Post: #1

So, I was lucky enough to get one of these Amazon Echo things.









Its actually pretty useful as a personal assistant.
The commercial is lame as fuck, but its pretty legit
I think Amazon could have better marketed as a really good bluetooth speaker and music player.

The speaker is really high quality.
On half volume, it can easily fill a large room in my house. Even on high volume, the sound doesn't get distorted.
You can have it play custom playlist, specific artist, radio stations..
IT doesn't seem to be able to play specific songs unless you already own them though.

Has anyone else been lucky enough to get one of these? or plan too.
I have no idea when they will come out for the general public
http://www.amazon.com/oc/echo

Post: #2

There are barely any great reviews on this thing since

Apparently their are feminist that don't like computers having women's voice
http://www.reddit.com/r/Feminism/comment...zons_echo/

Quote:The default voices of Siri[1] , Ok Google[2] , and now Amazon's Echo[3] are female. While the voices are pleasant, I do feel somewhat uncomfortable that this is the go-to way of presenting a tool that is literally at one's beck and call. Does this default feminization of a voice activated servant reinforce ideas that women are there to serve?

Would defaulting to a male voice suggest different ideas about what technology and service can do for us?

Post: #3

Alexa how are you any better than a $20 Bluetooth speaker?

Post: #4

So basically a physical Siri?

(11-30-2014 04:39 PM)Sourcecode Wrote:  There are barely any great reviews on this thing since

Apparently their are feminist that don't like computers having women's voice
http://www.reddit.com/r/Feminism/comment...zons_echo/

Quote:The default voices of Siri[1] , Ok Google[2] , and now Amazon's Echo[3] are female. While the voices are pleasant, I do feel somewhat uncomfortable that this is the go-to way of presenting a tool that is literally at one's beck and call. Does this default feminization of a voice activated servant reinforce ideas that women are there to serve?

Would defaulting to a male voice suggest different ideas about what technology and service can do for us?

Oh, for the love of . . .

Post: #5

(11-30-2014 05:59 PM)aSimpNamedBrokeback Wrote:  Alexa how are you any better than a $20 Bluetooth speaker?

20 Dollar speaker isn'y filling a small auditorium with sound and not distorting songs.
The small sub woofer inside it makes a lot of base also

Post: #6

I put in my request to get one but haven't gotten the invite. I'm looking forward to it, seems pretty cool.

Post: #7

I don't mind answering any questions about the item. considering there aren't many around

Post: #8

What do you have to do to get one?

Post: #9

God that advert made me want to throw something through a window or engage in another anti-social behaviour.

Post: #10

(12-01-2014 10:19 AM)Valhalla Wrote:  What do you have to do to get one?

It seems like you just have to send a request on the page and hope they send you one.

I straight got an email about a week ago, linking me to the page.

It said that the link was only good for so many days...So I went ahead and bought one.
I've also been a Prime member for over 4 years though.

Post: #11

(11-30-2014 04:39 PM)Sourcecode Wrote:  Apparently their are feminist that don't like computers having women's voice
http://www.reddit.com/r/Feminism/comment...zons_echo/

Well, that's just a random thread at reddit. Considering the number of replies the feminist mods censored, this viewpoint is pretty extreme even for posters there.

For the record: We have known since the 1960s that female voices are more effective than male voices for spoken word interfaces; both man and women respond better to a woman's voice (source: Stephen E. Whitfield, The Making of Star Trek, when they discuss why they made the computer's voice a woman's voice in the series).

Post: #12

(11-30-2014 04:39 PM)Sourcecode Wrote:  There are barely any great reviews on this thing since

Apparently their are feminist that don't like computers having women's voice
http://www.reddit.com/r/Feminism/comment...zons_echo/

Quote:The default voices of Siri[1] , Ok Google[2] , and now Amazon's Echo[3] are female. While the voices are pleasant, I do feel somewhat uncomfortable that this is the go-to way of presenting a tool that is literally at one's beck and call. Does this default feminization of a voice activated servant reinforce ideas that women are there to serve?

Would defaulting to a male voice suggest different ideas about what technology and service can do for us?

off topic, but:

She invalidates her argument before she even presents it. They are used that way because they are pleasant. They are calming. They reduce stress.

When I was in the infantry we had computers in our vehicles that had a map showing the real time location of friendly units in the area. If a unit was in contact, they could add an enemy icon on the location of the enemy forces and we would all see it. Anytime an enemy icon popped up in our area the computer blasted out "Warning, enemy in area. Warning, enemy in area" in a sweet calm feminine voice.Especially after a year of not having sex it would you go "Awwwwww that's nice guys, theres an enemy in the area.", and then you would make calm collected decisions about what actions to take.

