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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!"
”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. . . .
Play a recording of a Mossberg 12 gauge action being pumped.
Will it be an argument or just contradiction ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
errr....umm...*whooosh* *whoosh* Is this thing on ?
Step 2. Name the dog Alexa.
Problem solved.
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
was my first thought reading 'fake stupid arguments'. To scare of would-be atheist burglars, presumably.
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.
If I set up a computer to generate a fake loud discussion. I would go for drunken hunter conversation and the best ways to clean a shotguns and handguns and reminders about unloading them prior to cleaning them and the importance of reloading them after you have finished, just in case you get the chance to shoot some trespasser, toss in a little drunken arguing and threats for spice ;D.
Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
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?