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Amazon Plans To Release At Least 8 New Alexa-Powered Devices, Including A Microwave, Amplifier, and In-Car Gadget (cnbc.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the new-and-shiny dept.

Amazon is planning to release at least 8 new voice-controlled hardware devices before the end of the year, according to CNBC. "The devices include, among others, a microwave oven, an amplifier, a receiver, a subwoofer, and an in-car gadget, people familiar with the matter said," reports CNBC. "All of the devices will be Alexa-enabled, meaning they can easily connect to the voice assistant. Some of the devices will also have Alexa built in." From the report: Amazon is expected to reveal some of these devices at an event later this month, according to an internal document describing the plans. The new devices reflect Amazon's ambition to make its Alexa voice technology ubiquitous by focusing on areas where people spend most of their time -- at home and in the car. Alexa was initially considered a geeky experiment at Amazon. Now it is now one of the most popular voice assistants, leading the growth of the burgeoning smart speaker market, which is expected to be worth $30 billion by 2024, according to Global Market Insights.

24 of 47 comments (clear)

  1. How about Amazon APF? by devslash0 · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Alexa Piss Off!

    1. Re:How about Amazon APF? by citizenr · · Score: 1

      devslash0: Alexa Piss Off!
      Alexa: Based on your order history I found 10 gallon drum of piss. Would you like to buy it, or do you prefer your usual 5 gallon one?

      --
      Who logs in to gdm? Not I, said the duck.
  2. Stoopid by kamapuaa · · Score: 1

    No way would I ever own a device that contained a microphone and could connect to the internet! Everybody who disagrees with me is a sheeple.

    --
    Slashdot: providing anti-social weirdos a soapbox, since 1997.
    1. Re:Stoopid by 110010001000 · · Score: 1

      I would. My laptop/phone already does. I am going to buy all of these Alexa devices too. Alexa makes life so much easier!

    2. Re:Stoopid by devslash0 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Unfortunately such devices are the next wet dream of Amazon and other Big Tech companies. They hit a data-supply plateau having first extracted all the information available about us online and realised that the brick-and-mortar of our houses was a serious obstacle on their way to advertising paradise so they got creative. By putting smart spies inside our home they are not only able to gather almost every bit of information about ourselves but also users who potentially never joined their platforms - our kids, parents, ...occasionally, lovers. They can figure out our relations with neighbours, what are our offline activities and hobbies, what are our plans, wishes, tastes, what time do we come back home and so on. Who knows, perhaps they also secretly sniff the traffic inside our network, discovering what other online platforms are in use in our household. Perhaps not only our networks but the whole neighbourhood.

      It amazes me how few people are aware of these risks. Would they still have bought their smart devices if they knew the other side of the story?

      Lastly, where does it end? However vast data sets we can provide, they are ultimately finite. What are the big corporations going to do once they penetrate our houses and strip us of the last remaining bits of our privacy and dignity?

      Perhaps they'll decide to turn to the medical side of our life. I hope they would offer free rectal probes one day so that they could get a close-up of where I think is their place.

    3. Re:Stoopid by Bobrick · · Score: 1

      The medical side of our lives is already in the data sets.

  3. This is so sad. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Alexa, this is so sad. Please cook me two burritos and play despacito.

  4. Microwave? by cascadingstylesheet · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Seriously, I think touching "2" is actually easier than "Alexa, heat my soup"

    1. Re:Microwave? by s4080326 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      There are two features I can see being useful on a smart microwave, and if Amazon is reading this I'm happy to sign over the rights to these ideas for a free microwave. 1) It should be able to open the door when I ask it to so I can put things in with my hands full. 2) It should be able to read bar codes on the top of frozen meals and be able to re-heat them better than just setting it to 2-3 minutes on high.

    2. Re:Microwave? by cascadingstylesheet · · Score: 2

      There are two features I can see being useful on a smart microwave, and if Amazon is reading this I'm happy to sign over the rights to these ideas for a free microwave. 1) It should be able to open the door when I ask it to so I can put things in with my hands full. 2) It should be able to read bar codes on the top of frozen meals and be able to re-heat them better than just setting it to 2-3 minutes on high.

      "Open the microwave door, Hal."

    3. Re:Microwave? by LordHighExecutioner · · Score: 1

      "I am sorry Dave, I'm afraid I cannot cook that"

    4. Re:Microwave? by David_Hart · · Score: 1

      You forgot to add the part where Amazon sells the data of your eating habits to health insurance companies so that they can raise your rates or deny coverage based on your unhealthy meal choices.

      They might sell anonymized data but selling personal data would get them into trouble.

      It's more likely that they will ask you if you want to place an order to replace the groceries that you have used (i.e. automatic re-order or place it automatically in your cart). They also might use it to send coupons or suggest other foods that others have bought with the same item. Plus, you'll see ads for it on Facebook, etc.

    5. Re:Microwave? by philmarcracken · · Score: 1

      Whats the problem

  5. a microwave by ooloorie · · Score: 1

    "Tea, Earl Grey, Hot"

    1. Re:a microwave by LinuxIsGarbage · · Score: 1

      "Tea, Earl Grey, Hot"

      "Coffee, Black"
      "Make it yourself"

  6. I read that as Microwave Amplifier by Crashmarik · · Score: 1

    Was wondering why anyone would want Alexa controlling a Maser and wow imagine the product liability.

    Alexa crank up the beam power to 5kw.

  7. IoT Spreading like cancer. by Fly+Swatter · · Score: 2

    To infect everything with insecurity. That is all.

  8. At least it's improving by Dutch+Gun · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I own an Echo dot. I've complained previously that it couldn't really even manage a shopping list, so I thought I'd give it another try when I saw this story. Just now I tried saying "Alexa, add eggs, milk, and cheese to my shopping list", I was surprised when she didn't add "eggs, milk, and cheese" as a single item, like before, and added three separate items as you'd generally expect.

    When I indicated I'd like to clear my shopping list, Alexa used to tell me to use the shopping list app to do that (wtf). Now, she asked if I'd like to check off all items on my shopping list, and I answered "yes". Pleased, I said, "Alexa, that was really good.", and she said "Thank you."

    Well, I guess the point of these devices is that since they're basically dumb terminals into Amazon services, they should keep improving. I'm glad to see they're still working on improving the basics.

    --
    Irony: Agile development has too much intertia to be abandoned now.
    1. Re:At least it's improving by Bobrick · · Score: 2

      This doesn't answer the most important question: why the fuck would you get a speaker to tell your shopping list to in the first place. Seriously, why?

    2. Re:At least it's improving by Dutch+Gun · · Score: 1

      At $40, it seemed like a reasonable experiment to see if it might be useful to me. I'm interested in technology like this, and I have disposable income. I'm also a game developer, so I kind of wanted to investigate it's potential for audio-only games.

      And don't play holier-than-thou and tell me you've never purchased any gizmo that turned out to be less than practical, because I wouldn't believe it.

      --
      Irony: Agile development has too much intertia to be abandoned now.
  9. I am waiting to see.. by ctrl-alt-canc · · Score: 1

    ...Alexa controlled amateur radio equipment. It could be the last nail in the coffin of a dead hobby.

  10. Obligatory xkcd quote by LordHighExecutioner · · Score: 3, Informative

    New opportunities to play pranks to your friends...

  11. Progressives ask Alexa by DigressivePoser · · Score: 1

    Alexa, find anyone to accuse someone I don't like of rape.

  12. Paying to be spied on by iampiti · · Score: 1

    ...the 21st century is wonderful