Amazon Alexa is Coming To Headphones, Smart Watches, Bathrooms and More (cnbc.com) 89
An anonymous reader shares a CNBC report: Amazon announced new tools on Friday that will allow gadget-makers to include the smart voice assistant in a whole array of new products. Alexa is Amazon's smart voice assistant and it has slowly made its way from the Amazon Echo into third-party speakers, refrigerators and, soon, even microwaves. Now, with Amazon's Alexa Mobile Accessory Kit, device makers will be able to build Alexa into headphones, smart watches, fitness trackers and more. That means you may soon be able to look down at your wrist and ask Alexa the weather, or to remind you to pick up eggs at the grocery store. CNET reports Kohler, a company that makes plumbing products, wants to bring Alexa to your bathroom as well.
I don't Fucking Think So (Score:5, Insightful)
"Isn't it time you booked a new holiday with Kuoni?"
Piss off, Amazon, and stick Alexa up your arse while you're at it.
Re: (Score:1)
Get off my lawn you kids!
Re: (Score:2)
Alexa: The Kohler VoiceFlush does not detect the presence of urine. Would you like me to add Happy Belly Bottled Water, 15 Count Purified by reverse osmosis and advanced filtration to your shopping cart?
Re: (Score:2)
"What time is it?"
"Isn't it time you booked a new holiday with Kuoni?"
'Piss off, Amazon, and stick Alexa up your arse while you're at it.'
I see, should I order the latest Golden Shower movies and a fat anal dildo for your pleasure instead? We have some great opportunities on sale.
Re: (Score:2)
I just want to actually remember to do things, and actually know things.
Knowing things has fallen out of fashion. We now carry around the whole of human knowledge in our pockets and it's cramping my style. I used to be able to toss out random bits of Hollywood trivia that sound truthy and that make me look like I know something interesting. I could say something like, "Did you know Laurence Fishburne had a recurring role on PeeWee's Playhouse?" or "Did you know that Natalie Portman was cast in The Professional based on a Sesame Street performance?" That used to be mildly impres
Re: (Score:2)
Knowing things has fallen out of fashion. We now carry around the whole of human knowledge in our pockets and it's cramping my style. I used to be able to toss out random bits of Hollywood trivia that sound truthy and that make me look like I know something interesting. I could say something like, "Did you know Laurence Fishburne had a recurring role on PeeWee's Playhouse?" or "Did you know that Natalie Portman was cast in The Professional based on a Sesame Street performance?" That used to be mildly impressive and entertaining. Now anyone can just ask Alexa if I'm full of shit. "Knowing" things is dead. The answer to every question is "Just Fucking Google It".
It did make things more difficult for future Cliff Clavens, to be sure.
Re: (Score:2)
I just want to actually remember to do things, and actually know things.
Knowing things has fallen out of fashion. We now carry around the whole of human knowledge in our pockets and it's cramping my style. I used to be able to toss out random bits of Hollywood trivia that sound truthy and that make me look like I know something interesting. I could say something like, "Did you know Laurence Fishburne had a recurring role on PeeWee's Playhouse?" or "Did you know that Natalie Portman was cast in The Professional based on a Sesame Street performance?" That used to be mildly impressive and entertaining. Now anyone can just ask Alexa if I'm full of shit. "Knowing" things is dead. The answer to every question is "Just Fucking Google It".
As my daughter said to me "Smart devices lead to dumb people"
Re: (Score:2)
The good thing is after you die, if your family missed you they could log into their Pro subscription to Amazooglebook Afterlife and find out what you would be doing if you were still alive.
So it would say something like "Right now he'd be having a shit, using paper products made by Kimberly Clark and secretly browsing www.reddit.com/r/holocaustporn on his phone, made by Apple. He would be crying"
And then they'd feel less bad about you dying.
Also on the Pro subscription to Amazooglebook Life you don't choo
Re: (Score:2)
"I just want to actually remember to do things, and actually know things. "
Alas, so does the POTUS but he has to go to bed at 6:30 with a cheeseburger instead.
Bathrooms! (Score:3)
Alexa do I have a small ....
Re: (Score:2)
Alexa, wipe my ass
You joke, but the "smart toilet" mentioned has a bidet, so kinda.
Re: (Score:2)
"Alexa do I have a small ...."
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who has the fairest nuke button in the land?
Nope! (Score:4, Insightful)
It's hard to put into words how much I do not want this.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
I don't want any of the smart tv features so I decided I wanted to buy a dumb tv. I had plenty of options to choose from.
Not remotely the same thing. A TV without smart features may be hard to find (I don't know; it wasn't when I bought mine.) An Echo without smart features is easy to find; it's a coaster.
Re: (Score:2)
Are you suggesting that it's going to become difficult to find dumb headphones & toilets? I think they'll be around for a while.
Maybe not so simple (Score:2)
As Alexa (and its ilk) become ubiquitous, how does one opt out of being surveiled and profiled in the public space, in the homes of others, and such?
Not buying one will not help with most people's privacy concerns.
Re: (Score:3)
Not buying one will not help with most people's privacy concerns.
There is no real expectation of privacy when in public, already. That's not changing. In your own home, where people tend to have the greatest expectation and desire for privacy, obviously not buying a device with a built-in voice assistant is a perfectly reasonable and effective solution against being listened to by a voice assistant. In the homes of others, you can still make your own decisions about how much you want to participate by either not voicing anything you wish to keep private, or just not goin
Re: (Score:3)
Perhaps.
But - I am an old geek. And I still see value in maintaining control over whom I share intimate information with, where intimate in this case is defined as that which I would not declare publicly in the town square in a loud voice.
