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Amazon is bricking primary feature on $160 Echo device after 1 year

arstechnica.com

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Re: Amazon is bricking primary feature on $160 Echo device after 1 year

#11

Post by blantonl »

I've had a number of Amazon Echo devices in my household for years, using the platform as a smart home devices. But lately they've been opting each device automatically into new ad related features, and now I see "Sponsored" advertisements on my rotating home screens that are impossible to turn off.

I'm pretty close to removing them because there is literally no way to turn off these ads. I understood the privacy trade off for convenience of the platform, but to essentially see these have been turned into Amazon billboards in my home, that I paid good money for, is a step to far.

This is a classic case of the enshitification of a platform.

Re: Amazon is bricking primary feature on $160 Echo device after 1 year

#14

Post by sethops1 »

blantonl wrote: post #11

I've had a number of Amazon Echo devices in my household for years, using the platform as a smart home devices. But lately they've been opting each device automatically into new ad related features, and now I see "Sponsored" advertisements on my rotating home screens that are impossible to turn off. I'm pretty close to removing them because there is literally no way to turn off these ads. I understood the privacy tra…

It's not a "step to far" if you're only _pretty close_ to removing them. Actually remove them.

Re: Amazon is bricking primary feature on $160 Echo device after 1 year

#15

Post by amatecha »

alwa wrote: post #9
josefritzishere wrote: post #4

Stop buying this junk. Turn off the service. Only revenue loss will motivate better corporate behavior

That’s what makes this sting: the buyers already did pay a price premium (and subscription) to motivate behavior consistent with their preferences. And even after accepting that premium, the company is just choosing not to deliver on its end anymore. And to be clear, “its end” here is refraining from pushing ads: a twisted state of affairs where the default condition is the company doing the work to force you to see…

Right, basically a legal form of extortion. "Pay up or we'll employ our best psychological manipulation techniques (invasive ads) to ensure you spend more money with us in the future". Paying to remove ads is such a grotesque result of hyper-capitalism.

Re: Amazon is bricking primary feature on $160 Echo device after 1 year

#16

Post by jamifsud »

donatj wrote: post #13

Being able to yell "Alexa, turn my lights off" has been handy. Alexa recently interrupting me with notifications that are just "Hey, some garbage you don't want is on sale" has me thinking about throwing the thing out.

I switched to HomePods for exactly this reason, Alexa was constantly upselling me on features and Amazon products. Threw it out.

Re: Amazon is bricking primary feature on $160 Echo device after 1 year

#18

Post by fullwaza »

jamifsud wrote: post #16
donatj wrote: post #13

Being able to yell "Alexa, turn my lights off" has been handy. Alexa recently interrupting me with notifications that are just "Hey, some garbage you don't want is on sale" has me thinking about throwing the thing out.

I switched to HomePods for exactly this reason, Alexa was constantly upselling me on features and Amazon products. Threw it out.

I did exactly the same and haven't missed it one bit.

Re: Amazon is bricking primary feature on $160 Echo device after 1 year

#19

Post by prepend »

jamifsud wrote: post #16
donatj wrote: post #13

Being able to yell "Alexa, turn my lights off" has been handy. Alexa recently interrupting me with notifications that are just "Hey, some garbage you don't want is on sale" has me thinking about throwing the thing out.

I switched to HomePods for exactly this reason, Alexa was constantly upselling me on features and Amazon products. Threw it out.

I tried the same but I have multiple people in my house so about 20% of the time when I say “turn off the lights” it responds with “who is talking” and goes through a voice calibration exercise.

It’s super infuriating because I guess they want to personalize to the speaker, even when it doesn’t matter. And I suppose I sound similarly to others in my household.

Re: Amazon is bricking primary feature on $160 Echo device after 1 year

#20

Post by import »

jamifsud wrote: post #16
donatj wrote: post #13

Being able to yell "Alexa, turn my lights off" has been handy. Alexa recently interrupting me with notifications that are just "Hey, some garbage you don't want is on sale" has me thinking about throwing the thing out.

I switched to HomePods for exactly this reason, Alexa was constantly upselling me on features and Amazon products. Threw it out.

Same here. I have one echo left and using as a fancy kitchen timer with clock.
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