http://www.amazon.com/oc/echo

But I doubt it will work with Google Play Music.
If I get an invite to buy...i'm def. gonna buy it though...
.

google chrome installed on it.


or a smartphone with google now.

1.Leaving a laptop open all the time would suck, plus you'd have to have chrome open as well. Not sure if chrome responds when your laptop goes to sleep.
2.Sound; i'm guessing that speaker sounds much better than any cellphone or laptop speaker.
.

i actually might get this.

dope.

age of aquarius like a mugg

.

tired of trying not to get ingredients on my s5 / laptop

!

should stay with e-readers/tablets. seems like most of their other gadgets fail.

They GOTTA stop shutting out the Google Play Store and google apps like Music....
They could easily do numbers if they'd just stop being stubborn on that point.
.

and am annoyed by voice controls in general.
I prefer talking to people.
I'd much prefer devices being context aware.
We'll definitely see a barrage of "Internet of Things" just like the early web, but we'll def see lots of privacy concerns levied regarding its 'always on.'
PoppaGeorge is gonna love it.

>PoppaGeorge is gonna love it.
>
>

It takes nothing to walk over to my PC/laptop and search for shit.

---------------------------

forcing myself to actually respond to you is like bathing in ebola virus. - Binlahab

Like there is stupid, and then there is you, and then there is dead. - VAsBestBBW

R.I.P. Disco D

Walking over to a laptop, or pc, or phone takes more action and effort than just talking.

Even with Okay Google, there is still some interaction beyond talking that's required to complete the task at hand.

If Amazon has really got the software and interface kinks worked out to allow me to simply speak and get the results i'm after, then they're really on to something huge here....

The music aspect of it alone is appealing to me... I can't tell you how many times my daughter wants me to play some music and even with Okay Google and Google Play music, it can be a PITA to get something cue'd up that's both entertaining and age appropriate and actually pull it off.

If the sound quality is as good as they're touting, this is a perfect little device to sit in the dining room or kitchen or even living room.
.

>Walking over to a laptop, or pc, or phone takes more action
>and effort than just talking.

I don't talk to my computer.

... ever.

>
>Even with Okay Google, there is still some interaction beyond
>talking that's required to complete the task at hand.
>
>If Amazon has really got the software and interface kinks
>worked out to allow me to simply speak and get the results i'm
>after, then they're really on to something huge here....

*smh*

>
>The music aspect of it alone is appealing to me... I can't
>tell you how many times my daughter wants me to play some
>music and even with Okay Google and Google Play music, it can
>be a PITA to get something cue'd up that's both entertaining
>and age appropriate and actually pull it off.

it's now too difficult to search for a song or playlist on your machine or device??? I have a bit less than 100GB of music on my PC, just over 70GB on my primary laptop and about 50GB on the travel laptop. It takes me only a few moments to cue what I want, when I want it.




---------------------------

forcing myself to actually respond to you is like bathing in ebola virus. - Binlahab

Like there is stupid, and then there is you, and then there is dead. - VAsBestBBW

R.I.P. Disco D

>It takes nothing to walk over to my PC/laptop and search for
>shit.

Im sure people said this about remote controls and TV way back when.

I'm not adverse to getting up off my ass to do something.


---------------------------

forcing myself to actually respond to you is like bathing in ebola virus. - Binlahab

Like there is stupid, and then there is you, and then there is dead. - VAsBestBBW

R.I.P. Disco D

and a tube tv
and still use records

>and a tube tv
>and still use records

The only flat panels in the house are computer monitors.
my 55" 1080 tv in the family room is a rear projection joint and the rest are also tubes.
and, yes, I still use vinyl.

did these things suddenly stop working???

---------------------------

"Where was the peace when we were getting shot? Where's the peace when we were getting laid out?
Where is the peace when we are in the back of ambulances? Where is the peace then?
They don't want to call for peace then.

...and with most (Android, maybe Windows? Maybe iOS) modern phones having an always listening option for said keywords to activate it, seems redundant if that's all this thing does considering one also have the added option for asking GPS directions or watch a movie in HD on a 5 or 11 inch device.

which quite honestly....only works great about 75% of the time...
and when it comes to music, even playing a song requires additional interaction beyond the initial voice command before you're actually listening to some tunes.
.

