@JerseyFrank Because it only listens when you address it by name. Really. It's not recording all of the conversation in the room and sending it to The Cloud for future reference. Really. It's not.
@JerseyFrank I think we're already living in the borderlands of uncanny valley and we're at the point where any advance in the human-tech interface is going to be a little creepy. Arguably that's always how progress looks anyway. I'm all for it.
@rockblossom and it's definitely not scanning those conversations it doesn't upload for keywords and product suggestions. Also, it's not possible to be used by law enforcement.
That dad is an asshole. Son: Play Rock music! Dad: STOP. Mom: What time is it? Dad: You actually don't have to yell at it, it's called Far Field Technology, SHARON. IDIOT.
@darksaber99999 Though, for those of us who refuse to own smart phones because of the expensive service plans, this might be a fun AI toy with no monthly service charge. $99 for Prime members is in my maybe/maybe not range for a new toy to play with.
I think this may be my new favorite toy. Does it understand Spanish? Russian? Pig Latin? Unanswerable questions?
Assuming Amazon lets me buy one. Is this the new ploy in marketing?: Sign up and ask us if you will be allowed to buy one, then wait to see whether you made the cut. If it works, will this be the New Marketing at Meh?
@JerseyFrank My 7-year old son likes searching random words using the google voice search on the Chrome IOS app. I often have to intervene when I know the search is going to pull up something he very well did not intened to see.
@rockblossom We realized earlier this year that our oldest cat (who's twenty-one, she was my mom's cat and we took both her kitties when she died) is really hard of hearing, if she can hear at all and we yell at her all the time trying to get her attention. The other spouse usually does the reminding "you know she's deaf, right?"
Amazon needs a team of non-yes people to halt the production of items like this before they waste millions of dollars - a la Fire phone. They are trying to be a product company instead of a service company and failing hard repeatedly.
@Catdad That is the problem with a lot of the prodect they are putting out right now, it's going to hurt them. The problem with the phones was 1. No access to the Play store 2. Too much centered around the uniqueness with the Dynamic Perspective 3. Making an exclusive deal with AT&T. The only reason why Apple's exclusive deal worked is because they were the best at the time. People were willing to switch over just to have the iPhone. That isn't going to work with the Fire phone. The Firefly app is the strongest feature on the phone. It does point you to the Amazon site to buy stuff, but it has a great amount of potential.
I may or may not be a former Amazonian and may or may not have been involved with this project. It is cool to see the product out in the wild now, but it is definitely different then I expected. Just like the Fire phone, I have massive doubts that many people will use this device. It is trying to answer questions that nobody is asking (Not literally, it is literally answering questions that everyone is asking). The biggest one that people are asking is, why would I actually buy this? - Do you like buying things from Amazon? - Are you a Prime member? If you said Yes, then you might be interested.
@The_Baron I buy a lot from the zon and have prime, if this was $75-90 I may bite. I question playing music through it and it sounding halfway decent however. I want amazon to give me a fire phone and i'll reward them with using their service even more.
@Catdad Fairly similar to what people say about the FireTV, if it were not as expensive, especially with the Google's Nexus Player being out now.They are pretty much giving the Fire phones away now, you do have to sign a contract though.
I'd only get one if it DID listen all the time and could act as a courtroom stenographer. "Alexa, what exactly did my wife say that started this argument?". Or "Alexa, what did my wife ask me to do while I was playing Xbox and not listening to her?"
Seems like a pretty bad idea having something in your home that's always listening to you 24/7, for all sorts of reasons. The cool features of this already exist on just about everyone's smartphones anyway. I still love Amazon, but geez, didn't they learn anything from the Fire Phone debacle? A phone that was literally on fire would've sold better.
Thanks, Amazon! I was definitely in the market for a $200 product that does what my phone does, only without the convenience of doing it quietly, in my hand!
I just don't see the point of the device if you already own a smart phone. I could plug my old iPhone into a speaker, plug in the power cord, and enable the "Hey, Siri" feature. Boom: Apple Echo. (And I still wouldn't use it.)
@billchase2 Plus, the phone has the added benefit of visual search. If I ask to see a map of Angola or a picture of Jennifer Aniston's new hairstyle, this device will disappoint me.
