Quizzy rascals
If you’re sick of Cluedo and charades, Amazon’s Echo Buttons promise a new kind of teatime frolics
£20 (pair) / stuff.tv/echobuttons Q Admit it, you’ve always wanted your own personal quiz host. Until they make a pocket Paxman, Amazon’s Alexa has decided to step up to the task via the Echo Buttons. A creation from the Ronseal school of gadgets, these two trinkets do exactly what you’d expect of them. Almost.
Q The Echo Buttons hook up to your Amazon Echo via Bluetooth and act like quiz-show buzzers in line with a number of special Alexa Skills. Connection should happen automatically given a few button presses; we had to manually hook them up one by one, though.
Q These chunky Buttons aren’t much to look at but they’ve been made for a good old-fashioned bashing. Built out of plastic with a huge light-up surface for you to slap down on, you can connect up to four of them to any Echo.
Q As much as using the Buttons might be a doddle, it’s Alexa doing the heavy lifting here, listening out for your frenzied responses amid the usual quiz hubbub. Sadly, such a challenge is sometimes beyond her – no matter how clearly you enunciate “Angel of the North”.
Q Yes, the problem with having a robot quizmaster instead of a human one is there’s no margin for error with the answers. And even when you do get things spot-on there’s still a good chance Alexa won’t understand what you’ve said – a habit that quickly spoils whatever game you’re playing.
Tech specs
Compatibility Echo (1st & 2nd gen), Echo Dot, Echo Show, Echo Plus Batteries AAA x2 each (included) Dimensions 75x75x36mm, 52g