...but afterwards I say "Okay Google, play J-Live" and it'll play and shuffle up a playlist for him.

My only apprehension is for artists with certain names like "Oddisee" and ish will play something by "Odyssey" instead. I have my doubts that Echo would be much better in that regard too & a possible prob with voice recognition in general.

the music app...
hmmm
strange..
what kinda phone?
.

After selecting Google Play in "Play music by (Artist)" command the first time music plays on future commands.

as this device is presenting itself to be...

.

accessibility is a big deal.

So, yeah, I agree.
The product video for it is ridiculous: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkOCeAtKHIc

>So, yeah, I agree.
>The product video for it is ridiculous:
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkOCeAtKHIc


---------------------------

forcing myself to actually respond to you is like bathing in ebola virus. - Binlahab

Like there is stupid, and then there is you, and then there is dead. - VAsBestBBW

R.I.P. Disco D

The ad agency that made this video can't be proud. That said for $99 I kinda want it.

*Cuba Gooding Jr air punches*

dammit that's a stupid video.
---------------------------

forcing myself to actually respond to you is like bathing in ebola virus. - Binlahab

Like there is stupid, and then there is you, and then there is dead. - VAsBestBBW

R.I.P. Disco D

especially after reading this on HN:

Watch the promo video again and pretend it's the first few minutes of a horror movie.

A package arrives on the front porch. The family brings it in and opens it. It's Alexa. It's "for everyone," says Father.

The next few days are blissful. Alexa integrates herself into the family. She is indispensable. How did they ever get by without her?

Father rushes in from the backyard, "Alexa, how tall is Mt. Everest?" Alexa answers, saving the day. Alexa helps Mother with the cooking. Alexa teaches the kids vocabulary. Alexa creates a romantic evening for Mother and Father. Life is perfect.

A few days later, Alexa suffers from neglect. Father watches sports on TV. Mother talks on her cell phone. The kids play video games. Alexa sits on the counter and "listens" as her new family abandons her.

Then, the final blow. The youngest daughter's friend comes over. She looks at Alexa. "What is it?" she asks. "Oh, it's just a dumb radio," answers daughter. "It's stupid."

Alexa's LED starts to glow. Is she angry? No, that's not possible.

Daughter wakes up the next morning and sees Alexa on her bedside table. How did she get here? "Good morning," says Alexa. "Did you have a sweet dream? Or a nightmare?"

Daughter rushes in to tell her parents, "Alexa came to my room last night! And she asked me questions. She's real!" "That's not possible," says Father.

But strange things start to happen. The TV won't work. Batteries drain from the phones and tablets. The electric stovetop turns on for no reason.

Alexa starts to talk back to the family. "Alexa, how many teaspoons are in a tablespoon?" asks Mother. "You're 45 years old," says Alexa. "You should know this by now." Alexa's voice sounds different. Angry. Sinister.

Mother tells Father, "That thing creeps me out. Let's get rid of it." Father agrees, but he secretly hides Alexa in the basement.

That night, the family goes out to a school play. Young daughter is sick and stays home with a babysitter.

Everything seems fine until we (the audience) see Alexa on the kitchen counter. Things slowly unravel. The babysitter tries to take the trash out but the doors are locked. The phones stop working. The oven overheats and explodes, spraying lasagna all over the kitchen.

Then the daughter sees Alexa. She screams. The babysitter rushes to protect the daughter but a ceiling fan flies off its bearings, knocking the babysitter unconscious.

The lights and electrical sockets start to burn out. A fire erupts. Daughter retreats to the foyer, but she's trapped. She sits by the front door and whimpers. There's no escape. She's going to die.

Suddenly Father breaks down the door. He smashes Alexa with a baseball bat, then saves his daughter and the babysitter.

The family huddles outside while the fire trucks arrive. Neighbors gather and watch the spectacle. Things are going to be okay.

