This is great!  Thanks for making this available - will be so helpful to
show clients!

Sincerely,

Antoinette Verdone, MSBME, ATP
Owner, Rehabilitation Engineer
ImproveAbility, LLC
Office/Text: 512-522-1705
Cell: 512-497-6026
Email: xxxxxx@improveability.com
Web: www.improveability.com
Fax: 888-501-1009
3310 W Braker Lane, Suite 300-424, Austin TX 78758

TWC/HHSC Provider# 1-274278960-0-000

"One cannot consent to creep when one has the impulse to soar" -- Helen
Keller

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-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Amazon echo for hands-free calling
From: "Costello, John (Otolaryngology)"
<xxxxxx@childrens.harvard.edu>
Date: Tue, May 16, 2017 4:51 pm
To: "xxxxxx@alsa.simplelists.com" <xxxxxx@alsa.simplelists.com>

If seeing a video of the Amazon Voice Call is helpful, we have one on
our website demonstrating Amazon Alexa 'Voice Call' feature using
synthetic speech on an SGD. The video highlights both the sender and
receiver side of the interaction. There is also a brief comparison of
synthetic speech vs. natural speech transmission through the Echo. NOTE
the message with the SGD was encoded in advance with a comma between
each word to optimize clarity. A link to the video is here too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weEbmtGOWWA

On 5/11/17, 2:03 PM, "xxxxxx@alsa.simplelists.com on behalf of
xxxxxx@improveability.com" <xxxxxx@alsa.simplelists.com on behalf of
xxxxxx@improveability.com> wrote:

 This is exciting and I played with it a bit last night. I will say that
 for some reason it would not recognize my sister's name. I tried a
 couple things to get it to work, but I actually could not resolve the
 issue - even with changing the name to something totoally different, it
 simply would not recognize her contact.

 My sister does not have an echo, but she called me with the app and I
 was able to answer and hang up totally independently and hands free!

 We are living in exciting days!

 But, this will not be comfort for those that already think that Alexa
is
 listening to all of there conversations in the home! :)

 Sincerely,

 Antoinette Verdone, MSBME, ATP
 Owner, Rehabilitation Engineer
 ImproveAbility, LLC
 Office/Text: 512-522-1705
 Cell: 512-497-6026
 Email: xxxxxx@improveability.com
 Web: www.improveability.com
 Fax: 888-501-1009
 3310 W Braker Lane, Suite 300-424, Austin TX 78758

 TWC/HHSC Provider# 1-274278960-0-000

 "One cannot consent to creep when one has the impulse to soar" -- Helen
 Keller

 Follow Us

 -------- Original Message --------
 Subject: [no phi] Amazon echo for hands-free calling
 From: Edward Hitchcock <xxxxxx@sralab.org>
 Date: Thu, May 11, 2017 11:24 am
 To: "'xxxxxx@alsa.simplelists.com'" <xxxxxx@alsa.simplelists.com>

 Just thought I would mention that I set up the new calling feature on
 our Amazon echo today. It does seem to work as advertised. I can use my
 voice only to call a contact (who must have the Alexa app installed and
 enabled for calling), have a conversation with them by speakerphone
 through the Alexa echo, and then hang up hands-free. It does not appear
 to support calling someone with a landline, they must have the Alexa
 app. I can also send text messages by voice. If they send me a text
 message I can use Alexa to play it.

 There is no voicemail. Sending a voice message at least at this point
 appears to be received as a text message.

 As expected, I am able to use a communication device to send the voice
 messages to place the call as well. A little bit tricky with some of
the
 sequencing of course, but doable.

 Exciting!

 Edward Hitchcock
 Occupational Therapist

 355 E. Erie St, Chicago, IL 60611
 312-238-1000 office
 312-238-0000 fax
 xxxxxx@sralab.org

 sralab.org

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