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

Posted by EditorDavid on from the always-listening dept.

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.

42 of 254 comments (clear)

  1. Dilbert predicted this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Much as I think Scott Adams has turned batsh!t crazy recently, he did predict this way back in 1994

    http://dilbert.com/strip/1994-04-24

    1. Re:Dilbert predicted this by meerling · · Score: 5, Funny

      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.

    2. Re:Dilbert predicted this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      No such event ever occurred.

    3. Re: Dilbert predicted this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Hi Scott.

    4. Re:Dilbert predicted this by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 4, Informative

      Dilbert has made him rich - so the correct term is "batshit eccentric".

      --
      #DeleteChrome
    5. Re:Dilbert predicted this by PopeRatzo · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Naaah, what was really crazy was thinking that an ex-stoner "community organizer" raised by Communists, who'd never been in charge of a damn thing his entire life, could be a successful President.

      And yet, he leaves office with the highest approval rating of any post-war president.

      I think Scott Adams would call this "cognitive dissonance".

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    6. Re:Dilbert predicted this by quenda · · Score: 3, Funny

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

    7. Re:Dilbert predicted this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      > post-war president.

      Odd statement considering that every day of both of his terms, the US has been, and is still, at war. He's not a "post-war" president. Worst Nobel Peace Prize winner evah, save for Henry Kissinger.

    8. Re:Dilbert predicted this by Darinbob · · Score: 4, Informative

      Problem is too many people just believe the made up stuff from Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, and the like, and will believe the most bizarre rumors about Obama. As in that he's actively working to remove borders between the US, Canada, and Mexico, or that there was literally zero immigration between the 30s and the 50s. They don't have the evidence to back this up but they do believe whatever these people say on the air. So it's no wonder that people think Obama was raised by communists, is a muslim, was born in Kenya, etc, because American no longer bother to use their brains, it is a vestigial organ. Obama has deported more people than any other president and yet so many are firmly convinced that he's trying to get illegal immigration to increase. What's even more bizarre is that someone who's solidly right wing conservative can deny these conspiracy theories and then get shouted down for being a liberal who's trying to steal their guns, they're stuck to a viewpoint that you must be 100% in agreement with them or else you are an enemy. And they'll defend all this by saying "all mass media lies" which is their way of saying that all evidence must be ignored and rely only on your gut instincts. I've never seen America so weird before, and I lived in the 60s.

    9. Re:Dilbert predicted this by Darinbob · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Another problem with American voters is that so many only bother to vote for the president. So in midterm elections they stay home and then are baffled the the opposition inevitably wins big in the house. Doesn't matter if the president is Democrat or Republican, midterms very often go the opposite direction. Congress has much more power than the president and yet the same fools get reelected over and over.

    10. Re:Dilbert predicted this by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 2

      Obama has killed more children with drones than all other Nobel peace prize winners combined.

      Obama brought so much hope back to America that America voted for a Republican outsider to undo everything he did.

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    11. Re:Dilbert predicted this by Applehu+Akbar · · Score: 2

      And yet, even a fucktard like yourself admits he was a SUCCESSFUL President.

      "Not as bad as Jimmy Carter" is not how I define a successful President.

  2. Well that's a hell of a security hole. by Noishkel · · Score: 2

    Seriously, did no one at all in testing not see that coming? Well, guess not. Safe bet that Amazon will be rushing some sort of patch on that ASAP before someone starts screaming orders to Alexa on live TV to see what they can get it to do.

    1. Re:Well that's a hell of a security hole. by sumdumass · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It's more like the little girl told the echo what it wanted for Christmas or something and the news caster paraphrased.

      In case he wasn't though, Amazon's own voice ordering fact page says that when you attempt to order something it searches

      Your order history - only Prime-eligible items.
      Amazon's Choice - Amazon's Choice items are highly rated, well-priced products that are available to order immediately.
      Prime-eligible items - including delivery by Prime Now for eligible items.

      in an attempt to find/idntify what you ordered. If a dollhouse was on the Amazon's Choice list, it would have been ordered under this policy.

