Amazon Echo

This commodity is about the American make of smart speakers adult by Amazon. For the acoustic phenomenon, encounter Echo.

Vocalisation command device from Amazon

Amazon Echo

Developer	Amazon
Manufacturer	Amazon
Blazon	Smart speaker
Release date	Nov 6, 2014
Operating system	Fire OS
Input	Vocalism commands
Website	Amazon Echo (Usa) Amazon Repeat (U.k.) Amazon Repeat (Ger) Amazon Echo (Bharat) Amazon Echo (France)

Amazon Repeat, often shortened to
Repeat, is an American brand of smart speakers developed by Amazon. Echo devices connect to the voice-controlled intelligent personal assistant service
Alexa, which volition answer when a user says “Alexa”. Users may change this
wake word
to “Amazon”, “Echo”, “Computer”, as well equally some other options.^[1]
[2]
The features of the device include voice interaction, music playback, making to-practise lists, setting alarms, streaming podcasts, and playing audiobooks, in addition to providing weather, traffic and other existent-time data. It can besides control several smart devices, acting as a home automation hub.

Amazon started developing Echo devices inside its Lab126 offices in Silicon Valley and in Cambridge, Massachusetts as early on equally 2010. The device represented ane of first attempts to expand its device portfolio across the Kindle east-reader.^[3]

Amazon initially express the kickoff-generation Echo to Amazon Prime members or just by invitation, merely information technology became widely available in the United States in mid 2015,^[4]
and subsequently in other countries. Additionally, the Alexa voice service is available to exist added to other devices, and Amazon encourages other companies’ devices and services to connect to it.^[5]

History

[edit]

Piece of work on the Amazon Echo began in 2011, known every bit “Project D”. It was named this considering the Kindle was Projection A and the Fire Phone was Project B. The Amazon Repeat was an offshoot of Project C. Project C is unknown, even though the work on information technology has stopped. The Amazon Repeat was originally supposed to be called the Amazon Wink. The wake word, the word that makes the device responsive, for the Echo used to exist “Amazon”. Both of these attributes were disliked by Lab126, the division of Amazon that conducts research and evolution and creates computer hardware. Lab126 believed that “Amazon” is also much of a commonly used word, and the device would react when it was non intended to. Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon, ended upward being influenced past Lab126 to change the name of the device to the Amazon Repeat and the wake word to “Alexa”.^[6]
The Amazon Repeat was originally pitched as only a smart speaker, it was non originally intended to be a smart home hub, as it is now, until later information technology was launched. As Alexa, the artificial intelligence (A.I.) that powers the Amazon Repeat, improved, the device became more of a controlling center for smart dwelling house appliances. Dave Isbitski, the chief developer evangelist for the Echo and Alexa, received calls from smart home manufacturers to discuss connecting their devices, afterward the release of the Amazon Echo. Only smart abode devices had a problem: people were not buying smart domicile devices because they frequently required an extra app in order to be used, which was not much better than but using the device manually.^[7]

The Amazon Echo (1st Generation) was initially released in March 2014 for Amazon Prime and invited members, and was marketed alongside the voice of the product, Alexa. Alexa is a vocalism associated with the Amazon Echo that will respond to questions and requests through bogus intelligence. Amazon has claimed that the vocalisation of Alexa was inspired by electronic communications systems featured in the television receiver series
Star Trek: The Original Series
and
Star Trek: The Next Generation.^[8]

The Echo featured prominently in Amazon’southward first Super Bowl circulate television advertizing in 2016.^[9]

In March 2016 Amazon released a byproduct of the Amazon Echo, called the
Amazon Echo Dot. This device is an ice hockey puck sized version of the original Amazon Echo released in 2014, and it has the same capabilities. This product was designed to be used in smaller rooms such as bedrooms due to its limited speaker capabilities (size) or to exist paired with an external speaker. In Nov 2016 the second generation of the Echo Dot was released for a lower price with improved vocalization recognition and new colors.

The second generation of the Amazon Echo was released in October 2017. This update offered better vocalisation recognition and a cloth covering outside. Subsequently, other variants of the Amazon Echo accept been released.

In May 2017 Amazon released the at present-discontinued
Amazon Tap, a portable, slightly smaller version of the Amazon Echo. Although the two products are similar the Tap is battery powered, portable, and requires the touch of a button in order to enable voice commands.

