Alexa - application to have it listening all the time... here we go

[Zak33]

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-s...-a8300246.html

They're after "key words" for advertising, 24/7

The patent suggests that the Alexa of the future could listen out for specific words such as “love” or “hate”. The device could then listen to what people like or don’t like – and suggest they buy things, presumably through Amazon, on that basis.

If someone mentions they want to go on a journey to Paris, for instance, an ad might pop up suggesting the travel site they could book it from. If they say that they are looking to go to a particular restaurant on a particular day, it might ‘whisper’ that there is a table available.

genius

/keeps eyes open at local dump for the new "Alexa skip"

[Smudger]

If you say you could murder a curry, does it add Stabbing Knives to your basket, or book you a table at the Mumtaj?

Or just call the police?

[peterb]

It could be a precautionary patent to stop Google or Facebook filing for the same thing - although Facebook is under the spotlight so its more likely to stop or delay Googe whose core business is data analysis for advertising.

Maybe Saracen ha a point after all!

[Ttaskmaster]

I think my phone did this the other week.
Round a friend's house, he mentioned that he wanted to get a mat for his swivel chair. Monday morning, I see Amazon ads for just such a mat.

Crazy part is that I believe everything like voice recognition is all deactivated. It's an old phone too, so I didn't think it even had that facility.

I've certainly not installed anything like Alexa... or Siri... or Cortana... or Bixby, Alice, Evi, Lucinda, Rosanna, Roxanne, Michelle, Alison, Sarah, Angie, Brandy, Mandy, Gloria, Cecilia, Maggie May, Jessica, Nancy, Barbara Ann, Billie Jean, Layla, Lola, Polly, Helena, Jenny From the Block.... Sherry, Laura, Wendy, Maria, Peggy Sue, Minnie the Moocher.... Tracy, Jean, Jane, Mary Ann, Eleanor Rigby.

[Saracen]

/keeps eyes open at local dump for the new "Alexa skip"

EgZakkly.

After the FB/CA furore, hearings, etc, you have to admire the hutzpah of the timing, though.

[Saracen]

I think my phone did this the other week.
Round a friend's house, he mentioned that he wanted to get a mat for his swivel chair. Monday morning, I see Amazon ads for just such a mat.

Crazy part is that I believe everything like voice recognition is all deactivated. It's an old phone too, so I didn't think it even had that facility.

I've certainly not installed anything like Alexa... or Siri... or Cortana... or Bixby, Alice, Evi, Lucinda, Rosanna, Roxanne, Michelle, Alison, Sarah, Angie, Brandy, Mandy, Gloria, Cecilia, Maggie May, Jessica, Nancy, Barbara Ann, Billie Jean, Layla, Lola, Polly, Helena, Jenny From the Block.... Sherry, Laura, Wendy, Maria, Peggy Sue, Minnie the Moocher.... Tracy, Jean, Jane, Mary Ann, Eleanor Rigby.

No, but have you checked out the t&c's for your Kylie app?

[Pob255]

The thing I find funny is that all of these things are basically a logical extension of Clippit, remember that? the ms office paperclip.
Universally reviled, but swap the animated icon for an audio voice, give it even more banal functions and people love it?

Some times I just don't get humanity

And then someone tries to monetise it and the world falls back into place.

[Ttaskmaster]

No, but have you checked out the t&c's for your Kylie app?

Ha - I Should Be So Lucky!

I Was Gonna Cancel that app On A Night Like This, because What Kind Of Fool Wouldn''t Change A Thing? It's Never Too Late and I Got To Be Certain, but Give Me Just A Little More Time to check which of the settings are The One I need.... All I See are timer icons Spinning Around - so What Do I Have To Do, anyway?

Please Stay and advise, maybe Put Yourself In My Place - how do I make it Step Back In Time, again?

[TeePee]

If you say you could murder a curry, does it add Stabbing Knives to your basket, or book you a table at the Mumtaj?

Or just call the police?

It could, certainly be a witness: https://www.cnn.com/2017/03/07/tech/...ase/index.html

(Charges were later dropped).

[Phage]

I always use the OCUK marketplace as barometer for what is not 'working' for people.
Currently full of Smart watches, VR bits and thousands of Alexa, Siri and other what have you

[Saracen]

Ha - I Should Be So Lucky!

I Was Gonna Cancel that app On A Night Like This, because What Kind Of Fool Wouldn''t Change A Thing? It's Never Too Late and I Got To Be Certain, but Give Me Just A Little More Time to check which of the settings are The One I need.... All I See are timer icons Spinning Around - so What Do I Have To Do, anyway?

Please Stay and advise, maybe Put Yourself In My Place - how do I make it Step Back In Time, again?

I knew it. I always had you pegged for a closet Kylie-ite

[Zak33]

Ha - I Should Be So Lucky!

I Was Gonna Cancel that app On A Night Like This, because What Kind Of Fool Wouldn''t Change A Thing? It's Never Too Late and I Got To Be Certain, but Give Me Just A Little More Time to check which of the settings are The One I need.... All I See are timer icons Spinning Around - so What Do I Have To Do, anyway?

Please Stay and advise, maybe Put Yourself In My Place - how do I make it Step Back In Time, again?

that..was... genius

[Ttaskmaster]

I always use the OCUK marketplace as barometer for what is not 'working' for people. Currently full of Smart watches, VR bits and thousands of Alexa, Siri and other what have you

OCUK has a good number of people who either buy things they can't afford, and/or get bored very quickly. I've benefited rather well off some of them... including the one who only wanted an X79 to see what OC he could get and then got rid of it, and the guy who bought a DK1, DK2, CV1 and Vive to see which he preferred, before flogging them all once he got a Vive Pro.

I knew it. I always had you pegged for a closet Kylie-ite

Pegged... in what sense, exactly? This is a family forum, you know!!

that..was... genius

That was... boredom.... and five minutes on Google. But thanks, though!

[Pob255]

that..was... genius

But was it just genius or diabolical evil genius?

[TheAnimus]

A friend got an Alexa and was showing it off whilst we were having dinner at their place.

Alexa, order a <description of a novelty marital aid>

To be fair, it found a match!

[johnroe]

I find it interesting, if you said to the general public; we want to put cameras and microphones all over your house(smart speakers, smart tvs with cameras, children's toys, baby monitors, doorbells and even robot vacuums with cameras) and collate information on you, there would be an outcry about civil or human rights.

And with 16 million smart speakers shipped in the last quarter of 2017, and 56 million units this year(projected), it just shows you how ubiquitos smart devices are becoming. But because it's packaged as essential to our lives, and those without 'smart' devices are perceived as having lower social status, people don't seem to see the potential intrusion by companies sharing data, and hackers who easily access these smart devices.