Amazon Echo is pretty cool

[Mike Chance in Iowa]

It also got me thinking how helpful a device like this could be for someone who is disabled, old, bed ridden, all kinds of people. My mother who now lives in assisted living because of alzheimer's could have really benefited from something like this. We could see if she's taken her medicine, how well she's sleeping each night, get a notification if she went out of the house, all types of things.

How does it know if she took her medicine or slept each night?

[Roger Feeley]

Scott, Have you installed Garagio? I had a very late model Chamberlain opener where I used to live that could tell me it's open/closed state in a phone app. Where I am now, we have two older openers and Garagio is about the only product out there that can do that as an add on. I hate to replace two perfectly good openers.

All I want is something that detects if the door has been open for more than X minutes and closes it (with appropriate warnings). My Chamberlain did that.

[Matt Marsh]

Scott,

I'm planning on having an Echo in my house soon also. My house is full of Insteon/X-10 devices, and Honeywell WiFi thermostats. I think it's a very cool technology.

[Chris Merriam]

Scott, Have you installed Garagio? I had a very late model Chamberlain opener where I used to live that could tell me it's open/closed state in a phone app. Where I am now, we have two older openers and Garagio is about the only product out there that can do that as an add on. I hate to replace two perfectly good openers.

All I want is something that detects if the door has been open for more than X minutes and closes it (with appropriate warnings). My Chamberlain did that.

Chamberlain sells a standalone add-on, called MyQ Garage that emulates all that functionality. Cost me $90 a few years ago. I love it. Check door status online, open and close via app, have alerts if door opened more than 15 minutes, etc.

It's a pretty simple setup. You install the base station on the ceiling in sight of the opener. It has a transmitter and it just emulates one of your remotes. Then you tape the door sensor to the top corner of your door. It's connected by bluetooth to the base unit. Use your phone to connect to it, connect it to your wifi and you're all set.

[lee cox]

My wife has one in her sewing room. She uses every day for radio.

I wish I could use one to remote control my DC. It would so much simpler to speak than to hunt around for the remote.

[Lon Crosby]

Do a Google search for pill dispenser or http://www.epill.com/medsmart.html as an example. For control of your dust collector, replace your wireless control module with an X-10 compatible module.

[Roger Feeley]

I can't bring myself to use anything free. There's an old saying, "If you aren't the customer then you are the product." Putting a device in my house with an open microphone just creeps me out.

[Roger Feeley]

Mike, I had a recent Chamberlain opener in my previous house that would report state. As posted elsewhere, Garagio will do that also. I'm interested but maybe not at $200 for both doors.