process by providing global broadband internet access…from space!

Project Kuiper is an ambitious project to launch 3,236 satellites into orbit at three different orbital altitudes: 784 satellites at an altitude of 367 miles; 1,296 satellites at 379 miles; and 1,156 satellites at 391 miles. The goal is to provide high-speed, low-latency internet access to underserved areas around the globe that lack the infrastructure to support traditional internet access points.

There isn’t a released target date to begin launches or to start service. Other companies are also looking into this, so Amazon may face competition. If history is any indicator, that won’t slow down Amazon much.

Taken to its logical conclusion, along with other planned Amazon initiatives, perhaps someday soon, you will be able to be in the middle of the Serengeti, and be able to holler “Alexa, order sunscreen”. In a few minutes, SPF50 will drop from a hovering drone.  Ah…progress.

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Look up! Broadband from the sky with Amazon Kuiper originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 10, 2019 at 8:00 am.

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Amazon Day allows Prime Members to choose a shipment day that works for them

NEWS – If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you now have a new delivery option. On Thursday Amazon launched Amazon Day, a new service that lets Prime Members pick what day of the week they want to receive their packages.

All you have to do is select the Amazon Day option at checkout, then choose the day that works best for you. Orders will be delivered each week on your chosen day. For example, if you choose Wednesday all the orders you placed during the week will be delivered on Wednesday, your “Amazon Day”.

If you want to choose a different day your default delivery day can be changed anytime at checkout.

Most items can be ordered for Amazon Day delivery up to two days before your chosen day.

If you need an item sooner, you can still choose a faster shipping option (free two-day shipping, one-day shipping, etc…) at checkout.

Amazon Day is available now to all US Prime Members. If you’re not a Prime Member, you can get more info and sign up here.

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Amazon Day allows Prime Members to choose a shipment day that works for them originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 1, 2019 at 6:04 am.

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