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Amazon Will Pay Developers With the Most Engaging Alexa Skills (venturebeat.com)
Amazon today announced a new program to bring revenue to developers of Alexa skills based on how much engagement their voice app is able to generate among users of Alexa-enabled devices. From a report: Amazon appears to be the first of the major tech companies with AI assistants and third-party integrations -- like Google, Samsung, Apple, and Microsoft -- with a program to compensate developers based on engagement created by their voice app. Metrics used to measure engagement of an Alexa skill include minutes of usage, new customers, customer ratings, and return visitors, an Amazon spokesperson told VentureBeat. Developers of Alexa skills in the U.S., U.K., and Germany are eligible to join. Developers with a skill active in all three countries will receive separate payments based on engagement in each country.
Depending on how good the app was, the length of time of engagement might be short, but I"m guessing that would be made up by increased repeat business.
Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
I submitted a skill. They strung me along for about 4 months asking for pointless tweaks while changing the acceptable encryption schemes, etc. At the end of all that they finally said "Some skills will never be accepted" and ended it there. No way to follow up.
Quick check of the dev forums and there are plenty of similar tales. The reason why? Whatever the skill was eventually became part of core functionality, or another large company released something identical shortly thereafter. My particular skill wound up in core.
You know, I get it. Maybe you don't want to reveal your road map. But don't string people along for months knowing you have no intention of ever approving. I've had plenty of ideas for skills since, but I'm never going near it again. Fuck those guys.
I'm calling it now. A sex chat program or something like it will actually win, but will be disqualified from the competition.
The voice interface, while looks good in science fiction as it is an easy way to push the plot along. However these devices such as Alexa, are often getting in my way of instant data. As someone who keep my phone silent and my PC on mute I find getting info from a keyboard, or with gestures on a good interface, is much better to get info. Plus other people don't have to hear me ask silly questions or bore listing to the answers.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
This is great news for anybody who uses these voice-based devices. The app ecosystem on these devices has been an absolute sewer, because only apps with a monetization strategy get published. There is a tonne of room for some very cool little applications that use voice inside the home for quick information requests and the like. But as is, nobody is going to build those apps because they cost money to run. Not very much money, but you still need to host a service somewhere. The worst case scenario for somebody up until now who was developing an Alexa Skill was to have it blow up in popularity, and then get stuck with a large hosting bill.
I hate voice assistants with a passion, but unlike touchscreen desktops I do think they have a real chance of becoming useful and popular. We have enough sci-fi with talking computers that I think people already have a feel for the times where they might be more useful than a display based system. Except for Google assistant. Try calling that thing up with a sore throat, it's some beautiful negative reinforcement I tell you. That glottal abortion "OK Google" will be left unnamed in the dumpster it was born into.
Figure out a decent way to have Alexa keep track of all those things you can't find when you want them. "Alexa, I am putting my ... in the closet, third shelf."
A dingo ate my sig...
The engagement would only be short with a bad developer. The loop should go: "oh I want you to.." *pause* "please wait while updating user profile for your new level of interaction" *pause* "sorry about that. Oh you are so strong..."
-The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.
I don't remember Apple having to pay developers to make apps for the App Store. Actually I don't remember a single cash incentive program for developers that worked. People like a platform or they don't, forcing engagement with prizes buys you very little.
If his claim is true, he has standing to file suit.
Amazon would have to show they didn't steal his idea.
Yes, this. The burden of proof would be on him, not Amazon.
Isn't this backwards? Surely from a user experience point of view, we'd want the minimum possible engagement with the device?
I should say "Alexa, I'm too hot" and have her turn down the thermostat. It shouldn't be, "Alexa turn down the thermostat" followed by her asking "which device" and then my having to remember what the Ecobee is called (and also to make sure I don't name a smart plug or light anything too similar so that I don't get told off for trying to change the temperature on the wrong sort of device, rather than her figuring that I want to use the only device on the network with a thermostat).
I guess it could be argued that there might in future be applications where you would want to converse with Alexa. But if her understanding of English is so limited that changing the temperature is a battle, those applications are still a long way off.
I don't usually reply to ACs, but our friend Napoleon has something to say on this topic.
Hey, Windows users, there is no such thing as "forward" slash, there is only slash and backslash.
Like nunchuck skills, bow hunting skills, computer hacking skills? Girls only want boyfriends who have great skills!
Taking guns away from the 99% gives the 1% 100% of the power.