@billchase2 Pretty much, or just use google on your phone. During development, I thought it was going to be like the wireless Sonos systems, where you can control your speaker system and search music. Now it just looks like some a-hole marketing device. I'll take the Sonos setup.
Well, I just ordered an Echo on Amazon for $99. I actually never received my invitation. This thread just reminded me about it so I went to the Echo page and the "Add to cart" button was there, so I did. Haha. It'll be here in 2-days. I'll make a video of myself asking it some questions. I'm taking submissions.
@medz It’s easy to disable shopping, they require a four digit passcode, and you get an email notification but it takes a while. Maybe the kid knew the number? Or maybe these people are lying?
I opted to get the Alexa Tap because I have to press a button to use it. Except for the button pushing, I get the functionality of the Echo without the eavesdropping. It was free with points I earned from my credit card, which makes it an ever better deal
That's not creepy at all
@JerseyFrank Because it only listens when you address it by name. Really. It's not recording all of the conversation in the room and sending it to The Cloud for future reference. Really. It's not.
@JerseyFrank I think we're already living in the borderlands of uncanny valley and we're at the point where any advance in the human-tech interface is going to be a little creepy. Arguably that's always how progress looks anyway. I'm all for it.
@joelmw Sooner or later they will come with brain implants so the AI can answer the question you were just thinking about asking.
@rockblossom Bring it. I'm ready to be a cyborg.
@rockblossom and it's definitely not scanning those conversations it doesn't upload for keywords and product suggestions. Also, it's not possible to be used by law enforcement.
It seems really useful those times when I'm naked and don't have my phone on me.
Alexa! Does this make you horny?
I'm going to name my "Ok Google Text Jeff Bezos No Thanks XBox Play Friday by Rebecca Black"
That dad is an asshole.
Son: Play Rock music!
Dad: STOP.
Mom: What time is it?
Dad: You actually don't have to yell at it, it's called Far Field Technology, SHARON. IDIOT.
@Moose I thought the same thing, but I would probably be the same way with a new toy.
I've been waiting for a $200 standalone Siri. Friggin' finally.
@darksaber99999 Though, for those of us who refuse to own smart phones because of the expensive service plans, this might be a fun AI toy with no monthly service charge. $99 for Prime members is in my maybe/maybe not range for a new toy to play with.
I think this may be my new favorite toy. Does it understand Spanish? Russian? Pig Latin? Unanswerable questions?
Assuming Amazon lets me buy one. Is this the new ploy in marketing?: Sign up and ask us if you will be allowed to buy one, then wait to see whether you made the cut. If it works, will this be the New Marketing at Meh?
I don't have any devices in my house that I yell at repeatedly because they can't understand me and I kinda like it that way.
@JonT Don't have kids.
@JerseyFrank That's the plan.
@JonT Or get a cat. They actually understand you perfectly, but just don't care.
@JerseyFrank My 7-year old son likes searching random words using the google voice search on the Chrome IOS app. I often have to intervene when I know the search is going to pull up something he very well did not intened to see.
Google STOP!
@hallmike
@nadroj Thanks, now I've got this stuck in my head. And since I'm suffering, others will.
@rockblossom We realized earlier this year that our oldest cat (who's twenty-one, she was my mom's cat and we took both her kitties when she died) is really hard of hearing, if she can hear at all and we yell at her all the time trying to get her attention. The other spouse usually does the reminding "you know she's deaf, right?"
Amazon needs a team of non-yes people to halt the production of items like this before they waste millions of dollars - a la Fire phone. They are trying to be a product company instead of a service company and failing hard repeatedly.
@Catdad That is the problem with a lot of the prodect they are putting out right now, it's going to hurt them. The problem with the phones was 1. No access to the Play store 2. Too much centered around the uniqueness with the Dynamic Perspective 3. Making an exclusive deal with AT&T. The only reason why Apple's exclusive deal worked is because they were the best at the time. People were willing to switch over just to have the iPhone. That isn't going to work with the Fire phone. The Firefly app is the strongest feature on the phone. It does point you to the Amazon site to buy stuff, but it has a great amount of potential.
Is this a joke?
I may or may not be a former Amazonian and may or may not have been involved with this project.