In April 2017 the
Amazon Echo Look
was released to invitees just, as an Amazon Echo with a built in camera. It was designed equally a speaker, that is also handy with artificial intelligence that has smart algorithms to help users pick out outfits. It was released to the general public in August 2022.

In June 2022 the
Amazon Echo Show
was released to the public as a device with a vii-inch screen used for streaming media, making video calls and the utilise of Alexa. The 2nd generation of the device was made available in November 2022 and features a ten-inch screen with improved speakers.

Features

[edit]

Overview of performance

[edit]

In the default way, the device continuously listens to all spoken language, monitoring for the wake word to exist spoken, which is primarily set up equally “Alexa” (derived from Alexa Cyberspace, the Amazon-endemic Internet indexing visitor). Echo’s microphones tin can be manually disabled by pressing a mute push to turn off the sound processing excursion.^[3]

Echo devices crave a wireless Internet connection in club to work. Echo’s vocalism recognition capability is based on Amazon Web Services and the vocalization platform Amazon acquired from Yap,^[10]
Evi, and IVONA^[11]
(a Smoothen-based specialist in vocalisation technologies used in the Kindle Fire).^[12]

The smart speakers perform well with a “good” (depression-latency) Net connection, which minimizes processing fourth dimension due to minimal communication round trips, streaming responses and geo-distributed service endpoints. While the application is free, an Amazon business relationship is required, and setup is non possible without ane.

Available services

[edit]

Echo devices offer weather condition from AccuWeather and news from a variety of sources, including local radio stations, BBC, NPR, and ESPN from TuneIn and iHeartRadio.^[13]
Echo tin play music from the owner’south Amazon Music accounts^[14]
and has built-in support for other streaming music services like Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer, Pandora and Sirius XM among others,^[xv]
and has support for IFTTT and Nest thermostats.^[xvi]
Echo can too play music from non-compatible music streaming services such equally Google Play Music from a phone or tablet via Bluetooth. Echo maintains voice-controlled alarms, timers, shopping and to-practice lists and can access Wikipedia articles. Echo will answer to questions nearly items in one’s Google Calendar. Information technology also integrates with Yonomi,^[17]
Philips Hue, Belkin Wemo, SmartThings, Insteon, and Wink.^[18]
[19]
Additionally, integration with the Echo is in the works for Countertop by Orange Chef, Sonos,^[twenty]
Watch Alarm, Garageio, Toymail, MARA, and Mojio.^[21]
Questions like “Who is Barack Obama?” are answered by reading the first few lines of the corresponding Wikipedia commodity.^[22]

Echo devices besides accept access to “skills” built with the Alexa Skills Kit. These are third-party-developed vocalisation applications that add to the capabilities of any Alexa-enabled device (such as the Echo). Examples of skills include the power to play music, answer general questions, gear up an warning, order a pizza or a ridesharing machine (e.grand., Uber, Lyft), and more. Skills are continuously beingness added to increase the capabilities available to the user. For case, i new skill that Alexa has learned is the ability to play “games” with users. One such game is “Escape the Garage” in which the user must correctly reply questions that Alexa asks, while figuring out a fashion to escape. The Alexa Skills Kit is a collection of cocky-service application programming interfaces (API), tools, documentation and lawmaking samples that make it fast and easy for whatsoever developer to add together skills to Alexa. Developers can likewise use the “Smart Home Skill API”,^[23]
a new addition to the Alexa Skills Kit, to hands teach Alexa how to control deject-controlled lighting and thermostat devices. All of the lawmaking runs in the cloud and naught is on any user device. A developer tin can follow tutorials to learn how to quickly build vocalisation-response adequacy for their new and existing applications.^[24]

In November 2022, a major new feature was launched that will allow users to brand Skype calls. Every past and present Echo device volition be able to dial a number via Skype. Echo devices that have a display volition offer full video Skype capability.^[25]

In May 2022, Amazon released Alexa Guard. If “Away mode” is enabled, if an Echo device detects the sound of smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, or glass breaking, it will send alerts to the Alexa app on smartphones. If the user has professional monitoring, it can send alerts directly to the security provider. It can also switch smart lights on and off to get in await like someone is dwelling. Amazon as well offers Guard Plus, this paid for selection enables other features such as playing the sound of a dog barking when an intruder is detected.^[26]

Voice Services

[edit]

