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New Alexa Skill Plays Fake Stupid Arguments To Scare Off Burglars (techcrunch.com)
TechCrunch reports on a new Alexa skill called "Away Mode".
Instead of lights and noises, you can keep your home safe from unwanted visitors by playing lengthy audio tracks that sound like real -- and completely ridiculous -- conversations. When you launch Away Mode, Alexa will play one of seven audio tracks penned by comedy writers from SNL, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and UCB... These include gems like "Couple Has Breakup While Also Trying to Watch TV," "Two Average Guys Brainstorm What's Unique About Themselves So They Can Start a Podcast About It," "Emergency PTA Meeting To Discuss Memes, Fidget Spinners, and Other Teen Fads," and more. There are conversations from a book club where no one discusses the book, a mom walking her daughter through IKEA assembly over the phone, a stay-at-home mom losing her s***, and argument over a board game....
After enabling the skill on your Alexa device, you can cycle through the various conversations by saying "Next"... The tracks themselves are around an hour or so long... There are other "burglar deterrent" skills for Alexa if you're interested in the general concept, like that play fake house alarms or sound like guard dogs. But Away Mode is just a little more fun.
It's the brainchild of San Francisco-based Hippo Insurance, whose brand manager hopes to get people thinking about home security (though she says it isn't meant to be a serious security tool). Yet, "Theoretically it's a good idea," adds former California police chief Jim Bueermann (now the head of the nonprofit Police Foundation). "If this thing mimics real conversation, it's much more likely to trick the burglar into believing somebody is home."
In one fake argument, a board game player shouts "Hand me the rulebook! The other rulebook! That's the rules reference.... No, it's in the learn-to-play guide. That's the quick reference!"
After enabling the skill on your Alexa device, you can cycle through the various conversations by saying "Next"... The tracks themselves are around an hour or so long... There are other "burglar deterrent" skills for Alexa if you're interested in the general concept, like that play fake house alarms or sound like guard dogs. But Away Mode is just a little more fun.
It's the brainchild of San Francisco-based Hippo Insurance, whose brand manager hopes to get people thinking about home security (though she says it isn't meant to be a serious security tool). Yet, "Theoretically it's a good idea," adds former California police chief Jim Bueermann (now the head of the nonprofit Police Foundation). "If this thing mimics real conversation, it's much more likely to trick the burglar into believing somebody is home."
In one fake argument, a board game player shouts "Hand me the rulebook! The other rulebook! That's the rules reference.... No, it's in the learn-to-play guide. That's the quick reference!"
Sounds like another reboot.
”There are conversations from a book club where no one discusses the book”
I’m pretty sure I was a member of that book club a while back.
#DeleteChrome
With Alexa playing a fake argument, the adjoined neighbors won't suspect anything is out of place when I accidentally knock over a lamp while I'm robbing the place! #DontForgetToStealAlexa ;)
Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
Now I wish I had recorded all times I yelled and ranted at my Windows PC. Yes, I sometimes actually do this -- I'm sure we *all* do...
It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
Sounds awfully over-complicated compared to what my grandfather used to do, i.e just leave some outside-visible lights on. Most burglars are obviously just going to assume nobody's home and move on to another apartment that looks like the residents are out.
I don't have any figures to prove how effective it is, but the closest my grandparents have ever come to a break-in was one time somebody broke into their cellar space at the apartment complex they lived in at the time and stole some of my dad and uncle's old toys.
"Why should I want to make anything up? Life's bad enough as it is without wanting to invent any more of it."
A completely dark house with one of 7 prerecorded Alexa tracks is going to tell a burglar that no one is home and that you're a fucking moron.
...a moron with enough disposable income to fill their house with gadgets like an Alexa. Jackpot.
Play a recording of a Mossberg 12 gauge action being pumped.
Why not just play recordings of a very large barking dog? or repeated gunshots?
Will it be an argument or just contradiction ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
errr....umm...*whooosh* *whoosh* Is this thing on ?
So what you're saying is that it indiscriminately targets black people...?
Man, we can't win with you guys - if we discriminate, you come down on us;
if we indiscriminate you come down on us too. Ya'll gotta make up yer minds...
Step 2. Name the dog Alexa.
Problem solved.
Didn't these folks ever see The Ref?
Downmodding is the refuge of the weak. Don't downmod, make a better argument!
Why? Because an inhabited house means there will be the person's wallet, possibly ID or passport, car keys and phone - and someone to tell the combination of a safe, if there is one.
Making believe there is someone there could increase burglaries.A better solution would be a convincingly large dog or two - or at least a good facsimile of one (rather than some of the pathetic commercial offerings). Add to the effect by leaving a dogfood bowl out front and maybe a Beware of the Dog sign (next to the NRA membership sticker!)
politicians are like babies' nappies: they should both be changed regularly and for the same reasons
Couldn't they let her laugh again? That would be even simpler and more disturbing to the buglar.
Ezekiel 23:20
was my first thought reading 'fake stupid arguments'. To scare of would-be atheist burglars, presumably.
also, turn a light or two on... maybe turn on the light in an adjacent room, then turn out the light in the first room a second or so later, so it seems like someone is moving through the house
APK quotes people (including myself) without context and should not be trusted. Just thought you should know.
Great! While this might possibly scare off a burglar, I think it's more likely to scare neighbors into thinking there's a domestic disturbance. Police arrive and pound on the door and the argument continues without anyone answering the door. What next? Police break down the door, find the whole fight is a recording, and then cite the homeowner for wasting police time. So you're out the cost of fixing the door, a fine, and your name on the police department's shitlist for pulling stunts that waste their time.
Or you could just leave a radio on when away from home. Most potential burglers would assume that someone was home when they heard it. My family has done this for years (and never been robbed).
Yeah, why doesn't this do that? It's supposed to be a smart device, so why doesn't it play audio, turn on the TV for a little while, turn on and off lights and do other things that it has control over?
At least, going by all the ads, that's what people do with them, so it seems a real "away mode" can simply simulate normal use of what already happens... why play fake lines without doing other stuff?
Don't you have to be at home to trigger it? Or do you start it before you leave and leave it going for 24 hours a day while you are gone?
Because it's a publicity stunt.
Real criminals would know about this and study the dialog so it is immediately recognized as Alexa, because they have stolen Alexas already. They will hand out CDs at their thief TED talks with the skits. Recognizing the voice actors is already in Thieving 101.
It's not effective because it isn't trying to be.
Honestly if you have enough disposable income for an Alexa, may as well get the Alexa controlled lightbulbs, power switches, coffee machines, massage chairs, toasters, sprinklers, dildos, and cat feeder. At least give the burglar a good time while they're there.