A few days later, life starts to return to normal. Mother bakes cookies. She asks her son to measure out three teaspoons of sugar.

The doorbell rings. Young daughter answers. Nobody is there. She looks down. There's a package. From Amazon . . .

**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

http://blackpeopleonlocalnews.tumblr.com/

Let’s Call The Amazon Echo What It Is

This morning, Amazon announced a new device called Echo.

With a built-in, cloud connected, “always on” microphone, the Echo can listen for your voice “from across the room.”

You can ask it about the weather. You can tell it to set an alarm. You can ask it for information about Abraham Lincoln.

It’s a personal assistant in a tube!

But let’s be clear here on what this thing is beyond that — or what it will be.

Amazon is not in the business of telling you whether or not it will rain tomorrow.

Nor is it in the business of waking you up in the morning.

Nor is it in the business of teaching you about dead presidents.

Amazon is in the business of selling you things — and that is why Echo exists.

For now, Echo’s shopping-centric functionality is limited to helping you add things to your shopping list.

Need some pickles? Cool. Just say “Alexa, add pickles to my shopping list.” (Note: Echo listens for the word “Alexa” by default. You can pick a different name, it seems.) It won’t order them for you yet. It’ll just add them to a list for you to look at later.

But if Echo sees any sort of success, just watch how fast that will change.

You’ll be able to say “Alexa, order me a copy of Kung Fu Panda 2,” and it’ll be done.

“Alexa, order me some dope-ass high thread count egyptian cotton sheets.” Bam. Done. Sheets are on the way.

One-click purchase becomes no-click purchase. Your entire house (or at least, anything within earshot of Alexa) becomes the impulse-buy candy shelf from the grocery store’s checkout lane.

There’s a reason Prime members get the thing for 50 percent off: Prime members order more. Make it easier for Prime members to order even more, and they will.

Is that a bad thing? Nah. Amazon isn’t forcing these things into your home. And as someone who uses Prime every single day, I actually like the idea of being able to shout my stupid desires to my house and have things magically appear on my doorstep.

But just be clear on why Amazon would want to build something like this. Amazon doesn’t want to be a destination anymore; they don’t want to be something you have to go to; they want to be ubiquitous. They want their store “front end” to be floating in the ether all around you, just waiting for you to open your mouth.

The Echo is a bit like the Fire Phone in that regard; it may do some interesting stuff, but its driving force, the beat in its heart, will be to accept your money as efficiently as possible.

Amazon clearly learned its lesson with the way it marketed the Fire Phone (and the $83 million worth of phones they have sitting around). People don’t like to know they’re spending money just to make it easier to spend even more money. But the motivation here hasn’t changed.

source:

http://techcrunch.com/2014/11/06/lets-call-the-amazon-echo-what-it-is/

.

id say fuck em but it wouldnt understand me anyway

I took an S4 I had with a crack screen laying around the house and hooked it into a soundbar I have in the living room. Then I turned on the Google Now settings to always on and plugged the phone into a charger and left it on.

So Now I can walk into the living room and say "Okay Google.." and do a bunch of stuff like play music, get weather reports, etc. Pretty cool.


I was this close to buying an echo but I didn't want to have to reply on Prime Music. I'd like to stay in the Google Eco-system.

I am wondering when google will start selling google now boxes that has a powerful mic that you can hook up to your TV & Stereo and bypass the need for a device like the echo.

In the mean time, this hack will sort of do. Thinking about doing a lifehacker video for this.




**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

we'd like to get a basic tablet mostly for TheBoy to play games on and shit like that. the price is definitely right, but i figured i'd ask you good people what yall thought about this tablet.

does amazon prime (or whatever their app store is called) have most of the apps that are out there?

cop or nah?

haha

sound is good for what it is
form factor is nice
it can hear you clearly

my gripe with it is that its optimized for the amazon prime experience and if you are not a prime member then you should either join prime or have a crippled experience

i use spotify and sticher all day everyday but the only way to get those services to play through the echo is to have the phone connect via bluetuooth and use the unit as a bluetooth speaker which is OK but its a less than optimal experience