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Amazon Echo, home alone with NPR on, got confused and hijacked a thermostat

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Re: Amazon Echo, home alone with NPR on, got confused and hijacked a thermostat

#4
I think they need to pick a different name. 'Alexa' is very easy to trigger with other names, and reliably activates when I am watching any show with a character named 'Alex', 'Alexy', etc.

One side effect I've noticed is that they seem to have tried to account for it, which has made the Echo less responsive to actual requests; a few times I've stood in front of it yelling 'ALEXA' trying to get it to stop and it does not respond.

Re: Amazon Echo, home alone with NPR on, got confused and hijacked a thermostat

#5
post #3

Am I reading this correctly? Amazon essentially built a better integrated version of "The Clapper" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ny8-G8EoWOw

Yes, an internet connected device where you can verbally do a great many things is simply a 'better integrated Clapper'.

You sure get it.

Re: Amazon Echo, home alone with NPR on, got confused and hijacked a thermostat

#7
post #4

I think they need to pick a different name. 'Alexa' is very easy to trigger with other names, and reliably activates when I am watching any show with a character named 'Alex', 'Alexy', etc. One side effect I've noticed is that they seem to have tried to account for it, which has made the Echo less responsive to actual requests; a few times I've stood in front of it yelling 'ALEXA' trying to get it to stop and it does…

There are three options for trigger words. There's Alexa, Amazon, and Echo.

We have ours set to Alexa (default) and when the neighbor girl comes over (Alexis) the Echo frequently wakes during conversations.

Re: Amazon Echo, home alone with NPR on, got confused and hijacked a thermostat

#8
post #7
post #4

I think they need to pick a different name. 'Alexa' is very easy to trigger with other names, and reliably activates when I am watching any show with a character named 'Alex', 'Alexy', etc. One side effect I've noticed is that they seem to have tried to account for it, which has made the Echo less responsive to actual requests; a few times I've stood in front of it yelling 'ALEXA' trying to get it to stop and it does…

There are three options for trigger words. There's Alexa, Amazon, and Echo. We have ours set to Alexa (default) and when the neighbor girl comes over (Alexis) the Echo frequently wakes during conversations.

I've been thinking of changing it to Echo -- using 'Amazon' just feels too corporatey.

Re: Amazon Echo, home alone with NPR on, got confused and hijacked a thermostat

#9
post #8
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are three options for trigger words. There's Alexa, Amazon, and Echo. We have ours set to Alexa (default) and when the neighbor girl comes over (Alexis) the Echo frequently wakes during conversations.

I've been thinking of changing it to Echo -- using 'Amazon' just feels too corporatey.

A friend's Echo set to respond to "Amazon" kept getting triggered when she told her kids to get their pajamas on.
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