Amazon thought that people were going to use Alexa as a conduit to make purchases.Turns out that all they want the thing to do is tell them the weather and play music.
I wonder what marketing genius thought people would buy stuff, price and sight unseen.
Being the conspiracy theorist here, it's possible that Alexa wasn't supposed to be a money maker. Consider we live in a corporate feudalistic society and Alexa is, in fact a spy. Amazon's whining is to make us think it was made solely as a consumer bot of sort and it's all good because it's losing money. It's likely not the colossal failure we're being told. Also remember what's up is down in ClownWorld.
It's pretty good passive surveillance, and I'm guessing .gov is propping it up in exchange for the data. Edit to add that also gathers lots of embarrassing/blackmail data. Very convenient if they need to tamp down a problem.
It's active.
I'm sure that there was a lot of drooling over the massive amounts of data people were going to feed it, but I bet that didn't happen as much as amazon wanted either.
People tell facebook their secrets because it's an interactive platform. Alexa, not so much.
Honestly, we all know that Alexa is bullshit. Is definitely a tiny spy. But, we already carry around a device that's always listening to us. Willingly. There are very few people who don't these days. I can't name a single one, personally.
No irony there.
I think amazon is willing to spend money to simply normalize alexa. It's showing up everywhere. Built into our TV's, thermostats, phones. It's hard to avoid it. Hopefully people wake up!
Good point, it may be a failure to sell more crap, but it sure has succeeded in permeating society.
Tell that to the drones that tell social media all their life's secrets.
I'm interested to see what the home assistant team comes up with this year. They focus on local under your control software and hardware for home automation.
The theme for 2023: the year of voice. https://www.home-assistant.io/blog/2022/12/20/year-of-voice/
Nevermind that but also how do you comparison shop in that scenario?
Just ask the AI for the best one.
(That is the answer inside their ridiculous paradigm.)
That's the thing, you can't. People don't want that, they want to see the product(s) and prices.
'Alexa bring up a price and image comparison with range of omg colors on muh 4k gaggle tv pleaz ?/'
Maybe the idea was to tie it in with the Amazon basics line of shit electronics and knockoffs. I own an Amazon basic mini heater and it’s all but useless. If you put it in a box with your feet they won’t freeze and that’s about all I can say about it.
Space heaters are a horrible use of electricity to make heat. A hot plate with a brick on top would probably be better and wouldn't be much more of a fire hazard.
Most of you appear to be, as usual, missing the forest for the trees.
Disruptive tech iterates. Look no further than South Park's representation of Alexa in the new-ish Post-Pandemic Specials.
Once Alexa is AR/VR, this will all change.
You go ahead and put Alexa in your home and tell it all your secrets. I'll not watch South Park and keep my brain cells.
Oh. I see. You're one of those luke-warm IQ's that can't appreciate political nuance.
I'll spoil it for you, since your username is clearly accurate.
Alexa is a "virtual" person, who exists to replace female companionship for the neo-future soy beta mail (AKA, you), and constantly uses smug passive aggressive behavior to coerce people into buying more product.
It's fully relevant to what you're saying, but you have to posture like you're so smart for not consuming.
Children these days..
If it wasnt a globohomo wiretap (hey, why not wish for free beer too), it may have had some marginal utility as a dictation device. "Alexa add oregano to my cart". But that's pretty niche compared to a ¢50 notebook.
But it wasn't. Amazon thought that it would be a conduit to all things you. Turns out it's just a voice controlled iPod and egg timer.
Don't forget the income from spying.
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