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Omg we just got Alexa

441 replies

reddressinggown · 17/11/2018 21:14

Tell me what fun things she does

This is freaky!

OP posts:
GotThatWhatWhat · 18/11/2018 09:30

@cad186 I've just asked - the response was:

"I've heard Father Christmas is wonderful. I've never met him but if I do I'll tell you"

Plays a strong game of logical fallacy this one...

LonelyandTiredandLow · 18/11/2018 09:31

whitecotton I'm hugely away of the targeted advertising and ability to listen in. However I can count the amount of adult conversations I have in her vicinity on one hand over a 6 month period. They usually involve homework worries for primary aged kids, lack of decent single men and possibly of interest the odd rant against Brexit. I'm not sure how (even if she did understand a whole sentance when I can barely get her to play the correct song with a one-word title) they could use this information other than to profile me. I give far more info to my friends on fb in a month than my Alexa would pick up in a year in my home. I've got ad blockers on every device I own and am cynical about why certain news pops up first etc. I'm sure there is something i'm missing but for now I can't say Alexa has influenced much in my life for the last 2 years since I've had her. Personally, I'd not integrate her with other appliances, but I also wouldn't have a washer dryer combo - more to go wrong.

BruegeITheElder · 18/11/2018 09:34

I don't think it's particularly "tin-foil hat" stuff to have privacy concerns with stuff like this. Thanks to Edward Snowden we know the US and UK governments have and use software that shows them almost everything a person does online, every website they ever visit, read their emails, facebook messages, etc.

Example regarding the xkeyscore program which the US, UK and most Western European goverments use:

An analyst has to enter only an individual e-mail address – along with a “justification” inserted into another field on the screen – to get a trove of personal e-mail sorted by time period, say analysts who reviewed the slides for the Monitor.

The program can also apparently determine which computers visited a website and when, as well as searching chats, usernames, buddy lists, and cookies. One slide in an XKeyscore document features corporate logos of a number of familiar online social media companies, saying the program lets analysts see “nearly everything a typical user does on the Internet.”

Another slide illustrates how an analyst can use the program to search “within bodies of e-mail, WebPages and documents.” Analysts using XKeyscore can also use a NSA tool called DNI Presenter "to read the content of Facebook chats or private messages”

Of course then you get into the civil liberties debate and the whole "why would the authorities care about me asking Alexa to fart, I'm not a criminal so they won't be tracking me anyway" etc. That's all personal choice and it's a debate that's been had a million times. But to act like someone would have to be crazy to see it as a privacy risk is just naive.

DrWhy · 18/11/2018 09:43

I don’t have an Alexa, partly due to privacy concerns and partly because I got the impression that for it to do anything very useful you had to spend a fortune on WiFi plugs and lights etc.
Some of the stuff here does sound quite useful though - especially reminders, daily updates and shopping lists.
I’m still not convinced though, how good is she at understanding ‘normal’ language - if I say, “set a reminder to put the bins out every Thursday at 7pm” will she ‘get’ that? Is there a way to integrate events and reminders with an Outlook calendar? We have Amazon Prime and Fire TV, can she work with that or do you have to have set up Spotify playlists? Can she work with other speaker systems like Sonus or does she only play through her own speakers?
Sorry, massive list of questions- basically she’d have to be pretty awesome for me to be willing to have her in my house!

lborgia · 18/11/2018 09:45

I just asked Google if she liked Alexa

"I like her cool blue light, and we both like Star Wars. She seems pretty smart"

Grin
MarklahMarklah · 18/11/2018 09:52

My friend has one. He uses it to get the weather forecast and for reminders to take his medication (he has health conditions both physical and mental).
We were talking on the phone and his Alexa chimed in, but he hadn't asked her anything. He's now also getting targeted ads on his PC (he'd phoned me to ask about going to a specific shop & when he switched on his PC, up popped an ad for that shop).
I'll stick to music from CDs/my memory stick, turning my own lights/heating on etc. for now.
I can see the advantages for people with less mobility, but it's not for me.

MotherofTerriers · 18/11/2018 09:53

I've wondered about getting one. I have Amazon Prime, and spotify. I don't really understand how it can control the tv or the lights. Which probably means I shouldn't buy one.

