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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.

7 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: 5, Funny

      Hi Scott.

  2. 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.

  3. Well bugger me! by quenda · · Score: 5, Funny

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

    Alexa 7.0 robotic assistant will need a safe word.

  4. 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!"

  5. 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.