    2. Re:Well that's a hell of a security hole. by quenda · · Score: 4, Funny

      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.

    3. Re:Well that's a hell of a security hole. by Ksevio · · Score: 2

      Well you have the option to require a PIN to be spoken so really people just have to use that option

    4. Re:Well that's a hell of a security hole. by Darinbob · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Consumers love this stuff though, they cannot see anything wrong with the one-button-buy-without-approval until something like this happens. Seriously how lazy do fat Americans have to be that they need voice activated Amazon purchases because it takes too much energy to use the computer?

    5. Re:Well that's a hell of a security hole. by FrankHaynes · · Score: 2

      Why would Amazon want anything that impedes the flow of money into their coffers??

      --
      slashdot: A failed experiment.
    6. Re:Well that's a hell of a security hole. by Xest · · Score: 2

      Interestingly in the UK we don't have that second step, but when I tried ordering anything through Alexa I couldn't get her to order anything other than my order history too, so the whole Prime-eligible items thing seemed to not work when I tried a few weeks ago and you were restricted to re-ordering past items only.

      Regardless I've put a pin in place so you can't accidentally trigger a purchase from an advert or anything without also saying the pin, but given that I don't even use that feature I might as well use the other option that lets you turn off voice ordering completely. Amazon should probably make that the default unless someone asks to order then tell them how to enable it though really.

    7. Re:Well that's a hell of a security hole. by AmiMoJo · · Score: 2

      It's not even the first time. Shortly after the XBox One launched with voice control, videos started appearing on YouTube of people trolling by making their username "XBox off" or some other command. Unsuspecting victims would say to their friends "hay, that guy's name is XBox off... no, cancel, cancel! no!"

      Someone could troll Alexa users by creating a TV advert with the words "Alexa, order me a new dildo and 12 gallon barrel of lubricant, with next day delivery". Sadly it's too long to fit in an XBox Live username.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    8. Re:Well that's a hell of a security hole. by Nidi62 · · Score: 2

      And +1000 for using the PIN, very disconcerting to wake up in the morning to find a drunk forum post, how much more so if you find a drunk order for 2000 inflatable Heidi Klum dolls.

      You really should use Ali Baba for a purchase that large, since you could probably get a bulk discount straight from the manufacturer. Plus you can use the money you saved on more alcohol!

      --
      The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
  3. How has he turned crazy? by SuperKendall · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Much as I think Scott Adams has turned batsh!t crazy recently

    Scott Adams correctly predicted Trump would become president. Perhaps you should be a little less dismissive of someone who got something right that so many people predicted would turn out the other way...

    Then of course there's the whole grew his own comic empire angle, but a bunch of stacked successes cant mean anything, right?

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:How has he turned crazy? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Scott Adams predicted Trump would win in a landslide.

      I realize nuance isn't important to people like you, but it is an important distinction since it implies less a careful analysis of the situation and more a wild-ass guess. But, hey, lets just start following anyone that happened to be (kind of) right that one time, even if they just got lucky. That's the true path to success.

    2. Re: How has he turned crazy? by tylersoze · · Score: 2

      Hey I just correctly predicted the outcome of this coin toss I just made. I must be a super genius!

    3. Re: How has he turned crazy? by msauve · · Score: 2

      But the Russians influenced that flip.

      --
      "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
    4. Re: How has he turned crazy? by Z00L00K · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I think that one of the problems were that Trump and Hillary both were too similar and nobody really wanted any of them.

      --
      If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker would destroy civilization.
    5. Re:How has he turned crazy? by AmiMoJo · · Score: 2

      cott Adams correctly predicted Trump would become president

      Which proves he is about as accurate as a coin flip.

      The reason people think he has gone crazy is stuff like this:

      "Let me say this again, so you know Iâ(TM)m not kidding. Based on what I know about the human body, and the way our thoughts regulate our hormones, the Democratic National Convention is probably lowering testosterone levels all over the country."