The Alexa Voice Service (AVS) allows developers to vocalisation-enable connected products with a microphone and speaker. The AVS enables volume control, audio playback, and speech recognition.^[27]
The devices have natural lifelike voices resulting from speech-unit technology.^{[28]
[
additional citation(s) needed
]}
Loftier spoken language accuracy is achieved through sophisticated natural language processing (NLP) algorithms built into the Echo’s text-to-spoken communication (TTS) engine.^{[
commendation needed
]}

Software updates

[edit]

Every bit with all Alexa devices, the functionality of Echo smart speakers periodically evolves every bit Amazon releases new software for information technology. Most new releases gear up bugs in improver to including enhanced functionality. New releases are pushed to the devices on a gradual footing so it may take several days to a week or more for a particular device to be updated. Because much of Echo’due south intelligence lies in the cloud, meaning functional enhancements can be made to Repeat without updating the software version it is running. For example, in Apr 2015, the Echo added the ability to give live sports scores without updating the software version running on the device.^[29]

Smart Home

[edit]

The Amazon Repeat is able to connect to many dissimilar smart habitation devices. Thermostats, humidifiers, lightbulbs, plugs, dog and cat feeder, door locks, cameras, thermostats, security systems, speakers, WiFi, televisions, vacuums, microwaves, printers, and other smart home devices tin can now all be controlled through Alexa. Alexa tin exist used to actuate and conciliate all of these smart home appliances, also every bit alter their settings depending on the device. For example, Alexa can be used to alter the temperature in a house through a thermostat, turn off the lights with smart lights, put out dog or cat food via a smart pet feeder, and actuate the security systems via a smart security organization. The user is able organize these smart home devices by putting them into groups. For example, a user tin can brand a “Music Group” on the Amazon Echo.^[30]
The Amazon Echo will be able to play music and other media in multiple rooms in a house through other Echos and speakers that are in the “Music Group”. Along with multiple groups, an Amazon Echo tin can concord multiple profiles. Switching betwixt the profiles can allow users to play their music, access their calendars, and apply their accounts for shopping, instead of but using one person’south.^[31]

In Dec 2021, an outage of Amazon’s deject service caused smart home devices to stop working.^[32]

Hands-free

[edit]

Amazon Echos are able to make calls and send messages. Users tin make calls to another Amazon Echo or speaker that is in the house past calling the device name. Users can also brand calls and transport letters to other people that take an Amazon Echo. This is done by connecting the user’s contacts to the Amazon Echo. The user’s Amazon Repeat volition phone call their contact’south Amazon Repeat. They will be able to have a conversation using the Amazon Echos. Messages volition become to the contact’s phone, in the Alexa App. The message can also be played on the Echo.^[31]

Variants

[edit]

Repeat

[edit]

Amazon Repeat (get-go generation)

Amazon Repeat unpacked, January 2015
Release engagement	Nov six, 2014 (2014-xi-06) (Amazon Prime and invited members) June 23, 2015 (2015-06-23) (released in the U.S.) September 28, 2016 (2016-09-28) (released in the U.K.) October 26, 2016 (2016-10-26) (released in Germany)
Introductory price	US$179.99 GB£149.99 EUR€179.99
Connectivity	Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
Website	Amazon Echo (US) Amazon Echo (Britain) Amazon Repeat (Deutschland)

Amazon Echo (second generation)

Release date	October 31, 2017 (2017-x-31) (released in the U.S.)
Introductory toll	US$99.99
Connectivity	Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
Website	Amazon Echo (United states of america) Amazon Echo (UK) Amazon Repeat (Deutschland) Amazon Echo (India) Amazon Repeat (Canada)

The outset-generation
Amazon Echo
consists of a 9.25 inch (23.5 cm) alpine cylinder speaker with a seven-piece microphone array.^[iii]
The Repeat hardware complement includes a Texas Instruments DM3725 ARM Cortex-A8 processor, 256MB of LPDDR1 RAM and 4GB of storage space.^[33]
As of July 2017^[update], the first-generation Echo maintained an 83% score on GearCaliber, a review aggregator.^[34]

Although the Echo is intended to be vox-controlled at the unit, a microphone-enabled remote control similar to the one bundled with the Amazon Fire Television set is available for buy. The remote was also bundled with early units. An action push on height of the unit is provided for user setup in a new location, and the mute button allows the microphones to be turned off.^[35]
The elevation one-half-inch of the unit rotates to increase or decrease the speaker volume. The Echo must exist plugged in to operate since it has no internal battery.^[36]

Repeat provides dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n and Bluetooth Advanced Sound Distribution Contour (A2DP) back up for sound streaming and Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP) for vox control of connected mobile devices.^[37]

