Amazon Echo

I got an Amazon Echo for Christmas and loved it so much I've bought another one for upstairs... Using it to control my music and Spotify, and regularly using the news, weather and other standard features. Have been discovering more - it's cool for booking an Uber, checking local trains/buses, traffic updates, buying shit from Amazon, creating shopping lists, and ending arguments about some fact or other nobody is certain on. Really looking forward to an upcoming skill for controlling my Roku device too.

 

I've found it much more usable than Siri or Google Assistant, and much prefer it although I don't really know why, as they pretty much can all do the same stuff. I think it's because it's a dedicated device and based in the home so you don't feel so stupid talking to it. It's weird, I never used Siri/Google Assistant and never wanted to, but I love using Alexa...

 

I reckon this is going to be the next "big" thing in tech, and Apple etc won't like it one bit.

 

Anyone else got one? Any essential Skills I should get or cool stuff to try?

Not the same at all, but my girlfriend and I bought the Philips Hue lights and I LOVE being able to control the lights from my phone or via Siri. You can control it using Amazon Echo as well ;)

I don't like this at all, simply because it's the most 1984 thing in existence tbfh.

fuck it, don't fight the inevitable...i understand why people might think it's intrusive or creepy but i'm not up to anything too dodgy and don't really care if amazon plc are listening to my every word - going to be incredibly tedious for them. i'm just embracing it and associated tech, and it's all pretty wicked tbh. will look into those philips hue lights for defo squee, just been investigating LIFX but they're a bit pricey.

  On 12/30/2016 at 2:05 PM, phling said:

I don't like this at all, simply because it's the most 1984 thing in existence tbfh.

Moreso than your phone?

Edited December 30, 2016 by doublename

or laptop?

 

truth is we walked into 1984 years ago with open arms.

 

i'm not interested in one really. i've seen one at my wife's coworker's house and everytime she goes to interact with it she basically yells and has to over enunciate everything and comes off like a total knob (not sure if you actually have to do that but she always does)

definitely more than my phone. Not sure about android but iOS is relatively secure.

 

It's not tedious at all for them listening to your every word. Computers can do this and filter down for things which are of interest, whatever interest that is.

 

There are so many scenarios in which this can be abused. IOT stuff is being hacked like crazy; eg security cams are used as botnets etc.

 

Amazon must keep itself alive and well; if the US gov coerces them into doing things, they will do things.

 

If at that point you are kinda dependent on this shit, well they own you. It's really simple.

It's also quite sad that many people have already fully given up tbh.

yeah you don't have to yell or enunciate, just speak normally...takes a bit of getting used to i guess and people do like to lean into it and talk like an idiot, but totally not necessary. the beam forming mic works incredibly well even with lots of background noise and it hears you from fucking miles away...i can be in the kitchen and just say a command in a normal voice and the echo in my living room hears it no problem - even when i'm leaning out the back door facing into the garden to smoke...

  On 12/30/2016 at 2:18 PM, phling said:

Amazon must keep itself alive and well; if the US gov coerces them into doing things, they will do things.

i mean, possibly, but kind of so what? i'm not a terrorist or pedo or whatever, not sure what they'd have on me that would be of any interest. buying habits, music taste, what films i like etc...i don't mind if "they" know this stuff, it's inconsequential.

wow. I don't know what to say. Read up on Stasi maybe: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stasi

 

  Quote

One of its main tasks was spying on the population, mainly through a vast network of citizens turned informants, and fighting any opposition by overt and covert measures, including hidden psychological destruction of dissidents (Zersetzung, literally meaning decomposition).

Edited December 30, 2016 by Guest

  Quote

…the Stasi often used a method which was really diabolic. It was called Zersetzung, and it's described in another guideline. The word is difficult to translate because it means originally "biodegradation". But actually, it's a quite accurate description. The goal was to destroy secretly the self-confidence of people, for example by damaging their reputation, by organizing failures in their work, and by destroying their personal relationships. Considering this, East Germany was a very modern dictatorship. The Stasi didn't try to arrest every dissident. It preferred to paralyze them, and it could do so because it had access to so much personal information and to so many institutions.

"Alexa, play s950tx16wasr10 [16397][earth portal mix]".

Edited December 30, 2016 by omnii

  On 12/30/2016 at 3:02 PM, phling said:

 

  Quote

…the Stasi often used a method which was really diabolic. It was called Zersetzung, and it's described in another guideline. The word is difficult to translate because it means originally "biodegradation". But actually, it's a quite accurate description. The goal was to destroy secretly the self-confidence of people, for example by damaging their reputation, by organizing failures in their work, and by destroying their personal relationships. Considering this, East Germany was a very modern dictatorship. The Stasi didn't try to arrest every dissident. It preferred to paralyze them, and it could do so because it had access to so much personal information and to so many institutions.

 

 

That's creepy. But your phone has a microphone too and it can be used even if the phone is turned off. And even if you don't have a phone someone next to you has one. I doubt that iPhones are secure and can't be used for that. So I don't see why Amazone Echo is worse. Life is dangerous

Edited December 30, 2016 by darreichungsform

  On 12/30/2016 at 3:18 PM, darreichungsform said:

 

  On 12/30/2016 at 3:02 PM, phling said:

 

  Quote

…the Stasi often used a method which was really diabolic. It was called Zersetzung, and it's described in another guideline. The word is difficult to translate because it means originally "biodegradation". But actually, it's a quite accurate description. The goal was to destroy secretly the self-confidence of people, for example by damaging their reputation, by organizing failures in their work, and by destroying their personal relationships. Considering this, East Germany was a very modern dictatorship. The Stasi didn't try to arrest every dissident. It preferred to paralyze them, and it could do so because it had access to so much personal information and to so many institutions.

