Reporting in from Ground Zero

rcjordan · December 25, 2016, 04:10:41 PM

Amazon owns Christmas 2016. I am seriously concerned about the number of Echo Dots that have infiltrated my extended family. We've been breached.

ergophobe · December 25, 2016, 05:47:22 PM

Hold on. I'm assembling a team of plucky, but unconventional Americans known to be able to defeat the greatest AIs in the galaxy.

Bruce Willis is in. I'm waiting for Laurence Fishburn to check in, but it seems likely that he'll be onboard. Unfortunately, Jeff Goldbloom is busy taking down RankBrain with a virus injected via JPEG attachment, so I'm trying to get Kris Kristofferson onboard. Right now I'm only missing the young apprentice hero who will prove the key to defeating Echo.

rcjordan · December 25, 2016, 10:04:01 PM

>defeating Echo

Abandon all hope, ye who enter here. We're toast.

Brad · December 25, 2016, 10:27:36 PM

Google Home may be better or more powerful but Amazon is way out ahead of the in volume. Plus Amazon has a marketing arm, Goo really doesn't.

ergophobe · December 26, 2016, 01:51:17 AM

Quote from: rcjordan on December 25, 2016, 10:04:01 PM
>defeating Echo

Abandon all hope, ye who enter here. We're toast.

Don't give up hope. I'm still interviewing undisciplined but unconventional young apprentices who could still save the day. If I can find a young and as-yet untested Chris Pine, I think we've got this under control

Brad · December 27, 2016, 05:15:15 PM

>breached

Oh no! Now Bezos will know all your launch codes.

Also:
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-holidayshopping-amazon-com-idUSKBN14G1B1?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=Social

rcjordan · December 27, 2016, 08:03:26 PM

http://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-best-selling-products-holiday-echo-dot-2016-12

DrCool · December 28, 2016, 02:56:34 PM

http://www.theverge.com/2016/12/27/14089836/amazon-echo-privacy-criminal-investigation-data

Tell your family to be careful if they are planning on committing any major crimes.

rcjordan · December 28, 2016, 03:01:16 PM

>Tell your family to be careful

Pfffttt! As if they'll listen. It's going to take a synced mass-murdering of babies asleep in their cribs to get their attention on the home privacy issue.

littleman · December 29, 2016, 12:19:54 AM

Warrant granted for Amazon Echo recordings

Mackin USA · December 29, 2016, 12:35:55 PM

"mass-murdering of babies asleep in their cribs"

Is there some law about that?

Mackin USA · December 29, 2016, 05:43:18 PM

AND NOW

Amazon patents show flying warehouses

https://beta.finance.yahoo.com/m/118b6f90-0845-3b06-9acb-47e9e450aee3/amazon-patents-show-flying.html

littleman · December 29, 2016, 06:07:33 PM

It does seem like a perversion, doesn't it?

rcjordan · December 29, 2016, 06:35:05 PM

These Echo gizmos have really grown legs now that they've opened the 'Skills' (apps) up to developers. I'm convinced that they put the Dot on sale for Christmas to gain marketshare ahead of G Home. You guys advising merchants and sites better bone up on the apps, it's going to be a major sales channel.

Here, for instance, is the Our Groceries app melded with Echo via a skill:
https://www.amazon.com/HeadCode-OurGroceries/dp/B01D4F1J0M

Here's the FAQ on the voice commands. Pretty sharp!
https://www.ourgroceries.com/faq#amazon_alexa

littleman · December 29, 2016, 06:57:21 PM

Echo + kids = near insanity

I was at my sister's house last night and my brother-in-law was given an Echo for Christmas. They're technophiles and already have their house wired with speakers to pump audio to all the rooms in the house. The noise level and randomness of it all was enough to make me step out for a bit. It is just one household's interaction with emerging technology, but honestly, it felt almost dystopia to me.