"Alexa, what's the weather?" It proceeds to tell me the weather for a state over.

"Alexa, set my location to XXXXX." It can't do that.

Actually getting correct location details requires downloading a separate smart phone application and digging through its menus to figure out how to set the location for each individual Alexa device.

I don't think it is even possible to setup an Echo without that app, so I'm not exactly sure how downloading the app is an extra step. You would have already needed to do that to get it connected to your wifi network.

Because I deleted the application from my iPhone after I finished setting up the wireless network. There was no reason to keep it around afterwards.

I own a smart phone, but it basically just is used to make phone calls. Hacker News is the closest I come to a social network.

I'm not sure why Alexa doesn't support that. Funnily I tried the same when we moved states and it didn't work. For a few weeks I appended location to my intent, "Alexa, whats the weather in X?"

One day complaining to my wife, and she asked Alexa how to change her location which Alexa provided a precise answer... goto Alexa app and update this setting. As others have pointed out the app is a requirement for Alexa anyway so I don't see why you are frustrated.

Alexa is far from perfect, but it has weather down. Things may have changed or my memory is imperfect, but one of the first things the iOS app asks you is for your home zip code. Even without that, "What's the weather in San Francisco?" works fine.

One of the biggest problems with voice assistants is that discoverability for their full feature set is awful. If you want to get the most of it, you are going to have spend some time digging through menus and learning what the device can do. I don't know why downloading an app would be a deal breaker for anyone, but all the settings and skills are also available on the web at alexa.amazon.com.

It took six months to figure out how to get Alexa to change the temperature in the built in Echo of the Ecobee4 thermostat in my house. It would always respond with, "I didn't find any smart home devices." Turns out the Ecobee skill is not enabled by default for a device it is built into. Asking how to enable it or how to make it work lead no where as well.

I was looking at an echo dot for the first time. my roommate is using it and our location is a small town 35 miles away. We tried to set the location through voice and then through the app but both didn’t work. We just gave up after wards thinking the weather should be similar.

For me, I went to the app and added my address, and it worked. I don't think it can set it through voice, though, you're right.

The locations and maps are a little peculiar with Alexa for me. Granted, Echo is new in Canada, so I guess it needs time.

Alexa gives me my specific neighborhood as my location (as opposed to my city). The thing is, I don't really live in a big city, and I would bet that most people in my city don't know the neighborhood names. For me, it's too specific.

As it relates to my city, the maps don't give common street names, but rural route numbers instead.

Same. Alexa insists to tell me the weather of the city I lived until a year ago. No idea how to inform her that I moved.

Gotta set it on your Alexa app or through alexa.amazon.co.uk / .com

Hmm, works for me in UK.