Whitecottonsheets · 18/11/2018 10:08

These gadgets are a gateway into your homes, ultimately the tech companies want you to have a ‘smart home’ with all of your household appliances (heating, microwaves,lighting etc etc) connected so they will know exactly what you do in your home and when.
By making the gadgets cheap they encourage more people to make that first step- to get you hooked so you want to get more and more of these smart devices. The more gadgets, the more information- all of it feeds into their algorithms to make them more accurate and therefore their data more valuable other businesses.
And making them appealing to children is like M cDonald’s using happy meals and Ronald mc Donald- child customers turn into adult customers who will see all of these smart gadgets as completely normal.
You are being sold a solution for a problem that doesn’t exist!
Apart from those with disabilities You don’t really need a gadget to turn the lights on or off, or play a song etc.

PivotPivotPIVOTTT · 18/11/2018 10:17

We got one this week. She really struggles to understand my Scottish accent. Very frustrating when playing the trivia game and I give my answer and it tells me I'm wrong, the answer is what I've just saidHmm. She point black ignores my 7 year old daughter cue crying and screaming "Alexa is so rude I hate her she's stupid".

Close to flinging it through the living room window.

I feel like I have to shout to get it to respond but I have it sat behind the TV so my 18 month old can't get to it. That can't be helping I suppose.

Whatsnewwithyou · 18/11/2018 10:20

I have an American accent an DH is Scottish. I sometimes havvto translate what he says so the alexa can understand it!

OliviaStabler · 18/11/2018 10:27

@Girlicorne

ask her to fart!! sorry very immature :-)

Brilliant! Never thought of asking her to do that. So funny .

PhilomenaButterfly · 18/11/2018 10:48

cad "I've heard Father Christmas is wonderful. I've never met him, but if I ever do, I'll tell you." 😆

Whistle73 · 18/11/2018 12:23

Seriously tempted - but which one should I get? The latest one appears to be cheaper? Why is that?

BabySharkDooDooDooDoo · 18/11/2018 12:25

Alexa is too creepy for my liking id rather not have her in my house lol

DameSquashalot · 18/11/2018 12:52

I didn't know Alexa was marketed as a problem solver. I thought it was just a fun thing to have. (That listens to all your convos)

madnessIsay · 18/11/2018 13:24

just bought an echo, i’m a bit tin foil so we shall see.

cad186 · 18/11/2018 13:37

Thanks for asking the Father Christmas question, that has put my mind at rest now!!😂

WTFIsAGleepglorp · 18/11/2018 14:18
LonelyandTiredandLow · 18/11/2018 14:20

IMO mobile phones are far worse - you take them EVERYWHERE with you - ppl even use them on the loo! You type in everything so it literally can't miss it or confuse what you have said because it isn't about accents, you look up websites, use passwords through it for social media/bills etc. It's odd how people assume that you would say all of this aloud in your house.

reddressinggown · 18/11/2018 14:23

Just risked asking if Santa was real

"All I know is someone has been eating my mince pies and he looks like the type"

OP posts:
ThatssomebadhatHarry · 18/11/2018 14:27

My friend has one and she said Alexa talks to herself in the other room and answers questions. That would freak me out.

babasaclover · 18/11/2018 14:47

Loving this. Had ours years but didn't know half of these!!!!

DameSquashalot · 18/11/2018 15:27

We've had ours around a year. She needs to clean out her ears! The morning c can be turned off if you're worried about info being passed on.

If you log in to Chrome, then stuff you search for on your phone will show on your laptop web history.

Switcherpoo · 18/11/2018 15:41

We use her for timing how many more minutes play until bedtime.

Regular alarms set for DS bedtime and reminder to pick up from hobbies. Blush

Spellings each week. Set a reminder with each word one minute apart. Do this at breakfast while you have 10 mins to shower. Grin

Check the weather for school shorts or trousers.

Turn on/off lights and heating. Hive. I'm disabled and also a bit lazy.

anothernameagain000 · 18/11/2018 15:59

Alexa play would you rather (very fun)

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