The mainline Linux kernel is able to boot the Amazon Echo since version 5.6.^[38]

In September 2020, the fourth gen Echo was announced replacing the Echo and Echo Plus devices in a new spherical form-factor. The Repeat brings the Echo Plus’ Zigbee smart home hub with support for Amazon Sidewalk.^[39]
[xl]

Limited editions

[edit]

Equally part of a holiday promotion, Seattle Seahawks player Marshawn Lynch drove the Treasure Truck around Seattle in December 2016 selling a limited-edition animal-mode Echo with a custom peel.^[41]
The brute-mode version was a first-generation Repeat that responded to a user’s commands with Marshawn Lynch’s voice, instead of the Alexa voice.^[42]

In Nov 2017, a Product Cerise version of the second-generation Echo was appear as a express edition item.^[43]

Another special version of Echo is the Alexa Super Skills Collectible edition, which was given to select Amazon Alexa developers who published v skills between July 22 and October xxx, 2017. This special variant comes with a white mask, a blueish cape, and a blue belt.^{[
citation needed
]}

Availability

[edit]

Amazon initially express the beginning-generation Echo to Amazon Prime number members or merely past invitation, but information technology became widely available in the United states in mid 2015.^[44]
In 2016, the Repeat became available in the United Kingdom and Germany.^[45]

Every bit of November 2022^[update], the Echo was available in 40 countries:^{[
citation needed
]}
Austria, Australia, Kingdom of belgium, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Republic of costa rica, Cyprus, the Czech republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Republic of iceland, Bharat, Ireland, Italian republic, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Republic of lithuania, Grand duchy of luxembourg, Malta, United mexican states, New Zealand, Panama, Republic of peru, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Sweden, the U.k., the United States, and Uruguay.

In 2022, Amazon and Microsoft jointly announced a solution to integrate their digital assistants so that Cortana, Microsoft’due south phonation banana, could be chosen from an Amazon Echo device and Alexa could exist called from Windows devices, including PCs. In January 2022, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced that Cortana would no longer be a platform competitor to Alexa or Google Banana, only rather a vox skill to admission Microsoft 365 via other voice assistants.^{[
commendation needed
]}
As of April 2022, Alexa was the but Cortana-integrated voice assistant, which gave it exclusive access to Microsoft’s suite of business organisation applications.

Echo Dot

[edit]

1st Gen

[edit]

In March 2016, Amazon unveiled the original
Amazon Repeat Dot,^[46]
which is a hockey puck-sized version of the Echo designed to be continued to external speakers due to the smaller size of the onboard speakers, or to be used in rooms such equally the bedroom as an culling to the full-sized Echo. Beyond these distinctions, the Amazon Echo Dot possesses the aforementioned functions as the original Amazon Echo.^[47]

External third-party portable batteries^[48]
are available for the Dot.

2nd Gen

[edit]

The second generation of the Amazon Echo Dot became available on October 20, 2016. It is priced lower, has improved voice recognition, and is available in blackness, grey and white. The Repeat Spatial Perception (ESP) engineering science allows several Echo and Dot units to work together so that only one device answers the request.^{[
citation needed
]}
As of Nov 2017^[update], the Echo Dot maintained a 78% score on GearCaliber, based on 23 reviews.^[49]

On August eighteen, 2017, an Amazon promotion allowed Amazon Prime number customers to receive a 100% price reduction on the Repeat Dot (from $49.99 to $0.00). Amazon never commented on the promotion or gave any indication of how many Dots were given away.^[50]

3rd Gen

[edit]

In September 2022, an updated Echo Dot (3rd gen) was unveiled with a fabric roofing.^[51]

In January 2022, Amazon’s SVP of devices and services, Dave Limp, revealed that over 100 1000000 Alexa-enabled devices had been sold. The company’south earnings reports and printing releases also reveal that the Repeat Dot has been amid the peak-selling products on Amazon.com for 2017 and 2022.^{[
commendation needed
]}

In July 2021, Amazon ran a promotion to give a price discount on the Echo Dot, reducing the cost from $39.99 to $4.99 with a coupon code.

quaternary Gen

[edit]

In September 2020, the 4th generation Echo Dot was revealed with a new spherical pattern and 30% smaller compared to the 3rd gen Echo.^[39]
[52]

Amazon Tap

[edit]

