General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWe had Alexa play us some music yesterday for dinner.
I also had her set a few timers while I was cooking. Then, I thought I'd try something. After saying, "Alexa, stop." to shut off a timer, I said, "Alexa, thank you." I wondered what she was programmed to say when someone says that.
She said, "You bet, George." I had forgotten that she asked for my name during the initial voice training.
Alexa is well-programmed. Little children think she's a real person, pretty much. They don't discriminate between her and real people. They say, "Alexa, play Frozen." And Alexa plays the soundtrack music.
Scary, but pretty cool. Alexa is always listening, waiting for you to ask something of her.
5X
(3,971 posts)Does it learn more facts and news?
MineralMan
(146,189 posts)Alexa can't answer a lot of them. If I ask Google the same hard questions, at least I get a web page with the answer. They're different things, but it's interesting to compare them. I haven't tried Siri, because my wife always has her iPhone with her.
Alexa can quickly tell you the weather where you are immediately, but doesn't do well if you ask about the weather somewhere else by using a zip code or city and state name. So, there are limits to the capabilities. I expect it will get better over time, though.
5X
(3,971 posts)or maybe all at once if thousands of users could agree on a plan.
JHB
(37,128 posts)Needs the voice of either Douglas Rain or Majel Barrett.
PoindexterOglethorpe
(25,746 posts)Maybe somewhere down the road I'll change my mind, but right now I have zero interest in a device that is always listening to me.
MineralMan
(146,189 posts)I suspect that if you ask a question that the current Alexa can't answer, that question is captured and looked at. If it's easy to answer, a little coding will let Alexa answer that if it's ever asked again.
But, nobody cares what you talk about. Alexa is listening, but only for you to say "Alexa." It has to listen or it wouldn't work. But there's nobody analyzing the nonsense you talk about in your home. I can't imagine anything more boring.
Keep in mind that Alexa can be shut off if you're plotting the overthrow of the government or something like that. Just pull the power cord.
I'm interested in how they're using AI to make the thing useful to people. That's what interests me.
PoindexterOglethorpe
(25,746 posts)would somehow be brought to the attention of the proper authorities. Personally, I try to do all my plotting under a Cone of Silence.
orleans
(33,986 posts)"But there's nobody analyzing the nonsense you talk about in your home. I can't imagine anything more boring."
love it! i'm still smiling.
btw--i agree one hundred percent
blueinredohio
(6,797 posts)The overlords are putting in their earplugs.
mr_lebowski
(33,643 posts)Some fun ones:
"Alexa, how was your day?" (she's got lots fun answers on this one)
"Alexa, tell me something interesting" (you can do this one all day lol)
"Alexa, tell me a 'yo mama' joke" (she knows many, all of them nice towards your mom)
"Alexa, more cowbell!" (it helps if you know the SNL skit)
"Alexa, Who's on First?"
"Alexa, Self-Destruct!"
"Alexa, Beam Me Up!"
"Alexa, up up down down left right left right B A start" (a famous cheat code for original Nintendo)
"Alexa, surely you can't be serious?"
"Alexa, do you know the Muffin Man?"
nolabear
(41,915 posts)Really! Coming soon. You can get G or R rated. 😃
handmade34
(22,755 posts)but interesting that when I went to the dentist last month (broke a tooth and needed a new one ) the dentist and tech used Alexa, primarily for timing
yonder
(9,631 posts)That's what scares me as this old Luddite cluelessly posts on his wi-fi enabled device.
It's that unknown, never-off A.I. lurking and waiting, patiently waiting......
CentralMass
(15,265 posts)However, i have an Echo Dot sitting a few feet away from me. They are pretty amazing.
teach1st
(5,928 posts)Article from VentureBeat, 8/3: Amazon lets Alexa users disable human voice recording review
Bloomberg reported in April that Amazon uses human annotators and reviewers to verify Alexa language understanding interpretation, news that drew the ire of privacy advocates and the wider public. Since then, news reports have highlighted similar practices by other tech giants.
The article goes on to explain settings so that humans don't read listen to your commands and how to delete previous voice commands. Doing so (I did) entails clicking warnings that you will reduce Alexa's responsiveness to your voice, but in my experience not by much, if any. And, just to be safe, I never ask Alexa for the current street price of crystal or for the plans and equipment necessary to storm the castle.
Besides timers, alarms, weather, and traffic (Alexa, how's my commute?), one of Alexa's most helpful services is finding my phone when I've misplaced it (Alexa, where's my phone?).
NRaleighLiberal
(59,940 posts)Echo in our room connected to a blue tooth speaker playing good sleep music. wife has one in her sewing room.
Could care less who is listening, if they indeed are.
jpak
(41,741 posts)Just sayin'
PBC_Democrat
(401 posts)- Thunderstorms
- Rain
- Ocean Waves
- Babbling Brook
- Fireplace
- Airplane
- Fan
- Oscillating Fan
- City
- Rainforest
- Train
- Crickets
- Frogs
- Birds
- Clock
- Cat
- Vacuum
- Pink Noise
- Brown Noise
- White Noise
- Wind
- Windy Leaves
- Windy Trees
- Rain on a Tin Roof
- Rain on a Tent
- Light Rain
- Rain on a Window
- Distant Thunderstorm
- Shower
- Space Deck
- Hair Dryer
- Clothes Dryer
- Dishwasher
- Wind Chimes
- Whale
- Windy Meadow
- Heavy Rain
- Dripping Water
- Fountain
- Waterfall
- Forest Night
- Washing Machine
- Heartbeat
- Café
- Dream
- Blizzard
- Owl
- Underwater
MineralMan
(146,189 posts)Just for background sound.
SKKY
(11,770 posts)...turn the volume all the way up and say, Alexa, fart. From the 11 year-old inside of me, youre welcome.
sir pball
(4,726 posts)My cousin's husband looked a little guilty then admitted his son likes Sabbath and Slayer and asks for them on my aunt's Alexa when they're housesitting. Not sure if I'm OK with a 7-year old kid being down with it, but the look on my hyperconservative uncle's face was priceless!
We did avoid politics - I hadn't been there in four years, they were thrilled to have me, and, well, we can be civil.
uriel1972
(4,261 posts)sir pball
(4,726 posts)We pretty much all got a good chuckle out of it besides Uncle, but he wisely just drank his Coors Light..
Zorro
(15,691 posts)You can use Alexa to command the plugs to turn on lights that are plugged into them.
Those plugs are also handy when youre away. You can schedule them to turn the lights on/off to look like someone is home.