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Amazon Echo

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Re: Amazon Echo

#641

Post by chaostheory »

LLWM wrote: post #309
chaostheory wrote: post #153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is not "pathetic baseless fear mongering" when we already have evidence that governments around the world are willing to overstep their bounds in terms of monitoring their own people. > In this case, as the website makes clear, you have to say the word "Alexa" for it to start listening. In order for it to hear the key word 'Alexa', it has to be always listening. They're just saying that they promise not to process…

Yes, it is. That's not relevant at all. Governments are not making these devices or forcing them in peoples' homes.

Have you not read the news in the last year? It is relevant. They don't need to manufacture anything. They can just coerce private companies to give up their customers' data in the cloud. The companies aren't even allowed to announce it.

> or forcing them in peoples' homes.

Hence my argument for holding off from buying this and other devices like it.

Re: Amazon Echo

#642

Post by [deleted] »

jwallaceparker wrote: post #343

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…

[deleted]

Re: Amazon Echo

#643

Post by jumpwah »

chatmasta wrote: post #87

This "internet-of-things" trend coincides unfortunately with the "dragnet surveillance" trend. With every new product launch from a "cloud company," I increasingly feel as if I'm reading the tombstone of modern society. The selling point behind these devices is convenience, but at the cost of security. I don't think I need to explain to HN why an always-on, internet connected voice recording device is something to ke…

"Alexa, how do you make a bomb?"

Re: Amazon Echo

#645

Post by gamesbrainiac »

jwallaceparker wrote: post #343

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…

I had to check the date to make sure this wasn't the 1st of April after watching that video.

Re: Amazon Echo

#647

Post by jonknee »

woobar wrote: post #547
dandroid1 wrote: post #345

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is no more invasive than Ok Google and Hey Siri.

I think both of them don't need to send any data to the mothership and can process this phrase on device. For instance, in airplane mode with no network access iPhone response to 'Hey Siri' is 'Siri is not available. Connect to internet'

It would be shocking if Echo doesn't work the same way, that would be an incredible waste of bandwidth and AWS CPU power otherwise.

Re: Amazon Echo

#648

Post by zobzu »

I call it the "must do something" syndrome. Vps and managers at some point just "do stuff" to justify being employed and salary. So that means pooping out new products, doesnt matter if its great as long as it sounds like theres a remote chance for it to work.

This is generally where the CEO has to come in and say "no more" - but thats not always that easy. Politics, etc.

Re: Amazon Echo

#649

Post by bobbles »

72deluxe wrote: post #440
giarc wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This video was so over the top I had to check my calendar to make sure it wasn't April 1. Alexa, is this a joke?

Perhaps we could put this video, the Samsung S3 launch party video and the Microsoft Windows 7 party video (where they discuss how much they love Windows whilst wearing party hats) together for the most cringeworthy video EVER?

Tim Cook + Bono finger touch can be thrown in for good measure

Re: Amazon Echo

#650

Post by Rapzid »

grey-area wrote: post #342
Karunamon wrote: post #283

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A normal, healthy behavior is to be aware of what the devices you own are capable of. Insane paranoia is hearing "cloud-based audio processing device and service" and instantly jumping to "the NSA" absent a single damned fact to support that conclusion. Downvotes don't make me wrong or you right.

Insane paranoia is hearing "cloud-based audio processing device and service" and instantly jumping to "the NSA" absent a single damned fact to support that conclusion. Cell phones are routinely used as listening devices, what makes you think this device would not be? If I were a government agency intent on omniscience (i.e. the NSA), this device, along with televisions and computers with always-on microphones control…

Yeah, but if anyone caught wind of it there would be hell to pay wouldn't there? You'd need some sort of secret court so that you could control exactly who has knowledge of what's going on and effectively subvert democracy. Good luck with that. You'd have to be pretty paranoid to believe the US would allow that kind of back room governing to go on.
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