The
Amazon Tap
is a smaller portable version of the Repeat.^[53]
The Tap can practice the many things the Echo can do; yet, equally information technology is bombardment-powered, it is likewise portable.^[54]
Initially, the user had to press an activation button on the front end of the Tap to speak commands. However, a February 2017 software update allows the option of activating the Tap with an activation word, just like the Repeat and the Dot.^[55]
Some of the limitations of the Tap include not being able to stream music equally function of a grouping and not being able to send announcements to the device. Additionally the Tap does not support “Drib In” feature and every bit a result cannot be used for two-mode phonation advice. Amazon has discontinued the Tap. This has encouraged 3rd political party accessory manufacturers to make bachelor battery improver units for other Repeat products.^[56]

Echo Look

[edit]

In April 2017, the
Amazon Repeat Look
was introduced as a camera with Alexa built-in, for U.s.a.$20 more than the first-generation Echo.^[57]
The device can provide bogus intelligence outfit recommendations, have photos, and record videos; in improver to the features available on the Repeat.^[58]
Information technology offers Amazon Alexa’due south key feature plus a camera to accept total-length photos and 360-degree videos with built-in AI for mode advice.^[59]
[60]
Equally a consumer product, it helps catalog users’ outfits and rates their looks based on “machine learning algorithms with communication from fashion specialists.^[61]

The device was initially merely available for purchase past invitation-only in the U.South.^[62]
However, it became by and large bachelor on 6 June 2022.^[63]
Iii years afterwards, Repeat Wait owners received an email from Amazon stating that the device would soon stop working, because Amazon was discontinuing production and sales of the device. Repeat Look owners had a device that they could not employ.^[64]

Repeat Evidence

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In May 2017, Amazon introduced the
Echo Show, which features a tactile 7-inch liquid-crystal brandish screen that tin can exist used for playing media, making video calls (5 MP front camera), and other features.^[65]
The Repeat Show was offered for buy at a cost of $229.99 on June 28, 2017 and was initially just bachelor in the U.Due south.^[66]

A 2d generation of the Echo Evidence was unveiled at an Alexa-themed production effect by Amazon on September 20, 2022 for release the following month.^[67]
The new device has a 10-inch touchscreen, improved speakers, and mesh casing.^[68]
Amazon has released 2 additional sizes of the Echo Show making them available in both 5- and 8-inch displays. These devices broke the traditional naming machinery of naming strictly on generation. They are known as the Echo prove five and Echo Show 8.^[69]
Equally of 2021, Amazon announced an Echo Evidence 15 at their “Introducing the latest products and services” upshot with a 15 inch display.^{[
citation needed
]}

Echo Spot

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On 27 September 2017, Amazon launched the
Echo Spot, a hemispherical device that has the same functions as an Echo Show.^[70]
The device has a 2.5-inch round screen, and looks like an alert clock. The device sold for $129.99.^[71]
The Echo Spot has been discontinued in all regions except the UK.

Echo Plus

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On 27 September 2017, Amazon announced the
Echo Plus, which released on 31 October 2017. It shares design similarities with the first-generation Echo, just besides doubles as a smart home hub, connecting to most common wireless protocols to control connected smart devices inside a home.^[72]
Information technology incorporates 7 second-generation far field microphones and noise cancellation, while also supporting Dolby Sound.

In September 2022, a second-generation Echo Plus was released. The new version has a material covering and includes an embedded temperature sensor.^[73]
The Echo Plus has since been discontinued in 2020.

Echo Flex

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On 14 November 2022, Amazon released the
Echo Flex
for $24.99.
Information technology is a small device with a speaker that tin can be plugged direct into a wall outlet. It has a full-sized USB Type-A port into the bottom to charge other devices or into which additional accessories, such equally a motion sensor, can be plugged.^[74]

Speakerless devices

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At an Alexa-themed product launch event in September 2022, Amazon announced an Echo device designed for cars.^[75]
The device connects with the user’s smartphone over Bluetooth and offers driving management, in add-on to other Alexa functionality.^[76]
Echo Auto
became bachelor as an invite-only production to US customers most the end of 2022.^[77]

The
Echo Input
is an Alexa input device with no on-board speakers.^[78]
It must exist continued to external speakers for audio output. The
Echo Link
is a higher-end version of the Echo Input, with additional output ports and a book knob.^[79]
The
Echo Link Amp
has the same controls of the Link, just with an amplifier.

