Amazon Echo

[_aj_]

Have any other Getbiggers purchased this voice interactive AI for your palace? I've only had mine for a few days, but it's growing on me. Bodybuilding related, I had it read me choice excerpts from the Ronnie Coleman Wikipedia entry.

[Vince G, CSN MFT]

Don't waste your money.  Mycroft will be complete soon.  Its open source so the software will be free. 

[_aj_]

Don't waste your money.  Mycroft will be complete soon.  Its open source so the software will be free. 

But the hardware, Vince. The hardware. Will it also be open-source and free?

[Vince G, CSN MFT]

But the hardware, Vince. The hardware. Will it also be open-source and free?

The software is the main part.  The hardware is nothing more than a bluetooth speaker with a built-in microphone.  The computer inside is an ARM cortex which is dirt cheap.  That's why Amazon is making so much money. 

[_aj_]

The software is the main part.  The hardware is nothing more than a bluetooth speaker with a built-in microphone.  The computer inside is an ARM cortex which is dirt cheap.  That's why Amazon is making so much money. 

Yea, and the Amazon unit is quite cheap. And it requires significant back-end processing, which requires money, so some janky open-source code isn't going to cut it. Nor would a tower desktop with a CRT and keyboard cut it as an open-source Alexa in my kitchen. So GTFO with your cheap-ass bullshit.

[devilsmile]

when the voice echo becomes as good as the one in tony starks laboratory, then i will buy one. but that junk you buy is not even worthy to be my alarm clock. i can spell, believe it or not, and i don't need useless infrmation like how tall is mount everest. what i require from voice echo is the ability to have access to all information around the world,  realtime conversations and i also require the voice over to be extremely realistic and humanly reactive and i definitely shouldn't have to say some awake word to activate the thing every time. before all that it's just a baby toy.

[_aj_]

when the voice echo becomes as good as the one in tony starks laboratory, then i will buy one. but that junk you buy is not even worthy to be my alarm clock. i can spell, believe it or not, and i don't need useless infrmation like how tall is mount everest. what i require from voice echo is the ability to have access to all information around the world,  realtime conversations and i also require the voice over to be extremely realistic and humanly reactive and i definitely shouldn't have to say some awake word to activate the thing every time. before all that it's just a baby toy.

You'd be surprised how close the base technology is. What's really required is fantastic voice recognition and conversational state-maintenance. The echo has the best voice recognition I've heard and it's near real-time. It's conversational state is in its infancy, but you can see the flashes of brilliance there; if it's playing a playlist and you say, "next track", it correctly infers that you are referring to the playing playlist. It's shocking how something that we take so much for granted is actually a complex software problem.

Believe it or not, the rest is just plugging in info-sources and IoT and that's trivial.

[devilsmile]

You'd be surprised how close the base technology is. What's really required is fantastic voice recognition and conversational state-maintenance. The echo has the best voice recognition I've heard and it's near real-time. It's conversational state is in its infancy, but you can see the flashes of brilliance there; if it's playing a playlist and you say, "next track", it correctly infers that you are referring to the playing playlist. It's shocking how something that we take so much for granted is actually a complex software problem.

Believe it or not, the rest is just plugging in info-sources and IoT and that's trivial.

the conversational state is in it's infancy, it's basically "u tell me what i need to do and it do" and u have to call the program by it's awake word most of the time. besides, if we're having a party and the music is banging, u would have to manually change the song now anyway because the voice echo can't hear shit. i don't need a machine for that. every thing i can do manually i'll do it, but a debate, food for thought conversations.. maybe when i'm going out of the house the ai bot asks; "HEY! u got ur keys, cellphone and ur wallet? don't forget your headset, u know how u love to listen to music when u go out!. then i'd be like "nah i'd like to listen to the sounds of the world now, don't need my headset now. and then the voice echo would be like; "hahaha, that's gay. whatever, have a nice day!". shit like that

[_aj_]

the conversational state is in it's infancy, it's basically "u tell me what i need to do and it do" and u have to call the program by it's awake word most of the time. besides, if we're having a party and the music is banging, u would have to manually change the song now anyway because the voice echo can't hear shit. i don't need a machine for that. every thing i can do manually i'll do it, but a debate, food for thought conversations.. maybe when i'm going out of the house the ai bot asks; "HEY! u got ur keys, cellphone and ur wallet? don't forget your headset, u know how u love to listen to music when u go out!. then i'd be like "nah i'd like to listen to the sounds of the world now, don't need my headset now. and then the voice echo would be like; "hahaha, that's gay. whatever, have a nice day!". shit like that

I understand that you don't have the scientist's fascination that I do with emerging tech. But mark my words that the Echo's ecosystem has reached an escape velocity.

[devilsmile]

I understand that you don't have the scientist's fascination that I do with emerging tech. But mark my words that the Echo's ecosystem has reached an escape velocity.

fine fine, it could be fun. maybe i'm not appreciating it enough, i got first world problem symptoms

[funk51]

i don't need this. i've already got voices in my head, they talk to me....

[Army of One]

Humor me aj, how is this any better than google now on a smartphone?

[_aj_]

Humor me aj, how is this any better than google now on a smartphone?

Probably not much from an informational standpoint, but the device is nifty, with solid voice recognition, 7 directional noise-reductive microphones and decent sound.