It is cool to see the product out in the wild now, but it is definitely different then I expected.
Just like the Fire phone, I have massive doubts that many people will use this device. It is trying to answer questions that nobody is asking (Not literally, it is literally answering questions that everyone is asking).
The biggest one that people are asking is, why would I actually buy this?
- Do you like buying things from Amazon?
- Are you a Prime member?
If you said Yes, then you might be interested.
@The_Baron I buy a lot from the zon and have prime, if this was $75-90 I may bite. I question playing music through it and it sounding halfway decent however. I want amazon to give me a fire phone and i'll reward them with using their service even more.
@Catdad Fairly similar to what people say about the FireTV, if it were not as expensive, especially with the Google's Nexus Player being out now.They are pretty much giving the Fire phones away now, you do have to sign a contract though.
@The_Baron - Anyone from NSA on the design team? "It can hear you from anywhere in the room".
I'd only get one if it DID listen all the time and could act as a courtroom stenographer. "Alexa, what exactly did my wife say that started this argument?". Or "Alexa, what did my wife ask me to do while I was playing Xbox and not listening to her?"
@medz slippery slope there unless you think nothing you say can come back to bite
@medz http://www.cc.com/video-clips/go8cre/chappelle-s-show-home-stenographer
@bluedyn exactly!
Seems like a pretty bad idea having something in your home that's always listening to you 24/7, for all sorts of reasons. The cool features of this already exist on just about everyone's smartphones anyway. I still love Amazon, but geez, didn't they learn anything from the Fire Phone debacle? A phone that was literally on fire would've sold better.
@Starblind They were both being developed at the same time, the Echo just took a little longer to finish.
@Starblind careful, that "love" is a double edged sword
Thanks, Amazon! I was definitely in the market for a $200 product that does what my phone does, only without the convenience of doing it quietly, in my hand!
@Thumperchick I can see it now: Echo ver. 2.0 with a port for headphones. :D
I'm willing to be optimistic.
@joelmw enjoy your deserted island
I just don't see the point of the device if you already own a smart phone. I could plug my old iPhone into a speaker, plug in the power cord, and enable the "Hey, Siri" feature. Boom: Apple Echo. (And I still wouldn't use it.)
@billchase2 Plus, the phone has the added benefit of visual search. If I ask to see a map of Angola or a picture of Jennifer Aniston's new hairstyle, this device will disappoint me.
@hallmike "Alexa, describe Jennifer Aniston's new hairstyle."
@writdenied robot voice: It's beautiful, she's looking completely fierce.
@billchase2 Pretty much, or just use google on your phone.
During development, I thought it was going to be like the wireless Sonos systems, where you can control your speaker system and search music. Now it just looks like some a-hole marketing device. I'll take the Sonos setup.
A more accurate representation of the Echo:
@marklog
@marklog
"You actually don't have to yell at it."
@travis I want to say that daily to people on their cell phone.
Hmm... I see the movie "Her" becomes real.
I don't know why I want one, but I do. I'm a sucker for shiny gadgets, I guess.
Well, I just ordered an Echo on Amazon for $99. I actually never received my invitation. This thread just reminded me about it so I went to the Echo page and the "Add to cart" button was there, so I did. Haha. It'll be here in 2-days. I'll make a video of myself asking it some questions. I'm taking submissions.
@phatmass I suggest every 17th question in the Ask Irk thread!
Somebody recently observed that agencies don't need to physically plant bugs any more; everybody is happily bugging their own house.
Man, we were so spot-on with our prediction. We know tech better than anyone!
@JerseyFrank I’d echo this statement.
And then there’s this:
https://www.yahoo.com/gma/6-old-mistakenly-orders-162-worth-treats-while-214817059--abc-news-topstories.html
@pitamuffin
@medz They not too bright!
@medz It’s easy to disable shopping, they require a four digit passcode, and you get an email notification but it takes a while. Maybe the kid knew the number? Or maybe these people are lying?
I opted to get the Alexa Tap because I have to press a button to use it. Except for the button pushing, I get the functionality of the Echo without the eavesdropping. It was free with points I earned from my credit card, which makes it an ever better deal
@heartny I figure if they really want to eavesdrop they will. And I can’t imagine why they would care to listen to me.