New feature: Talk to Faithlife on your Amazon Echo!
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I've just spoke to a person at amazon.co.uk . They have told me that the skill isn't on the uk catalog at the moment but they will add it for us.
Here is the transcript, less formatting because I can't work out how to copy it ......
Vishal:Hello, my name is Vishal. I'll be happy to help you today.Me:hiVishal:I understand that you would like to know regarding the faith life skill.Me:yes, thats it :-)Vishal:May I place this chat on hold for 2 minutes while I check this for you?Me:thanks no problem at allVishal:Thank you for staying connected.I've checked from my end and see that this skill is still not released in UK.Thank you for bringing this to our notice.I will take this as a feedback and forward this to our catalogue team to add this in the UK website.Me:Thats great, thanks for doing this. Any idea how long the process takes ?Vishal:Once it is updated, you will see it on the website.I will make sure that this skill is added on the website.Me:Thats great, thanksVishal:Your patience and understanding is highly appreciated in this regard.Me:Thanks Ill check back in a few days thenVishal:You're most welcome. Please let me know if there is anything else that I may assist you with today?Sure.0 -
Dustin Masters said:
Sorry about the "no readings" issue, I just shipped a fix.
How it works: Alexa picks the latest reading plan you have joined, and checks if there are any unread readings. It then reads out today's reading and marks it as read for you.
I'm unsure why the skill is still unavailable in the UK, is it visible here? https://www.amazon.com/Faithlife-Corporation/dp/B01J6U1ABM
I am using an Echo. I enabled the skill earlier today, but I was unable to use reading plans. I have now disabled it, then enabled it again with the same result. Alexa says: "Sorry, I'm having trouble accessing your Faithlife skill right now." This has been occurring for several hours.
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I keep getting the same response as you David and it's been for a couple of hours, that I'm aware of, here in California.
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I am also getting ""Sorry, I'm having trouble accessing your Faithlife skill right now.". Have not tried today yet but most of yesterday afternoon.
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Yes - Alexa works with Logos 7.
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What else would you like to see this skill do for you?
How about connecting Alexa to a Greek or Hebrew Lexicon to get definition of a biblical term. Not sure exactly how it would work but seems possible.
How about reading a commentary on a specific verse?
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Dustin Masters said:
If you link your Faithlife account, you can also ask:
How do you link the faithlife account?
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When you enable the skill you will be presented with a screen asking you to login to your Faithlife account. After you submit your Faithlife credentials, it tells you that the accounts are linked.
I did this once through my iPad app. Since it didn't get me connected to the reading plan, I subsequently disabled and re-enabled using a web browser connected to Amazon on Windows 10. I am still not connected to my reading plan, as reported above.
I did get Alexa to read the first assignment by manually asking her to read Genesis 1 through 3. I wish I could get her to slow up! I'll have to look more carefully on the app for that control.
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Thanks David
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This sounds very promising. I bought a couple of Dots, mainly as a way to hear my music files through our (very) old sound equipment (AirTunes was too flaky). Now, I'm discovering stuff like this nearly every day. Thanks FL, for arranging this.
macOS (Logos Pro - Beta) | Android 13 (Logos Stable)
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Dustin - Ever since you indicated that you just shipped a fix, I am getting "Sorry, I'm having trouble accessing your Faithlife skill right now"
I tried disabling skill and re-enabling skill. I also dropped the reading plan and re-added it but so far I just get "Sorry, I'm having trouble accessing your Faithlife skill right now"
It would be good to know that something is being fixed. I keep trying it every day to no avail.
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I also just tested it this morning to find that it is unable to access the Faithlife skill. However, the Faithlife app would still read the Bible.
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That is very bazaar...it works fine on my Alexa. We'll keep investigating.
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Dustin Masters said:
That is very bazaar...it works fine on my Alexa. We'll keep investigating.
Could you please give us the exact command you give to Alexa?
Also, what kind of reading plan are you using? Is it a canned plan or something that is customized?
Furthermore, is anyone, besides Dustin, able to use a reading plan?
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I am not finding it working well. I agree that it would help to have exact commands. Can I ask Alexa to read me a book in my library such as a commentary? I tried and it did not work. I need exact commands posted
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Ok, I tracked down the issue. Alexa's API has a limitation to how many words it will read aloud. If you blow past that limit, the skill returns an error. I will ship a fix in a few minutes to automatically truncate readings. Looks like their limit is 8000 words.
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You unfortunately cannot ask the skill to read books to you by name - a reading plan must be set up ahead of time. You can ask it to read bible verses, and it will use your preferred Bible to read the verse back to you.
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Hi Dustin, I have tried to get Amazon in the UK to release the skill and they said they would. I was wondering if there is anything more you can do from your end to get this out to us ?
Thanks
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As far as I can tell, our skill is set up to be distributed anywhere Amazon has a presence. Maybe your Echo is configured for a language that isn't English? That may cause the skill to disappear...
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Hi Dustin, it is something that appears to be nationwide. If I go onto amazon.com and search faithlife in skills I can see it. If I do exactly the same in amazon.co.uk it doesn't appear. I've spoken with amazon and they have told me it is not in their uk catalog. The rep also told me that they will add it. I am concerned though that the message won't getto the correct people. .
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Yes, It is working for me today. Thanks Dustin
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Jack said:
Yes, It is working for me today. Thanks Dustin
Where abouts are you based Jack. I am guessing not the UK ?
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Dave Thawley - No I think Dustin was working two issues. My issue was trying to get Alexa to read my reading plan. The UK issue remains unresolved, I would guess. I am in the US
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My reading plan started working this morning. I did not have to reinstall the skill. Thank you!
Now if we could just get Alexa to pronounce "Job" correctly . . .
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Thanks very much for getting back to me and explaining Jack. I thought I was in luck for a minute :-) Glad your issue is sorted now.
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Yeah, Lots of goofy pronunciations but that is not a FaithLife issue.
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Dustin,
When there are multiple reading plans, which one does it pick? Is there a way to control the plan which will be read?
Thanks.
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It picks the latest reading plan you have joined - use documents.logos.com to see all the reading plans you are in.
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Dave, I will reach out to Amazon and see what we can do to fix the UK distribution issue.
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Dustin Masters said:
Ok, I tracked down the issue. Alexa's API has a limitation to how many words it will read aloud. If you blow past that limit, the skill returns an error. I will ship a fix in a few minutes to automatically truncate readings. Looks like their limit is 8000 words.
So, my reading plan worked, but it truncated Job 1 - 5. Word reports that at 2,300 words. It looks like it got truncated a lot shorter than 8,000. I did a rough estimate and conclude that Word is close to correct.
I substituted a reading plan with shorter passages and it successfully read Gen 1. Word reports that at just over 1,000 words.
Tomorrow, when I at work with access to Linux, I'll recheck the word count using the 'wc' command.
8,000 would be great and should allow the largest readings required for traversing the Bible in one year. I could not get a word count for the ESV, but an online source suggested ~727,000 words in the NIV. The ESV and the NIV should be roughly equivalent. Dividing by 365 would result in readings of roughly 2,000 words per day. This result seems to match Word's assessment of Job 1 - 5 reported above, which came from the ESV Chronological Reading plan which should complete in a year.
So, the question would be why did Job 1-5 cut off and not complete?
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