 

That's creepy. But your phone has a microphone too and it can be used even if the phone is turned off. And even if you don't have a phone someone next to you has one. I doubt that iPhones are secure and can't be used for that. So I don't see why Amazone Echo is worse. Life is dangerous

ya true that phones are already very good surveillance devices. all of this tech is kind of transient though, I.e. phones ten years ago had far less info about you than today's phones. As a user, you give up more and more control over these devices every year. It's not even about what is stored locally, more what's happening with data in some data centers. These home assistant things are totally a big step up in this regard, you have *** zero *** control. They just record audio and send it somewhere, all the computation is happening in a place you know *** nothing *** about, but this place knows a lot about you.

 

I mean, isn't it fully insane that amazon knows when you switch off your lights?

Edited December 30, 2016 by Guest

  On 12/30/2016 at 3:31 PM, phling said:

 

  On 12/30/2016 at 3:18 PM, darreichungsform said:

 

  On 12/30/2016 at 3:02 PM, phling said:

 

  Quote

…the Stasi often used a method which was really diabolic. It was called Zersetzung, and it's described in another guideline. The word is difficult to translate because it means originally "biodegradation". But actually, it's a quite accurate description. The goal was to destroy secretly the self-confidence of people, for example by damaging their reputation, by organizing failures in their work, and by destroying their personal relationships. Considering this, East Germany was a very modern dictatorship. The Stasi didn't try to arrest every dissident. It preferred to paralyze them, and it could do so because it had access to so much personal information and to so many institutions.

That's creepy. But your phone has a microphone too and it can be used even if the phone is turned off. And even if you don't have a phone someone next to you has one. I doubt that iPhones are secure and can't be used for that. So I don't see why Amazone Echo is worse. Life is dangerous

ya true that phones are already very good surveillance devices. all of this tech is kind of transient though, I.e. phones ten years ago had far less info about you than today's phones. As a user, you give up more and more control over these devices every year. It's not even about what is stored locally, more what's happening with data in some data centers. These home assistant things are totally a big step up in this regard, you have *** zero *** control. They just record audio and send it somewhere, all the computation is happening in a place you know *** nothing *** about, but this place knows a lot about you.

 

I mean, isn't it fully insane that amazon knows when you switch off your lights?

 

 

Yeah, but a phone can be used as a light sensor, too :)

 

Technology can be used and is used as an instrument of power. And when governments turns totalitarian, it would be horror, because they would have a strong infrasctructure of surveillance. That's why it's important to have decent politics and engage for your rights in the first place, otherwise someone might take them. But in the end you never know what secret agencies do illegally. Only thing we can do is accept that we have some control but not full control over our lives. At the end life has steadily become better over the decades. With some throwbacks here and there, sure, but there is less violence, less war, less poverty and hunger than hundred years ago. So it's not unrealistic to have a positive view on the future

probably none of us have had to experience war or other terrors; we're young and have grown up in cozy, wealthy stability. But this stability and wealth is the exception really. Ugh, just look at the USA, I find it very hard to have an optimistic view of the near or mid term future.

 

In the US, a very shitty man has become President. He managed to subvert optimism and common sense. What else is going to happen? Probably not quite good things.

 

Dunno, this argument is getting out of hand. Just don't let yourself be put into a highly exploitable position is all I'm trying to say.

Yes, it's getting out of topic. But we all saw Black Mirror and know what happens when we jerk off to childporn. So the lesson is: Don't jerk off to childporn

  On 12/30/2016 at 3:59 PM, darreichungsform said:

Yes, it's getting out of topic. But we all saw Black Mirror and know what happens when we jerk off to childporn. So the lesson is: Don't jerk off to childporn

First they came for the pedophiles, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a pedophile.

lol

 

anyway, i like this device and have now just bought a phillips hue starter pack too - thanks squee, looks awesome :)

  On 12/30/2016 at 3:16 PM, omnii said:

"Alexa, play s950tx16wasr10 [16397][earth portal mix]".

mine is linked to my spotify account so does play aphex when asked...asking for some specific tracks can prove difficult however, stupid afeks and his silly track names

  On 12/30/2016 at 4:19 PM, BCM said:

lol

 

anyway, i like this device and have now just bought a phillips hue starter pack too - thanks squee, looks awesome :)

 

Cool! ;D

 

Also, holy moly this thread get derailed quickly.

 

 

Also, if anyone wants to listen in on me asking Siri a million dumb questions about what she's wearing etc. then be my guest.

it's easy to lol about this but it's not very smot.

1984-esque fears are negated by the fact that I can use this for tv instead of figuring out where the hell my channel changers are because i lost it or my 18 month old decided to put it in an interesting new place

  On 12/30/2016 at 4:37 PM, Squee said:

 

Also, if anyone wants to listen in on me asking Siri a million dumb questions about what she's wearing etc. then be my guest.

 

I think phling's concerns aren't that far-fetched. Mass surveillance combined with advanced artificial intelligence could really be used as an instrument of power in the near future. But that doesn't mean that it will happen and that we will live in a world that's like a dystopian sci-fi novel. Future will radically change, our concept of privacy will be rethought but i'm confident that it will all be for the better in the end. Thinking about this stuff miight be slightly paranoid but has not that much to do with odd conspiracy theories and aluminium hats. But yeah, it's irrational to use computers and phones but think that this Amazone Echo devise is different and more dangerous

Edited December 30, 2016 by darreichungsform