A womans voice is used because it is calming and pleasant to hear, which they should be proud about, not because its the newest secret weapon in the arms locker of misogyny. One again, just a feminist grasping at a straw while ignoring the actual ocean of real problems facing the female sex.

Post: #13

So it has a microphone that is always on, always listening and connected to the internet. I will pass.

Post: #14

Thats true.
The microphone is always on waiting for the wake word.
But what do you really have to hide? Of course its a "privacy concern" but what are you saying that is truly private..what are you typing, that is really private.

Its gonna be boring as fuck listening to me in my room..

Post: #15

(12-01-2014 05:30 PM)Sourcecode Wrote:  Thats true.
The microphone is always on waiting for the wake word.
But what do you really have to hide? Of course its a "privacy concern" but what are you saying that is truly private..what are you typing, that is really private.

Its gonna be boring as fuck listening to me in my room..

Well, what if you're chatting on the phone to a friend on your cellphone and making a stupid joke about wishing some nightclub would just blow up already. Next thing you know Homeland Security will bust down your door.

Post: #16

Interesting. Can you set it to record audio at certain time? And if so, do you have to tell it to stop or preface the command with an end time?

Might be useful to guard against false rape claims. Invite some bishes over and play a bit of music or something. Tell it to record your dates joke or something like that. Then bang. If you have problems, then you have the bang, with her telling you to fuck her harder/etc, on record without looking like a skeaze who set a hidden camera. Maybe you can even claim you didn't know it was recording until later, cause it is a new device???

Post: #17

You cant have it record any audio yet. Im hoping they let you record voice notes.. but They woould probably be uploaded automatically to the cloud.
It can be controlled to a point through an app that is on all platforms.
When you tell it to make list and such. it syncs it to the app

It also cant listen to music and tell you the song
Im sure if they added that feature it would be just like shazam,soundhound or the androad version.

Post: #18

So I just received an invite to purchase the Echo after signing up when I saw this thread. However, when I go to check out it tells me it 'usually ships within 4 to 6 months'!

I'm not about to pay $100 for this thing, which I'm not particularly sold on although it seems pretty cool, only to get it in July when an improved, full commercial version may be available. Does anyone else have any experience with this sort of shipping delay? Is it worth buying anyway? Reviews are mixed but there seem to be updates forthcoming

Post: #19

Anyone remember when Homer buys a talking Astolabe instead of xmas presents?

Post: #20

(11-30-2014 04:39 PM)Sourcecode Wrote:  There are barely any great reviews on this thing since

Apparently their are feminist that don't like computers having women's voice
http://www.reddit.com/r/Feminism/comment...zons_echo/

Quote:The default voices of Siri[1] , Ok Google[2] , and now Amazon's Echo[3] are female. While the voices are pleasant, I do feel somewhat uncomfortable that this is the go-to way of presenting a tool that is literally at one's beck and call. Does this default feminization of a voice activated servant reinforce ideas that women are there to serve?

Would defaulting to a male voice suggest different ideas about what technology and service can do for us?

The reddit poster's name for that post is TheRedWhale

I think that answers it all.

Post: #21

Looks cool.

Post: #22

The high quality speaker. The bass is extremely strong for its size. It rivals some products that cost twice as much or are bigger.

Being Bluetooth, you can sync it to anything.
I have my laptop plugged in by HDMI and then connected by Bluetooth. You phase place it above the TV and it's great..

That and the fact that it pulls from tune in radio, I heart radio and amazon music

It'll play custom playlist or make new ones for damn near any artist.
It's great fit setting the mood.

I can say, I use mine everyday as a speaker.
Not as much as a personal assistant.
As far as the personal assistant feature.. I tell it to set alarms to remind me when stuff like the laundry is done.. Or when I need to get out the door

I'm a heavy sleeper.. And the stock alarm style is to ambient to wake me.

4 to 6 months is crazy. Maybe you missed the first big shipment. And they sold out.

Post: #23

I got the same invite, 4-6 months shipping. Seems they have gone to a Phase II release or something.

You can return it if you don't like it. I went ahead and ordered it so let's see what happens.

Post: #24

I don't mind taking actual video of how the thing works.
I feel like that might give a better understanding of the system as opposed to the stock advertisement video.

I always ask chicks, "what do you wanna listen to?"
When they tell me an artist i say. "don't ask me... ask alexa" (thats the name that amazon gives the item)
The girl says.. "alexa... play..taylor swift"

Then she gets all excited and the night goes on

Post: #25

Wow..Its interesting that this still hasnt been dropped to the public

They have already dropped 2 small updates for it