551–560 of 746 posts
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That's way too perfect there's no way it's a coincidence.
The original Alexa trademark Amazon acquired was based on the Library of Alexandria. So, it is in fact a coincidence. :)
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> - it can answer questions at the dinner table... that would be my biggest use for it, well that and as a speaker I guess. I really hope that I can swap out "Alexa" for the word "Computer" so I could feel like I'm one step closer to Star Trek
from the video: "..it only hears you when you use the wake word we chose..", so you can definitely chose "Computer" as your wake word
How long until Amazon.com ordering gets integrated into this? For the sake of convenience, I've been shifting more and more of my shopping for "basics" like razors and toilet paper to Amazon, so they have know what brands I use. Pretty soon I'm sure I would be able to have an exchange just like this with Echo: "Alexa, can you order me more razor blades?" "Would you like to order 10-pack Gillette Fusion ProGlide razor…
i've always wanted all the jokes about obama listening to me masturbating to become technically possible
Watch the promo video again and pretend it's the first few minutes of a horror movie. A package arrives on the front porch. The family brings it in and opens it. It's Alexa. It's "for everyone," says Father. The next few days are blissful. Alexa integrates herself into the family. She is indispensable. How did they ever get by without her? Father rushes in from the backyard, "Alexa, how tall is Mt. Everest?" Alexa an…
Watch the promo video again and pretend it's the first few minutes of a horror movie. A package arrives on the front porch. The family brings it in and opens it. It's Alexa. It's "for everyone," says Father. The next few days are blissful. Alexa integrates herself into the family. She is indispensable. How did they ever get by without her? Father rushes in from the backyard, "Alexa, how tall is Mt. Everest?" Alexa an…
"It's always on. ... It uses far-field technology, so it can hear you from anywhere in the room."
Jeez, whoever wrote this is missing their calling. They should have their people get together with Wes Craven's people and do lunch, or something.
(Edit: OK, the producers clearly knew they what they were doing, even if the people paying them didn't. Check out the daughter's sweater at 2:52.)
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It's an interesting video for other reasons, but at 1:47 here Binney mentions it: http://www.nytimes.com/video/opinion/100000001733041/the-pro... Here's another article about real-world use: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3522137.stm
Daniel Ellsberg [Pentagon Papers whistle-blower]: "Somebody told me that they can listen to what we're saying by my having this cellphone {waves what looks like iPhone} even though it's turned off." William Binney [ex-NSA]: "Yes. [... goes off on a tangent about data analysis] He doesn't really mention it. Indeed the vid is considering electronic communications and information which is put in to the public sphere. Ot…
That quote was about this Amazon device anyway, which doesn't have power usage or data usage requirements that would be noticed by the average user if recording was only for significant audio. You've jumped from there to cell phones.
The access is blanket given warrants like the FISA verizon one, and there's nothing to stop targeted surveillance like that which we know goes on on gmail/skype/etc accounts when requested. To be clear, I'm not suggesting that cell phones or this device are all constantly recording what we do and transmitting direct to the NSA right now, but that they could in a targeted manner be used to do so if someone became of interest, and that this Amazon device would be a particularly powerful bug given the great microphones, constant power and fixed location in a home.
Re cell phones, I don't think it would be very hard to present a blank screen and wake up only on significant audio to record/broadcast on a hacked phone. I'm sure a paranoid user would eventually notice, but the capability is certainly there - probably that sort of thing is very rare and sophisticated, it's not something I worry about personally, but I do think it is quite possible. If you control the software on the device, I don't see why it seems impossible to you that you'd be able to control the phone completely and use it as an audio bug (except when battery removed etc). You wouldn't even have to rely on faking switch-off - the majority of people leave their phone on and carry it around.
Anything better?
Well, I'm inclined to believe Binney (and others) when they explicitly say cellphones are used as bugs, but here's another example for you of actual use, they are not hard to find:
http://news.cnet.com/FBI-taps-cell-phone-mic-as-eavesdroppin...
Watch the promo video again and pretend it's the first few minutes of a horror movie. A package arrives on the front porch. The family brings it in and opens it. It's Alexa. It's "for everyone," says Father. The next few days are blissful. Alexa integrates herself into the family. She is indispensable. How did they ever get by without her? Father rushes in from the backyard, "Alexa, how tall is Mt. Everest?" Alexa an…
Yup. Exactly. Echo's promo video has this strange feeling to it. It's almost as if it's a satire (or horror) disguised as your boilerplate technology product marketing video put out by one of the well-monied firms. I think it's because the acting and dialogue are so unbelievable, but perhaps there really are greater forces at play...