
Amazon announces new, smaller Echo - aaronbrethorst
https://www.theverge.com/2017/9/27/16372578/new-amazon-echo-speaker-announced-price-release-date-2017
======
Multicomp
I must be dumb but in today's world of the big 4 spying on you all day long,
I'm trying to kick out voice assistants, not bring more in. After Google Now,
my voice control needs are done and someone said enough is as good as a feast.

Now when you get Mrs. Roddenberry's TTS voice powering a smart home, we may
have to revisit.

~~~
slg
These devices all ride on your own personal network. Their traffic is easy to
monitor for timing and size of the data transmitted outward. If you are
worried about spying you might put a piece of tape over your webcam, but I
can't say I have heard of anyone physically disabling their laptop's
microphone. These voice assistants are basically the same security threat as
those open microphones on your laptop. Both of them are still less dangerous
than a smartphone that has its own network connection and can more easily hide
its spying.

~~~
infecto
Many people physically disable their laptops microphone. Some people in my
office do and I think the most famous case is Zuckerberg.

[https://boygeniusreport.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/mark-
zuc...](https://boygeniusreport.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/mark-zuckerberg-
tapes-macbook-camera-mic-2.jpg?quality=98&strip=all&w=782)

~~~
Sargos
The difference being someone might actually care about what Zuckerberg is
saying.

~~~
infecto
And? I was simply refuting the comment "..I can't say I have heard of anyone
physically disabling their laptop's microphone". I know people who do this,
not just Zuckerberg.

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Sargos
It'll be interesting to see how this compares with the Google Home Mini
([http://www.droid-life.com/2017/09/19/google-home-mini-
exclus...](http://www.droid-life.com/2017/09/19/google-home-mini-exclusive/)).
For me the ideal size would be invisible or something I can tape to the inside
top of my entertainment center.

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fredophile
The key feature that would make me get a set of these, or competing devices,
is independent voice commands per device. For example, I'd like to be able to
have one in each bedroom and say "turn off the lights" and have it only affect
that room. The last time I looked there wasn't a product on the market that
supported this.

~~~
conception
Echo + Hue totally does this. Though, you have to say "Turn off the bedroom
lights." if you just want the bedroom. "Turn off the lights" will turn off all
the lights.

BTW- it's magic, amazing and too expensive. But if you're dumb and like geeky
tech things, it's pretty rad.

~~~
bussierem
To clarify the other reply and OP's comment, I think he wants to say "turn off
the lights" to the Echo he has in the bedroom, and have it know to turn off
_just_ the bedroom lights. Ditto for the one in the living room, etc.

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wonder_bread
Serious Question; Is Google ever going to get out of catch-up mode in this
department?

~~~
m_ke
Why would they waste their time? They already have a speech recognition
platform, it's called android.

Amazon is wasting money on hardware because they missed out on mobile and with
echos they're hoping to be there when the NLP catches up.

~~~
untog
Nah, these are definitely their own platform. Just ask anyone that owns one -
they don't use it as a phone substitute. Plus, it would be another method for
Google to bring iPhone users into the fold.

I know plenty of friends and relatives with an Alexa, but a lot less with a
Google Home. I think Google needs to make an equivalent of the Echo Dot - a
small, cheap device that people can put in multiple rooms.

~~~
m_ke
I'm guessing you either live in the bay area/seattle or work at amazon.

I don't know anyone in new york who uses an echo. I've heard of a few people
who got one when it came out but they all stopped using it after a day or 2.

Google will be the winner the personal assistant market because they have
billions of people who use android, maps, gmail, drive, search, calendar,
translate etc. If we ever switch to conversational interfaces they could be in
the position to really hurt Amazon.

~~~
untog
I live in New York, so, no.

While I agree that Google is in a stronger position to win the eventual
personal assistant battle, I disagree with your original proposition that
it'll be done through Android phones.

I think the potential for voice assistants is overhyped, but there _is_ still
potential there, and you can't achieve the same thing with a phone that's in
your pocket/bag/whatever. Ask someone that uses one before you dismiss the
product category entirely.

~~~
m_ke
I'd love to hear what the use cases are besides ordering stuff from amazon.

I could think of maybe using alexa to control my IoT devices (I don't own any)
but even then I'd be more interested in controlling them when I'm not home.

If there's a market for these devices it's as a replacement for premium
speakers like sonos / bose. Apple seems to be going in that direction with the
homepod and it has a great shot at dominating because most of the consumers in
that market already own other apple products.

My phone is next to me 99% of the time. Google knows when my meetings are,
where I'm flying next week and who I talk to. If there is a shift to voice it
will probably be because of another wearable device (like airpods or glasses).