Accessories

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Along with the second-generation Repeat, Amazon announced 2 new accessories. The
Echo Buttons
can exist used while playing games on Echo devices, such equally
Jeopardy!.^[fourscore]
The
Repeat Connect
is a small adapter that plugs into any Repeat and a habitation phone line, assuasive the Echo to brand vocalization calls through a home telephone number.^[81]

In September 2022, Amazon announced the
Repeat Sub, a subwoofer that connects to other Echo speakers, and the
Echo Wall Clock, which can display how much time is remaining on timers set up with an Echo device.^[82]

Wearables

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Amazon announced the
Echo Loop
in September 2022, a smart ring with a push button that activates Alexa. The Echo Loop uses Bluetooth to connect to a smartphone for Internet access.^[83]
The
Echo Frames
smartglasses, which back up prescription lenses, were also announced on the aforementioned mean solar day.^[84]

Privacy concerns

[edit]

At that place are concerns about the access Echo has to individual conversations in the home, or other non-verbal indications that can identify who is present in the dwelling house and who is not—based on aural cues such as footstep cadence or radio and television set programming.^[85]
[86]
Amazon responds to these concerns by stating that Echo only streams recordings from the user’southward home when the “wake give-and-take” activates the device, though the device is technically capable of streaming phonation recordings at all times, and in fact will ever be listening to discover if a user has uttered the give-and-take.

Echo uses past voice recordings the user has sent to the deject service to better response to futurity questions the user may pose. To address privacy concerns, the user can delete vocalism recordings that are currently associated with the user’southward account, just doing then may degrade the user’s experience using voice search. To delete these recordings, the user tin visit the “Manage My Device” page on Amazon.com or contact Amazon customer service. In May 2022, information technology was reported that an Repeat device had sent a recorded conversation to an acquaintance of a user who did not intend for this to happen. Amazon apologized and conjectured that ane function of the conversation had been misinterpreted every bit a control to distribute it.^[87]

Echo uses an address set in the Alexa companion app when it needs a location.^[88]
Amazon and third-party apps and websites use location information to provide location-based services and store this information to provide voice services, the Maps app,
Find Your Device, and to monitor the performance and accuracy of location services. For instance, Echo voice services apply the user’s location to respond to the user’s requests for nearby restaurants or stores. Similarly, Echo uses the user’south location to procedure the user’s mapping-related requests and improve the Maps experience. All data collected is field of study to the Amazon.com Privacy Notice.^[89]

Amazon retains digital recordings of users’ audio spoken afterward the “wake upwards word”, and while the sound recordings are field of study to demands past law enforcement, authorities agents, and other entities via subpoena, Amazon publishes some information about the warrants it receives, the subpoenas information technology receives, and some of the warrant-less demands information technology receives, assuasive customers some indication as to the percentage of illegal demands for customer information it receives.^[90]

As Amazon employed ex-US-security-chief Gen Keith B. Alexander in autumn 2020, Edward Snowden commented laconically: “It turns out ‘Hey Alexa’ is short for ‘Hey Keith Alexander.”^[91]

Repeat as criminal evidence

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During the grade of the investigation into the Nov 22, 2015 expiry of Victor Collins in the dwelling house of James Andrew Bates in Bentonville, Arkansas, police force sought the data stored on the Amazon Echo on the premises as evidence, but were refused by Amazon.^[92]
[93]
The conflict was resolved when Bates consented to the release of his personal information that was held past the visitor.^[94]
[95]

Concerns relating to in-car smart systems

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In February 2017, Luke Millanta successfully demonstrated how an Echo could exist connected to, and used to control, a Tesla Model S. At the time, some journalists voiced concerns that such levels of in-car connectivity could be abused, speculating that hackers may attempt to take command of said vehicles without driver consent. Millanta’s sit-in occurred viii months earlier the release of the first commercially available in-auto Alexa system, Garmin Speak.^{[96]
[97]
[98]}

Limitations

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Purchasing merchandise in the categories of clothes, shoes, jewelry, and watches is not available.^[99]
In addition, Amazon Prime Pantry, Prime Now, or Add together-On items are not supported by Alexa’due south ordering role,^[100]
while the shopping listing part allows no more ane detail to exist added at a time.^[101]

Echo has provided inconsistent responses when asked common questions to which users would look ameliorate answers. Echo sometimes confuses sure homophones.^[102]

Run into also

[edit]

• Google Home
• HomePod
• INVOKE

References

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External links

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• 
  Official website
  
  
• Unacceptable, where is my privacy? Exploring Accidental Triggers of Smart Speakers