Amazon Prime isn't really a requirement of the Echo, but it is a nice addition. Adds Amazon Music to the Echo and a few other services. I tend to use Spotify with it instead. Prime free deliveries and offers are very useful though and as you say it really doesn't cost much. Their prime deliveries are fast too and have great tracking. I receive email and text tracking details. I ordered some micros cards in the sale on Saturday and they arrived Sunday morning. You can't argue with that service.

With the current Echo sales both of our parents have just purchased an Echo Dot. I doubt they will use most of the features but it's still useful.

A new feature now active in the uk is voice calling and messages. You can ask your Echo to make a voice call to another friend's Echo and the light circle glows yellow to alert you. Works ok. You can also call an echo from your mobile. And you can leave voice messages.

I use mine daily to ask the time or date. Set reminders or alarms. Set the temperature of my central heating or boost the hot water. Turn on, off or dim lights. Ask it to play music from Spotify or a radio station via Tunein.

It's also great if you want to quickly find something out. Faster to just ask than search Google.

I think if you are into streaming audio it's a great device. But better to get the cheaper Dot if you have good Bluetooth enabled speakers already as the Dot can stream it's audio to any Bluetooth device, including Sonos and most soundbars, whereas the full sized Echo is a standalone Bluetooth speaker and only accepts inputs not output streaming.

I'm also going to be adding some more home automation in the new year. I want to get some of the colour changing Hive lights for the games/study room so I can change the mood when gaming, watching a film or working. And some smart plugs to voice control things like standard lamps.

I might also get an active plug this week to control my outside Christmas lights. And all Hive lighting and smart devices can also have schedules set or be activated via motion and light sensors. So endless possibilities. Sadly I think Hive is a UK only system. Others like Nest exist. Or you can use a combination of other smart systems with the Echo, such as the Philips Hue system. And you can even get smart plug sockets now that don't even need their own hub setup and just work with the Echo. I think TPLink now make one.

One stumbling block to controlling lights gas been that they are normally the bulb itself which is a smart wifi device. I have some rooms with multilight light fittings or led lights so can't use these. But I noticed the other day a couple of companies are now making smart wall light switches so I'm going to investigate that.

My idea is smart plugs could also be useful for holiday mode. Power down everything you don't want on whilst on holiday, but utilise schedules to make lights or radio come on to make it seem someone is there.

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