~~~
untog
Use cases

\- controlling IoT devices, like lights, which you control when you are at
home

\- playing music, podcasts

\- playing videos (via Chromecast/whatever)

\- setting alarms

\- asking simple questions

\- checking weather

I could go on. You're saying "if there is a market for these devices" as if
there isn't already a demonstrated market. Amazon is selling a ton of them!
Your phone is a personal device, while an Echo is used by a household. Their
use cases are very different.

Again, I get that this might not be a good device _for you_. But it's silly to
say there are no uses beyond ordering stuff from Amazon, because people use
them for a lot of stuff every single day.

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thebiglebrewski
Haha what is a bass tweeter tho

~~~
blacksmith_tb
Yes, I was guessing they meant to say it had dedicated bass AND tweeter (which
is presumably only noteworthy given the smaller size, as the old Echo has
both[1] - and the Dot doesn't [2]).

1:
[https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Amazon+Echo+Teardown/33953](https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Amazon+Echo+Teardown/33953)

2:
[https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Amazon+Echo+Dot+Teardown/613...](https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Amazon+Echo+Dot+Teardown/61304)

~~~
DiabloD3
Alternatively, it could be a full range driver, but more unlikely giving the
phrasing.

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yellowapple
I was hoping by "smaller Echo" they meant "smaller than the Dot".

Also, Alexa is most useful in a car and I'm still disappointed that there's no
apparent way to use Alexa for things like turn-by-turn navigation.

~~~
r00fus
Uh, why would Alexa be better than Siri or Google esp. since they're likely
tied to CarPlay/Android Auto?

The market there is very crowded, I doubt Amazon's looking to disrupt there.

If I were Amazon and wanted to enter the car market, I'd make a decent dash
camera based on their work with Echo Show... could possibly disrupt
Apple/Google.

~~~
yellowapple
I just happen to like Alexa for everything else. Why would I _not_ want to put
it to use in my car as well?

Besides, I don't own any iOS devices (well, except an iPhone 3GS sitting in a
closet), so Siri's out of the question. It'd be nice if I wasn't tied to one
other choice.

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twodave
To those who lack the empathy to understand how these devices might be useful
to anyone, it's incredibly useful to be able to:

\- hands-free set multiple timers while cooking \- set timers for kids to give
them structured assignments (clean your room, you have 10 minutes, etc.) \-
have ambient music going in the home that any of the kids can participate in
as they please (we have 4) \- sound machines as sleep aids \- lamps on/off in
the living room on schedule and by voice command

I could go on but I think I get my point across. Households with kids get a
lot of use out of these things.

~~~
King-Aaron
Can these devices tie in to existing hi-fi systems (either via bluetooth, or
physical outputs)? Or are you tied to the teeny-tiny internal speaker for your
music?

(Edit, never mind. Commented before reading the article like a pleb - the
answer to my own question appears to be yes)

~~~
twodave
We have both the echo and echo dots. The echo needs no help making enough
sound to fill our kitchen/living room. The dot in our bedroom is hooked up to
some old Klipsch 2.1 PC speakers. For the kids, the internal speaker on those
is pleeeenty ;)

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dharma1
Is there any open source version of an IoT "hub"? Not necessarily voice
control but a FOSS alternative to HomeKit, Google Home and this?

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post_break
I just want a JBL speaker with bass and Google Assistant with a battery.

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Animats
Big Brother is always listening.

Listening in on what you're doing is so valuable they can offer free phone
calls and free music.

~~~
B1FF_PSUVM
> so valuable

Some poor MBA SOB probably already ran a spreadsheet on that.

Actually, probably a bunch of poor MBA SOBs, and the results are all over the
map, so there's some mana raining down from the optimists.

One of these days they'll converge on a lower valuation, and turn off the tap.
Or shrug and say, what the heck, the free stuff ain't worth much either, and
it keeps the rioting down ...

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nvr219
Playing new, smaller youtubes

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make3
am I the only one who's still convinced these things are useless

~~~
rajeshp1986
Add me too..they are Useless. Period.

~~~
51Cards
As with everything it depends on the person. I find mine quite useful thanks.
I also find my smart watch to be a critical part of my day but I don't tell
everyone they are a must have. Everyone has their own use cases.

