Update on DIY Amazon Echo

An update to this post
I have two ringer phones in always listening states now. One in my kitchen, the other in my living room. The living room phone is hard wired to speakers and uses the phone's mic/receiver to listen. The kitchen phone is largely novelty at this point due to Bluetooth issues which I will explain at the end.

Since the last post, I installed the apps Utter and Commandr and have been messing around with them to create a more fluid Echo-like experience. Both allow more device-specific features than what Google Now offers. One can control volume and open apps on the phone using voice commands.

Waiting for Alexa: The Case of the DIY Amazon Echo

My Amazon Echo will not arrive until late June. Originally I didn't want one, but after seeing its expansion into controlling Pandora, Spotify, and Google Play Music with just voice commands, I decided to shell the $99 for a Bluetooth speaker that can also set a timer for me without using my hands.

In addition to the DIY Sonos (previous post), I worked on an always listening Google Now setup akin to what the Moto X can do: always listening for the voice trigger.

I created a poor man's Echo. Although this guide is out of date, the idea of command strips was taken from him.