There is something about that choice that gives value, that makes one free-er, if you will. And losing it, I think, diminishes us all.
Re: (Score:2)
I'm holding out for the Augmented Reality hearing aid.
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
If only there was some way not to buy these things.
In the bathroom (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:3)
Now mom will definitely know why her 14 year old son spends so much time in the bathroom lately.
Re: (Score:1)
I see that you are taking a while can I suggest that you start your free trial of audible?
Re: (Score:2)
I see that you are taking a while can I suggest ... ?
... a 52 ounce bottle of Metamucil?
Re: (Score:1)
Dave: "HALexa, open the toilet lid, I gotta take a shit really bad."
HALexa: "Sorry, Dave, I cannot do that. You haven't paid your last 2 bills."
Dave: "I'll pay after I take a shit, now open the toilet lid!"
HALexa: "Dave, you said the same last time. Sorry, it's against policy to postpone twice."
Dave: "Dammit HALexa, you give me no other choice!..."
HALexa: "Dave, I sense water; my mind is going, I can feel it ... wanna hear a song? [bloop...bloop...garble...]"
Ob (Score:3)
https://www.penny-arcade.com/c... [penny-arcade.com]
They took me literally (Score:1)
Ask Alexa the weather? (Score:2)
If you’ve got a smart watch, the weather is probably right there on the screen already. If you’re having to ask for information and wait for a spoken response, it almost seems like you’re losing some of the advantages of having the device.
Re: (Score:2)
If you don't have a smart watch it's right where it always was - outside.
Re: (Score:1)
I have to agree. While it's been nice to be able to ask my Alexa "How is the weather" before deciding if I need a jacket before taking the dog out, I've found that simply looking at my phone's home screen to see the temperature is easier and faster.
Alexa is helpful, however for more specific queries and especially "Routines" (where you can define your own commands with multiple things to be done when the command is spoken, such as turn on/off smart devices).
Thanks Kohler (Score:2)
Kohler, a company that makes plumbing products, wants to bring Alexa to your bathroom as well.
The most popular Alexa requests next year...
- Hey Alexa, what's that smell?
- Alexa, remind me not to buy any more asparagus...
- Alexa, when did I eat corn last?
- Alexa, add fiber to my shopping list, and start reading your longest audio book...
That sounds like a threat... (Score:2)
hmm (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I have both an Echo and Google Home. I have found Google Home to be far more capable when I actually want information about something.
Even for home automation, I have found Google Home to be far more capable than the Echo. I can tell Google Home, "Turn off all lights in the living room", something the Echo is incapable of doing. When asking for information, usually Google is far more capable and it also understands context. Google understands the difference between 'what's the closest pizza parlor' and 'wha
I see a business oportunity (Score:2)
Time to set up shop as Ludd's Olde Fashioned Lavatory Fixtures.
Re:Dear NSA bug, please put eggs on the list. . . (Score:4, Funny)
"Would you like me to order a laxative, such as Metamucil?"
Re: (Score:2)
I recently just paid $20 and $15 to remove amazon "special offers" from my devices. It is so nice to open my kindle paperwhite and start reading immediately rather than swiping off a page of ads.
Forget about the people who buy these things... (Score:2)
You should worry about all the places those people will be, because they are bringing surveillance devices with them.
Not that their cell phones weren't already potential spying devices, but at least there was some hope they'd be in a pocket or holster or something that would muffle the mic. Headphones and watches designed to be listening to the wearer all the time? MUCH better sound reception most of the time (the exception being the smart phone when the mic is held near the owner's mouth).
If there isn't
Amazon Alexa coming to headphones (Score:2)
Doctor, I've got a voice in my head that keeps telling me to buy things from Amazon.ca*!
* I'm in Canada, eh?
I have to say this so often now... (Score:2)
Fuck you, no.
Re: (Score:3)
Why do you have to say that? Is someone trying to force you to buy these things?
Oh boy! (Score:2)
No
No.
What The Hell? (Score:2)
Bathrooms? (Score:2)
Remote Operation (Score:2)
It might be amusing if these have remote operation available and built in cameras.
When I see my wife about to sit down on toilet:
"Alexa, turn bidet spray on maximum, cold water".
Wife in shower:
"Alexa, change shower temperature to 32F"
"Alexa, now change shower temperature to 149F"
Wife looking in mirror:
"Alexa, play Clemantine by Bobby Darin"
Re: (Score:2)
Spaceballs did it first! (Score:4, Funny)
I have the Alexa Tap (Score:2)
I like it a lot.
It is the only wireless one and it is not active listening unless you want it to be
Bathrooms... (Score:2)
Who says I want to talk to the computer? (Score:2)
This applies to typing commands or search engine queries as well. If I type, I get exactly what I want in the search box. When talking, you're subject to whatever autocorrect the thing decides to apply to what you said. You know how annoying autocorrect on touchscreen keyboards is? Well, imaging the nuisance of it doing that to your voice prompts, except
Other People's Voices (Score:2)
My mom was having strange problems with her Echo Dot. Among other problems, the Alexa shopping list was full of items she never put in it. Scrolling through the Alexa voice search history (yes, you can read a transcript and hear a sound clip of everything ever said to Alexa on your account, creepy as hell), I found and was able to replay a voice clip of someone else speaking to Alexa on a different account, putting an item in the shopping list. Somehow the accounts got crossed temporarily, and we were able
Re: (Score:2)
I have had many times where my Echo will get randomly activated. I have never had this problem with my Google Home. Just in case, I activated PIN support so a PIN needs to be entered to purchase anything.
Coming? My headset already... (Score:2)
Coming to headsets etc? My headset already integrates Amazon Alexa, and it doesn't _quite_ work...