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Amazon Echo Dot

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Re: Amazon Echo Dot

#171

Post by tenpies »

fluxquanta wrote: post #106
arien wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Almost. More specifically, we didn't think that the personal assistant would have to communicate with a corporation that wants our info to make (more) money. The government option doesn't sound any better, either. I think they are rather creepy, because it's so obvious there is (or, could be) a hidden agenda.

While indeed creepy, I ordered the original Echo as soon as it was made available, but I'm probably a special case. I live by myself and barely even speak out loud at home. If Amazon can somehow monetize my primary use of Echo as a glorified kitchen timer I will be impressed.

> I live by myself and barely even speak out loud at home.

It occurs to me that the background noise in your home actually reveals a whole lot about the self:

- What you're listening to and when

- What you're watching and when

- What type of gentleman's material you enjoy and when

- When you leave home and get home

- When you wake up, when you go to bed

Some of these can be limited by the size of your house, but the trend in urban dwellings has been towards smaller so one unit could presumably capture every sound in your home.

Re: Amazon Echo Dot

#172

Post by chinathrow »

My problem with Alexa is, I don't want a far field cloud based voice recognition device within my reach.

I'm fine with a device doing the voice recognition on premise/on device with the same functionality.

Re: Amazon Echo Dot

#173

Post by pierrebeaucamp »

mk4p wrote: post #120
pierrebeaucamp wrote: post #64

I would love to have something similar as open source software. How can I trust this device if I can't examine the code used for hotword recognition? Also, it would be great to be able to put the software on different hardware - something with digital audio output for example. The concept of Alexa is amazing, but distributing it as properitary software limits its potential.

There's: - https://jasperproject.github.io/ and - https://mycroft.ai/projects/

Thank you, I didn't know about those projects.

Re: Amazon Echo Dot

#174

Post by fredley »

binarymax wrote: post #115

Be forewarned - if I am invited into your home for any reason, and I see an Alexa device, I will vocally add a large shopping list of nonsense to your Amazon cart :)

Serious question: is it feasible to implement a kind of loose voice 'fingerprint' to prevent this kind of thing? Will/could Alexa know who's talking to it?

Re: Amazon Echo Dot

#175

Post by at-fates-hands »

pc86 wrote: post #149
fluxquanta wrote: post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It was $99 (there was a special offer when it was first announced at the end of 2014).

$99 for a kitchen timer seems a bit steep.

Considering most smartphones already have this app on them - I'm going to agree.

FREE vs. $99? No contest there my friend

Re: Amazon Echo Dot

#176

Post by Karunamon »

jimktrains2 wrote: post #81
Rezo wrote: post #61

"If you have more than one Echo or Echo Dot, you can set a different wake word for each". This is something I've been thinking is becoming more problematic as well as an opportunity for real ubiquity. I have 3 separate devices nearby that are Google Now voice activated (the newer devices support this even if the screen is off), and they will sometimes trigger at the same time accidentally. Since the processing is clo…

> I have 3 separate devices nearby that are Google Now voice activated (the newer devices support this even if the screen is off), and they will sometimes trigger at the same time accidentally. > Since the processing is cloud based, and they know my identity, Interesting, so everything said in that room gets processed and potentially sent to Google for indefinite storage? What a 1984-style luxury.

AFAIK, every one of these devices does nothing until a "wake word" is heard, and only then do they record+send.

Having all of the devices listening all the time would be a bandwidth and power nightmare, if not for the sender, for the receiver.

Re: Amazon Echo Dot

#177

Post by Domenic_S »

rrrx3 wrote: post #96
NDizzle wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not so sure about that. Check this out. One of the toughest fights in one of the toughest games performed with only voice commands. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m2a2dLdZ0M Now, granted, this is a specific use case, but, you know... "explore the space" and all that. (more cowbell!)

The "play some good 60s rock" example isn't a VUI breakdown, it's a functionality gap in the backend. One that will probably be fixed pretty quickly, given the way things are headed. A VUI breakdown would be inability to understand accents, or non-responsiveness to commands. As a user input, Alexa is pretty well buttoned up.

Sounds like the Enterprise computer:

Geordi: Computer, subdued lighting.

(computer turns the lights off)

Geordi No, that's... that's too much. I don't want it dark. I want it cozy.

Computer: Please state your request in precise candlepower.

(The scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPZnR3Ue1n4)

Re: Amazon Echo Dot

#178

Post by ctdonath »

jbob2000 wrote: post #130

Somewhat related, but if I don't subscribe to any of the services listed, this is a pretty useless product for me. I don't listen to internet radio, I don't stream music, I don't order delivery, I don't use uber, there's already 10 million ways to check the weather, and my life isn't busy enough to need a voice-activated calendar. Is this the future of tech? Like do I need to have some kind of urban-go-getter lifesty…

Sometimes cool new technology just isn't for you.

Re: Amazon Echo Dot

#179

Post by tlrobinson »

sschueller wrote: post #93
caractacus wrote: post #63

When did I turn from the enthusiastic kid who dreamed of audio-controlled personal assistants like this to a cranky old man who doesn't want anything remotely spy-possible in his house?

Couldn't legally the FBI get a court oder to be able to listen in on conversions in a room that has one of these? They already do that with car assistance services. [1] [1] http://www.cnet.com/news/court-to-fbi-no-spying-on-in-car-co...

Echo (supposedly) doesn't start sending audio to Amazon until you trigger it with a "wake word", i.e. "Alexa".

Of course:

a) it's not open source so we can't be sure (aside from monitoring network traffic, which is probably encrypted)

b) if the FBI is successful in compelling Apple to develop a backdoor for the iPhone there's nothing stopping them from compelling Amazon to do the same with Echo.

c) better hope you don't say "Alexa" or something Echo mistakes for it.

Re: Amazon Echo Dot

#180

Post by Karunamon »

Nullabillity wrote: post #141
kayoone wrote: post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They are connecting more and more services, you can train your own "skills" and i am pretty sure they will open the platform up at some point. Could be huge. Remember, the first iPhone was totally locked down as well.

The iPhone is still locked down, and it still sucks.

If by "locked down" you mean able to develop and deploy your own software onto[1], then sure.

Given what's going on with the FBI, I'm starting to see the absurd security of the platform as more a positive than a negative.

[1]: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2933052/apple-frees-casual-io...

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