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Amazon Has Big Plans for Alexa: Running the ‘Star Trek’ Home
NY Times ^ | August 7, 2016 | Nick Wingfield

Posted on 08/08/2016 9:48:33 AM PDT by C19fan

Amazon surprised a lot of people when its Echo, a $180 so-called smart speaker, became a hit, giving them a novel way to play music, turn on the lights in their homes and set thermostats with voice commands.

Amazon, though, has much bigger plans for the technology behind Echo. It wants the Alexa Voice Service, which powers Echo, to be an ingredient in devices around the home and beyond, even if they aren’t made by Amazon.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Computers/Internet; Society
KEYWORDS: ai; amazon
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No thanks. Not too thrilled to open up the house to hackers and surveillance.
1 posted on 08/08/2016 9:48:33 AM PDT by C19fan
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To: C19fan

Star Trek? I was thinking more along the lines of Back to the Future II.


2 posted on 08/08/2016 9:56:02 AM PDT by Mr. Douglas (Today is your life. What are you going to do with it?)
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To: C19fan
My 91 yo father needs all the help he can get. Mostly with the Rage Against the Phone Machine where he seems now incapable of operating it. So please Alexa, add phone answering and there will be some peace in his house.

And then if she can drive him to the hardware store that would be gravy. THAT is a scary Mr. Magoo episode each time.

3 posted on 08/08/2016 9:56:44 AM PDT by corkoman
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To: C19fan

“No thanks. Not too thrilled to open up the house to hackers and surveillance.” and worse.

Two years ago we got new AC’s and heaters for our home, and our contractor recommended the Nest for the area we spend most of our time. He said never to connect it to our wife, or we would be inviting thugs/thieves and worse into our home re controlling its temps and knowing when we were not home.

He apparently had some drive by wifi thugs get control of the Nests in two house he had refabbed. They caused all sorts of problems from turning on the heat or ac when not needed.


4 posted on 08/08/2016 9:57:29 AM PDT by Grampa Dave ((My passion for freedom is stronger than that of Democrats whose obsession is to enslave me.))
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To: Grampa Dave

Typos can be funny sometimes.


5 posted on 08/08/2016 9:58:47 AM PDT by garyb
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To: garyb

Auto correct with some apps can be funny or not so!


6 posted on 08/08/2016 10:01:21 AM PDT by Grampa Dave ((My passion for freedom is stronger than that of Democrats whose obsession is to enslave me.))
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To: corkoman

And then if she can drive him to the hardware store that would be gravy. THAT is a scary Mr. Magoo episode each time.

...

Is he driving? I remember Mr. Magoo driving in the opening credits. ROADHOG!


7 posted on 08/08/2016 10:05:01 AM PDT by Moonman62 (Make America Great Again!)
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To: C19fan

As we get more and more automated stuff in our homes centralized control gets to be a better and better idea. I spent 20 minutes yesterday trying to find the control for our irrigation system, nondescript grey boxes are everywhere. Of course that centralized control needs to be done competently.


8 posted on 08/08/2016 10:06:23 AM PDT by discostu (If you need to load or unload go to the white zone, you'll love it, it's a way of life)
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To: Grampa Dave

That sounds like a problem with the Nest. They need to improve their security. Biggest problem with the internet of things idea is all the appliance companies have never thought about security before and see their connection as just another control surface.


9 posted on 08/08/2016 10:08:40 AM PDT by discostu (If you need to load or unload go to the white zone, you'll love it, it's a way of life)
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To: C19fan

Correct...this is a perfect way to setup a home infiltration.
Plus, since you are pass the router, you have access to anything on the WiFi.


10 posted on 08/08/2016 10:10:37 AM PDT by Zathras
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To: C19fan

Hmmm, does it come with photon torpedoes and phasers?


11 posted on 08/08/2016 10:11:34 AM PDT by AFreeBird (BEST. ELECTION. EVER!)
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To: C19fan; All

It’s an Imperial Spy Drone.

They always try to sell BIG BROTHER STUFF aS good thing why they spy on you.


12 posted on 08/08/2016 10:14:07 AM PDT by Enlightened1
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To: Grampa Dave

today autocorrect spelling

tomorrow autocorrect thoughts


13 posted on 08/08/2016 10:22:20 AM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: Grampa Dave

Just because Hillary can short circuit, doesn’t mean your wife will.


14 posted on 08/08/2016 10:26:31 AM PDT by sportutegrl
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To: discostu

I just recently got a Rachio smart irrigation system. The physical installation took me 10 minutes. There are no buttons on the panel, it just hooks up to the wifi and everything is controlled thru the app. I even have mine linked up with our Amazon Echo and can command it to “water Zone X for Y minutes” or “don’t water today”...very convenient.

The app interface is great, and when you do the initial setup it asks a series of questions for each zone, such as hours of sunlight per day, lawn slope vs sprinkler head (away from, flat, or towards), soil type, grass type, etc. It can make seasonal adjustments automatically, and it uses data from the nearest weather station to determine whether to skip a scheduled watering if it has already rained (or is expected to rain) that day. I even get an app alert when the water starts and when it finishes, or if it is skipped due to weather. (Any of these features can be overridden.)

I just installed it ~3 weeks ago, but I’m expecting to see big savings...I bet it pays for itself in a year or so!


15 posted on 08/08/2016 10:34:27 AM PDT by Zeppelin (Keep on FReepin' on...)
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To: discostu
A haiku:

Internet of Things?
More like the internet of
Armed home invasions

16 posted on 08/08/2016 10:35:52 AM PDT by T-Bone Texan (Don't be a lone wolf. Form up small leaderlesss cells ASAP !)
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To: C19fan

Ping me when it can handle commands like “Echo, electrocute that burglar”.


17 posted on 08/08/2016 10:37:03 AM PDT by Boogieman
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To: longtermmemmory

tomorrow autocorrect PC thoughts!

At times Google does this on what is not a PC search request.


18 posted on 08/08/2016 10:47:20 AM PDT by Grampa Dave ((My passion for freedom is stronger than that of Democrats whose obsession is to enslave me.))
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To: sportutegrl

Amazing how one wifi got through as wife and another was wifi.

My wife hates computers and texts with her Android smart phone to keep up with multiple family members and friends.

So, I’m responsible for maintaining her Android and its wifi for my wife.

No way, could we connect our Nest to my wife!:)


19 posted on 08/08/2016 11:22:27 AM PDT by Grampa Dave ((My passion for freedom is stronger than that of Democrats whose obsession is to enslave me.))
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To: garyb
My wifi wife hates typos and autocorrect.:)
20 posted on 08/08/2016 11:27:20 AM PDT by Grampa Dave ((My passion for freedom is stronger than that of Democrats whose obsession is to enslave me.))
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