I always listen to the voices.
https://parasearcher.blogspot.com/2019/01/amazons-evil-alexa-orders-murder.html?spref=fb&fbclid=IwAR1jsU8wEHd9eGNfXZbS_b1IPHecrUkdBfr1O7fKV-orweCwdAI7-4iPt8k
I knew it. I will never get one of these virtual assistants. Until Skynet goes online, at least. Then I won't have a choice.
My daughter bought one for my father over the holiday. We had a handful of people over to his house. The Alexa was in the next room. Even at distance, and in the middle of several robust conversations, Alexa could pick out commands given in a normal tone. Better hearing than my wife... who somehow hears everything.... that is creepy. :wow:
I got an Echo Dot about a year ago during the Amazon Christmas sale. I use it for weather, sports scores, and sleep sounds. It works quite well and was cheap. I've never noticed it triggering uncalled for. In fact, sometimes you have to yell at it to get it to wake up (like a teenager). But we also don't have anyone in the house whose name is anything close to Alexia and you have to use that word to trigger any other command. My wife uses it to play audiobooks when she is doing other stuff and it can play anything you have on Audible and any music purchases you may have made.
Given the price and the (so far) reliability, I've been pretty happy with it. Most of these things can be done with a smart phone, but I don't have a smart phone. Your phone is the real Skynet tracking and survaliance device.
Except my phone isn't listening to my conversations and broadcasting what I do in the shower.
My in laws have an Alexa, and their youngest daughter is also Alexa.
Shenanigans abound every day with that combo.
I got an Echo Dot for free with my doorbell camera just before Christmas. It sits in my man cave... far away from the shower...
I've only used it for time checks and weather so far as I don't have a Prime account so no music or books for it to read/play.
What really interests me about the device is what this guy is doing:
https://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/2105895/alexagoogle-voice-rule-bot-framework-ready-ive-lov/page/1
https://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/2101595/saturday-morning-solo-wargaming-using-alexa-google/page/1
:o :D O0
I can testify that Dad's Echo can and will activate randomly when it hears what sounds like a trigger. We're still not even sure what the trigger is! -- I'm unsure if Dad has ever used the thing on purpose. He has enough other electronic stuff at hand that the thing is completely redundant. (Bro got it for him last Thanksgivingish for his birthday.)
I can testify that whatever my Echo hears me doing or saying, it will become mighty bored really fast.
What I would like to do is get one of each and let them call each other "Bitch". It would be just like being back with my 'Ex' and her sister. :bd: