Amazon Echo - big brother or big opportunity

[healthstatus]

if you haven't seen it: http://www.amazon.com/echo

I assume at some point they will have an API for this so you can tap in and add to its features or collect data from it, Amazon is fairly smart about those things.

On one side, you have now given Amazon a microphone into your house. It will hear what you watch on TV, your conversations, what teams you cheer for when watching a game, and .......

On the other side you have a voice activated Internet access tool that does some pretty handy stuff, and hopefully will have apps that you can add to it. This is where the opportunity lies.

Any thoughts?

 

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[RazorCut]

I very much doubt they would be stupid enough to eaves drop, the privacy police would be all over it like a rash and Amazon would never be able to live it down never mind sales falling off a cliff.

 

[Blhhi]

It's just SIRI

https://www.apple.com/ios/siri/

 

[healthstatus]

It's just SIRI

Similar, but this is always plugged in, always listening. It hears everything going on in your house. No technical competency is required.

doubt they would be stupid enough to eaves drop

But if you ask it for the score of your favorite sports team's last game, is that eaves dropping? Or can they use that data in your shopping preferences/suggestions? What if Amazon is required to turn your data over by the government to verify testimony? What if a family member in the house requests the data? (ie Spouse checking on the other spouse)

 

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[AubreyJ]

either way I don't really care- I agree with Razorcut, I think that there is no way that Amazon would be stupid enough to eavesdrop- it would be a huge lawsuit waiting to happen. I have no interest in buying the Echo, but it has nothing to do with the possibility of eavesdropping, I just think that things like Siri or the Echo are pretty useless.

I think that people are too paranoid about eavesdropping, spying on your computer...etc. Yes it does happen, but it isn't as big of an occurrence as everyone makes it seem. Just my opinion.

 

[Gale4rc]

if you haven't seen it: http://www.amazon.com/echo

I assume at some point they will have an API for this so you can tap in and add to its features or collect data from it, Amazon is fairly smart about those things.

On one side, you have now given Amazon a microphone into your house. It will hear what you watch on TV, your conversations, what teams you cheer for when watching a game, and .......

On the other side you have a voice activated Internet access tool that does some pretty handy stuff, and hopefully will have apps that you can add to it. This is where the opportunity lies.

Any thoughts?

Well no matter what there is going to be voice activated technology and it's unavoidable. So for that reason I don't care about all the tin foil spy guys telling me to hide my data.

Whether it's echo or something else, this type of stuff is just the next step towards future technology.

 

[healthstatus]

OK, quit ranting about security concerns (or actually your lack of them). How could you use this to add value to what you are doing, what new markets do see from something like this?

thoughts that came to my mind:

• When something cool shows up on tv, you say "I want one of those", and it figures out what you are looking at and puts in your wishlist or cart
• baby sitter spy - what are they doing/watching once the kids are asleep?

 

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