[Army of One]

Probably not much from an informational standpoint, but the device is nifty, with solid voice recognition, 7 directional noise-reductive microphones and decent sound.

Not sure what Vince is talking about with a quick Google search, the omni multi directional mic that can detect you over music seems very impressive, sadly not available in the U.K yet.

[10pints]

Not sure what Vince is talking about with a quick Google search, the omni multi directional mic that can detect you over music seems very impressive, sadly not available in the U.K yet.

Vince is a known pathological liar.

[Vince G, CSN MFT]

[devilsmile]

i still can't stand the fact that you have to activate the junk almost every time; "homo! put on the tv! homo! change the channel! homo! turn on stereos! homo! what do you think about james bond being black in the next movie? oh you can't engage into that level of conversation? well format c:/ then u fucking scrap!"

i just don't think it's high tech. switching channels, music tracks, turning on/off lights... i wanted that shit in the early 90's. i want the tony stark system already, fuck this gameboy level crap.

[_aj_]

i still can't stand the fact that you have to activate the junk almost every time; "homo! put on the tv! homo! change the channel! homo! turn on stereos! homo! what do you think about james bond being black in the next movie? oh you can't engage into that level of conversation? well format c:/ then u fucking scrap!"

i just don't think it's high tech. switching channels, music tracks, turning on/off lights... i wanted that shit in the early 90's. i want the tony stark system already, fuck this gameboy level crap.

The problem is that it's always listening and needs to know when it's actually being addressed or it would constantly be butting into conversations. If you've a better way (directional mics that KNOW you are looking at the device?), I am sure that they would be all ears.

Related: my wife is constantly fighting herself to thank Alexa for her help.

[devilsmile]

The problem is that it's always listening and needs to know when it's actually being addressed or it would constantly be butting into conversations. If you've a better way (directional mics that KNOW you are looking at the device?), I am sure that they would be all ears.

Related: my wife is constantly fighting herself to thank Alexa for her help.

i guess i emphasized too much on the fact you need an activation word. forget about it, because my problem really is ur attitude to this technology . like i said, if it could engage into full out debates/conversations i would want one. if i asked alexa why would trump be an excellent president and why would trump not be an excellent president, and i wanted a social stand point, economical stand point and a political stand point i wish the machine could give me some next level shit for an answer, but i guess it can only switch tv channels, tell how many planets are in our solar system, answer to what's 33 times 2... it's fun i guess, but you act like it's some super freak technology, come on man!

[_aj_]

i guess i emphasized too much on the fact you need an activation word. forget about it, because my problem really is ur attitude to this technology . like i said, if it could engage into full out debates/conversations i would want one. if i asked alexa why would trump be an excellent president and why would trump not be an excellent president, and i wanted a social stand point, economical stand point and a political stand point i wish the machine could give me some next level shit for an answer, but i guess it can only switch tv channels, tell how many planets are in our solar system, answer to what's 33 times 2... it's fun i guess, but you act like it's some super freak technology, come on man!

I suppose it's my ability as an engineer to see the potential prior to its full-fledged glory. Your mind is obviously closed.

And we as a scientific community are still quite a ways from an AI that can have "feelings" and "opinions" on events. My guess is you'll never see that in your lifetime.

[stuntmovie]

As an Amazon Prime customer I was able purchase an ECHO at a discounted price months before it was available to the general public.

It was a novel 'radio' with a great sound almost comparable to BOSE.

But some unknown house guest managed to sneak off with it in the heat of the night and ALEXA didn't even yell for help on her way outside the door.

I will be purchasing another one but first I'll check out MYCROFT to see if it is any better.

BTW ... I like AMAZON PRIME because all my Amazon purchases are mailed free of charge ...... even a tank it they ever start selling tanks.

And AMAZON offers its Prime members almost unlimited TV series and movies absolutely free of charge.

I believe it cost me about $100 a year and I recommend it highly if you buy stuff via Amazon.

[The True Adonis]

Yea, and the Amazon unit is quite cheap. And it requires significant back-end processing, which requires money, so some janky open-source code isn't going to cut it. Nor would a tower desktop with a CRT and keyboard cut it as an open-source Alexa in my kitchen. So GTFO with your cheap-ass bullshit.

There are quite a few Getbiggers on this site that require "significant back-end processing".

[The True Adonis]

AJ, how is the sound quality on it?

[_aj_]

As an Amazon Prime customer I was able purchase an ECHO at a discounted price months before it was available to the general public.

It was a novel 'radio' with a great sound almost comparable to BOSE.

But some unknown house guest managed to sneak off with it in the heat of the night and ALEXA didn't even yell for help on her way outside the door.

I will be purchasing another one but first I'll check out MYCROFT to see if it is any better.

BTW ... I like AMAZON PRIME because all my Amazon purchases are mailed free of charge ...... even a tank it they ever start selling tanks.

And AMAZON offers its Prime members almost unlimited TV series and movies absolutely free of charge.

I believe it cost me about $100 a year and I recommend it highly if you buy stuff via Amazon.

I would pay the $100 to watch The Man in the High Castle

[_aj_]

AJ, how is the sound quality on it?

Not as good as my extensive Sonos system, but not bad.