TV News Broadcast Accidentally Activates Alexa, Initiates Orders (cw6sandiego.com)

ShaunC writes: In San Diego, TV news anchor Jim Patton was covering a separate story about a child who accidentally ordered a doll house using her family's Echo. Commenting on the story, Patton said "I love the little girl, saying 'Alexa ordered me a dollhouse.'" Viewers across San Diego reported that in response to the news anchor's spoken words, their own Echo devices activated and tried to order doll houses from Amazon. Amazon says that anyone whose Echo inadvertently ordered a physical item can return it at no charge.
Meanwhile, Engadget reports that a team of Twitch streamers has convinced one Google Home device to answer questions from another, and they're livestreaming the surreal conversation.

Comments

Re:Dilbert predicted this

[meerling]

In the early 80s at the PC group meeting, a rep came in to show off their voice command software.
He set it up, and then from the crowd, someone said "Format C: Enter", followed by another voice "Yes".
Sure enough, it formatted the entire drive, and the rep had a much shorter presentation than he was expecting, but even he had to admit, the demonstration, though short, was very effective.

Re: Dilbert predicted this

[Anonymous Coward]

Hi Scott.

Well bugger me!

[quenda]

Well bugger me! ... No! No! Cancel! ...

Alexa 7.0 robotic assistant will need a safe word.

Re:Dilbert predicted this

[quenda]

It did too. I was there, and the rep's name was Craig Shergold.

Re:Well that's a hell of a security hole.

[quenda]

Safe bet that Amazon will be rushing some sort of patch on that ASAP

Patch!? Hell no, they've rushed out a patent - the no-click patent. Everyone else will be prevented from doing this, which is some consolation.

All of this voice stuff gives me the willies.

[ScentCone]

Had Siri enabled (while charging) a while back, sitting next to the TV. Watching a history program about the Renaissance. Suddenly the phone says, "OK. Here's what I've found about troublesome clergy." Turned that feature off.

Re:What a coincidence

[hackwrench]

I was in a mental ward quite some time ago, (yes as a patient. I wanted to insist that I had a contract with Microsoft that did not exist and other bizarre things. I did not actually believe I had a contract with Microsoft, that would be crazy) where one of the other patients said "I am Napoleon." and the doc said, "How do you know you're Napoleon?" and the patient replied, "God told me." and another patient piped up, "I did not!"

Re:Funny Story

[JustAnotherOldGuy]

That headline reminds me of a problem the Jedi had in the Minora system

Okay, I like Star Wars but this comment hit my Nerd-O-Meter so hard that the needle broke off, went rocketing into the sky and was last seen punching a hole in one of Saturn's rings.