‘An incremental loss of control': Privacy expert explains why a change to Amazon Echo matters
Amazon is eliminating a privacy feature available on a small number of Echo devices. The company says the change is aimed at focusing on privacy tools more people use, and could improve AI offerings. CNN's Clare Duffy talks to a privacy expert about what Echo users need to know.
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The Verge
21 minutes ago
- The Verge
More than a million people now have Alexa Plus
While a smarter Siri may have been a no-show at WWDC, Alexa Plus, the generative AI-powered overhaul of Amazon's voice assistant, is finally appearing in the wild. No one at The Verge has access yet, but Amazon spokesperson Eric Sveum tells me over a million people now do — up from ' hundreds of thousands ' just last month. And while it was initially a struggle to find anyone who had it, there is now evidence that Alexa Plus is finally out there, based on recent Reddit and Facebook user posts. According to Sveum, Alexa Plus is now being rolled out to customers with Echo smart speakers and displays 'at an increasing pace' following its late March launch, and the company will 'make it even more broadly available over the summer,' he says. The slow rollout is down to Panos Panay's insistence that all Alexa Plus problems be ironed out before the full release, according to a recent profile of the new head of Amazon devices and services in The Wall Street Journal. It reported that 'he knows that getting Alexa+ right is critical because it will be released to millions of people who depend on the technology across multiple devices. It's a very public rollout.' First announced in September 2023, the supercharged Alexa faced more than a year of delays, reportedly in part due to the challenges of imposing the new technology on top of the existing Alexa assistant. It was finally relaunched under Panay last February as an entirely new assistant, and was slated to roll out to US users in the Early Access program in March. When it eventually gets its full release, the new assistant will cost $19.99 a month and be free for Prime members. However, it sounds like it's not fully ready for primetime. Sveum tells me several features announced at the launch event are still not part of the Early Access program. These include the ability to ask Alexa to 'jump to your favorite scene on Fire TV; order groceries hands-free; order delivery through Grubhub; schedule your next spa visit; brainstorm the perfect gift idea; set personalized reminders and Routines for your family; create personalized music — on the fly' and 'Access Alexa+ on browser.' That last one feels big, as personal computers are a place that Alexa has long struggled to gain traction and is somewhere it will need to be to compete with ChatGPT, Gemini, etc. Sveum says that these missing features 'will ship over the coming weeks and months' and that nearly 90 percent of announced features are live in Early Access. These include the big one, a more conversational voice assistant, which I tested briefly at the launch event. Plus, the ability to ask Alexa to remember important details you tell it and recall things from documents you've sent to it (Alexa now has its own email address). Several features announced at the launch event are still not part of the Early Access program. Alexa Plus can also manage your calendar and move music from room to room, says Sveum. It can book you an Uber, find tickets for an upcoming event, and source someone to come fix something via Thumbtack. For smart home control, you can create Alexa Routines by voice, control multiple devices at once, and customize your own smart home widget on Echo Show devices. Smart cooking timers are also live, says Sveum. 'A lot of customers are telling us they love having natural, free-flowing conversations with Alexa. It enables them to complete more complex requests like controlling multiple smart home devices at once, deep dive on music or trending topics,' Sveum says. 'We're also getting lots of positive feedback about how easy and helpful it is to get things done — like coordinating calendars, making reservations, and taking care of weekly meal planning.' There haven't been any formal reviews of Alexa Plus yet (Amazon PR seems to be keeping a tight lid on this one), but one USA Today columnist got in through the Early Access program. He was largely complimentary about the experience, writing he's 'been very pleased – and occasionally quite impressed.' This is also the general vibe on Facebook and Reddit user groups from those with access, but there are clearly some bugs to work out. 'It's early days, but it feels a tiny bit closer to what I have with ChatGPT,' said one Reddit user. Another user agreed, noting they liked how it remembered things they mentioned to it and could recall them. But they did say they weren't happy that Alexa couldn't access some smart temperature sensors that the previous Alexa could. One user said controlling multiple smart home devices at once was impressive, but another said they reverted to regular Alexa as the Plus version couldn't control their smart air fryer. Control of smart home devices is clearly going to be a huge hurdle here. Existing smart voice assistants with their command and control structure can generally be relied upon to do the correct thing (assuming they heard/understood you). However, the transition to these more conversational, intuitive assistants is potentially fraught with danger, especially when it comes to controlling things in your home. Still, I'm very much looking forward to putting it to the test.
Bloomberg
26 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Amazon Security Chief Urges Hands-Off Approach to AI Regulation
Inc. 's chief security officer joined officials at other major tech companies in calling for fewer regulations in artificial intelligence, warning that government involvement in this rapidly emerging area risks narrowing the scope of the company's work. 'The tension with regulation of any kind is that it tends to retard progress,' Steve Schmidt, who heads security for both Amazon and AWS, told Bloomberg News on Tuesday. 'So the way we tend to focus on standards is to let the industry figure out what the right standards are, and that will be driven by our customers.'
Android Authority
36 minutes ago
- Android Authority
Google TV Streamer on sale: Take it home for $84
Joe Maring / Android Authority The Google TV Streamer rarely goes on sale. In fact, the very first time we saw it discounted was just this April. If you come across a good sale, it might be a good idea to consider it, and today you can take it home for $84. Buy the Google TV Streamer for $84 ($15.99 off) This offer is available from Amazon, but you can also get the same discount straight from the Google Store. We're linking to the Amazon sale because we know many of you already like shopping there, and might find it more convenient. Google TV Streamer Google TV Streamer Google's boldest streaming device ever. Carrying on the legacy of the Chromecast, the Google TV Streamer brings a sleek new design, more power, a redesigned remote, and smart home hub features to Google TV. See price at Amazon Save $15.99 Limited Time Deal! If you're looking for a smart TV box, it is tough to beat this one. We had very little to complain about during our Google TV Streamer review. Mainly, it lacks expandable storage, and the box doesn't come with an HDMI cable. The color selection is also lacking. Those are very small downsides, though. If you can get past them, it's a really nice investment. The Google TV Streamer replaced the Chromecast devices, which was a bit sad, but the upgrade is really nice. This one gets a performance boost, thanks to the MediaTek MT8696 processor, which makes it 22% faster than the Chromecast with Google TV. The Google TV Streamer also gets 4GB of RAM, instead of 2GB. A performance push is undoubtedly nice, as I still use the Chromecast with Google TV and do notice some slowdowns. The actual experience is rather similar. Of course, it runs on Google TV, so you'll have access to the Google Play Store, which provides access to your favorite streaming apps. The UI looks the same, and you'll still get Google Cast support. One software improvement we liked is that it has Google Home integration, making it simple to control your smart home devices. It even has Thread and Matter support, so you can use it as a smart home hub. C. Scott Brown / Android Authority The design is still super clean and minimalist. This is nice because this model isn't made to hide behind a TV. Instead, it will live somewhere in your entertainment center, likely in plain view. The remote is very similar to previous ones, too, but it is a bit larger. While some may see this as a downside, we happened to like the larger remote. It is more ergonomic and easier to find. Especially because now there is a Find My Remote function that will make it chirp. This is actually not a record-low price, as the first discount took the price down to $79. You are paying $5 more today. That said, this is only the second time we've seen the Google TV Streamer go on sale. We don't expect sales to be so common, so it might be a good time to secure a deal. And if you get it, don't forget to check out our Google TV Streamer tips and tricks so you can take full advantage of it.