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
  4. Well bugger me! by quenda · · Score: 5, Funny

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

    Alexa 7.0 robotic assistant will need a safe word.

    1. Re:Well bugger me! by sims+2 · · Score: 2

      Alexa, Stop!

      --
      Minimum threshold fixed. Thanks!
  5. puzzled by buss_error · · Score: 4, Insightful

    What gives me pause - is it really such an inconvenience to open a browser and, like, click a single button? I'm no technophobe, but I am against the misapplication of technology. I guess Alexia and Siri and the like are OK if one is a paraplegic or otherwise unable to use their hands.

    Other than my grand nieces shouting cute things at Siri to see what happens... it simply strikes me as flash and little substance.

    --
    Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves.
    1. Re:puzzled by Darinbob · · Score: 2

      These online companies love this because they get more impulse buys. If you have to pull out the credit card to buy then it gives the dumb consumers chance to rethink their order. If someone complains they will refund for one order, or one customer, etc, but they will not change their minds on the technology that makes them tons of money taking advantage of customers.

      (Amazon even tries to mislead people into signing up for Prime where the one-touch buy works best, by saying "click here for free shipping!" Had to clean this up from my mother after noticing she was into a Prime first month free trial with automatic charging of the credit card at the end of the month, and she had no idea what Prime even was and only purchases one or two things a year from them. This seems very deliberate and not just a misunderstanding as you can see the lack of safeguards or explanations of what you're signing up for.)

  6. Conclusive evidence, one way or the other by hackwrench · · Score: 2

    https://www.youtube.com/playli...
    People can judge for themselves with this playlist of Scott Adam's Periscope sessions.

  7. Capitalism peaks by Tablizer · · Score: 2

    Buurrrp

    Alexa: "Congratulations! You've just ordered a Burmese rug! It will arrive in about 5 days."

    --
    Table-ized A.I.
  8. All of this voice stuff gives me the willies. by ScentCone · · Score: 3, Funny

    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.

    --
    Don't disappoint your bird dog. Go to the range.
  9. Re:What a coincidence by hackwrench · · Score: 5, Funny

    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!"

  10. Re:No by hackwrench · · Score: 2

    The answer is We don't know. Trump's a fantastic liar and we have no idea what his scruples actually are. As for defending a Russian hack, we don't know the facts on that one either or even if the Russians played the role it is said they did. Do they have capabilities similar to this? Most likely, but we don't know how many other people, including those doing things like this just for kicks have done the same thing and could be the culprits.

  11. Re: Trump didn't win, landslide or otherwise by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    In California, where the Democrat candidate got those 3,000,000 extra votes, anybody can get a driver's license, legal US citizen or not. Anybody in California can show up at the polls with a drivers license and vote.

    There are considerably more than 3,000,000 illegal aliens in California.

    Yet people act like the Republicans 'gamed the system.'

  12. I can see a new game by charliemerritt03 · · Score: 2

    Get the anchor to say "...."

  13. A little too simplistic? by Tony+Isaac · · Score: 2

    How could Alexa make a reasonable dollhouse choice with just the words "Alexa, order a dollhouse"? What kind? How big? How expensive? Seems the intelligence of the shopping aspects of the voice commands is a bit stunted.

  14. Re:Funny Story by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 3, Funny

    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.

    --
    Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
  15. FALSE NEWS by cdwiegand · · Score: 5, Informative

    Anyone with an Alexa knows when you start an order it lists matching products and asks for verification.

    --
    . Define sqrt(x) as something really evil like (x / rand()), and bury it deep. Watch your coworkers go nuts.
  16. Re:Trump didn't win, landslide or otherwise by EzInKy · · Score: 2

    The States elect the President of the United States, not the people. Certainly not a landslide, but Trump did win around 60% of the States.

    --
    Time is what keeps everything from happening all at once.