Amazon Wants To Put a Camera and Microphone in Your Bedroom (vice.com) 207
On Wednesday, Amazon announced the Echo Look, the latest gadget in the company's new Echo-powered hardware lineup. Motherboard explains: The newly announced Echo Look is a virtual assistant with a microphone and a camera that's designed to go somewhere in your bedroom, bathroom, or wherever the hell you get dressed. Amazon is pitching it as an easy way to snap pictures of your outfits to send to your friends when you're not sure if your outfit is cute, but it's also got a built-in app called StyleCheck that is worth some further dissection. [...] "All photos and video captured with your Echo Look are securely stored in the AWS cloud and locally in the Echo Look app until a customer deletes them," a spokesperson for the company said. "You can delete the photos or videos associated with your account anytime in the Echo Look App." Motherboard also asked if Echo Look photos, videos, and the data gleaned from them would be sold to third parties; the company did not address that question.
God no (Score:5, Insightful)
Nope nope nope nope nope god no nope.
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
Nopers.
Ages ago, a former Houston chief of police was saying that cameras in bedrooms was a good idea. Now, we get people wanting to pay for that. (Remember, if Amazon can look at something, any police department can.)
Re:God no (Score:5, Insightful)
Seriously folks...the novel, 1984 was supposed to be a fictional story, not a blueprint for society going forward!!!
Re:God no (Score:4, Insightful)
The biggest mis-prediction by Orwell was that he failed to predict we would buy these devices voluntarily with our own money, and put them in our living rooms and bedrooms, carry them around in our pockets, all without being forced to do so. It took no force of law, no coercion.
The world didn't look at his warning with horror, it looked at it with desire and said, "when can we buy that?".
Re:God no (Score:4, Insightful)
Pick one: 1984 or Idiocracy.
Re: (Score:3)
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It wasn't even a warning, well, maybe Huxley tried to warn [activistpost.com], but rather an announcement made by Orwell.
Expect some cogn
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1984 was supposed to be a dystopia, not a marketing plan.
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Nopers.
Ages ago, a former Houston chief of police was saying that cameras in bedrooms was a good idea. Now, we get people wanting to pay for that. (Remember, if Amazon can look at something, any police department can.)
Reminds me of the case recently where Amazon was asked to provide Alexa data to the cops on a murder, and insisted that the cops produce a warrant if they want it. Not that I want to murder anybody, but that last thing I want is something that is a telltale to the cops if ever they decide to investigate me (even if I have nothing to hide)
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Why? Be it a Xbox Kinect, a Samsung Smart TV, a Nest/Dropcam or any number of other cheap cameras... they are becoming pretty common in more or more homes.
Unlike those geared towards 'security' or convenience, I do (unfortunately) see plenty of these selling for those who are looking to up their style.
I've no desire for one, but I'm afraid my wife will.
Re: God no (Score:4, Insightful)
That is a good solution indeed, for you, but you forget, we are not normal people, this camera is targeted at normal people.
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Exactly. This camera is targeted at normal people. To be more specific, it's targeted at your bed so bad guys can hack it and spy on you while you're fucking your wife/mistress/girlfriend/realdoll.
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This camera is targeted at normal people. To be more specific, it's targeted at your bed so bad guys can hack it and spy on you while you're fucking your wife/mistress/girlfriend/realdoll.
Normal people can't afford a Realdoll. Or a mistress.
Nope ^ 1000! (Score:5, Insightful)
and
What. Could. Possibly. Go. Wrong.
I think this deserve a new concept of "Nope-finity" to be invented, just to have a proper answer.
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Unlike say... a Nest/Dropcam which (with a cloud dvr plan) is more or less watching & streaming to the cloud 24/7... I would bet good money these things are built not unlike the Echo products... to only listen for a wake word locally, then transmit what it hears afterwards to the clo
Re:Nope ^ 1000! (Score:5, Insightful)
I don't care where they are stored.
I care HOW they are USED.
No, I won't be using any of these tools any time soon, if ever. Already these services are too intrusive.
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I care HOW they are USED.
They tell you in the summary, so your friends can tell you if your outfit is cute.
Nopefinity and beyond (Score:3)
I care HOW they are USED.
They tell you in the summary, so your friends can tell you if your outfit is cute.
I think what the above poster wanted to say would have been more appropriately expressed as
HOW they are ABUSED
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"All photos and video captured with your Echo Look are securely stored in the AWS cloud and locally in the Echo Look app until a customer deletes them,"
As in: once you delete them, they no longer store them securely, they just store them normally in AWS. Or they store them somewhere else.
And then:
"You can delete the photos or videos associated with your account anytime in the Echo Look App."
As in: What if they make copies that they don't associate with your account? I.e. in aggregate with all metadata stripped out? Is my naked backside metadata?
Too paranoid?
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"Nope-finity": about 50100 results found.
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"Infinope": about 184 results found.
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The Fappening 2: electric boogaloo
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"Alexa, does this make my bum look fat?"
Re:God no (Score:4, Insightful)
"No. Your bum does that all on its own."
Re: God no (Score:5, Insightful)
Many people charge their cell phones in their bedroom. They have both a camera (usually pretty good too) and a mic. What we really need is laws which require that any device with a camera or a microphone have a physical disable that cannot be overridden by software.
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Um, I don't know about you, but while I do admittedly charge my phone on the bedside table, the phone is sitting usually face-up. That means the main camera is pointed at the table surface directly below it so it's useless, and the front-view camera is pointed at the ceiling. The only thing that front-view camera is ever going to see in that position is the belly of one of my cats when they decide to walk over it. (Sometimes the phone is face-down, but this isn't really any different, except that hackers
Jeff Peeping Bezos (Score:2)
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Don't you remember when the Google subsidiary Nest purchased a company selling a product to do just this? They paid a cool half a billion for it: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/... [pcmag.com] Of course, they've done basically nothing with the platform/product since, so there may still be an untapped market.
Re:Jeff Peeping Bezos (Score:5, Insightful)
How many different ways can this go wrong? (Score:2)
Maybe technology is going too far.
Count your CHARGES name them one by one... (Score:2)
I could see
1 the devices get hacked and take some "extra" pictures
2 the data gets nicked and then resold
3 somebodies kidlet gets filmed
4 and the parent is a BIG NAME
5 the units get used as a spycam
So who wants to sell a "Blocker Bucket" that can be dropped on these things to prevent everything but 2??
I might get one of these (Score:5, Funny)
Some hacker has the misfortune of seeing me butt ass, it would persuade them into a more legitimate profession PDQ
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Some hacker has the misfortune of seeing me butt ass, it would persuade them into a more legitimate profession PDQ
They could always sell it to a humor website.
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Automated Voyeurism! (Score:3)
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Yet, how many people, pay any attention what so ever to where they place their smart phone, with microphone and cameras and dial home. What the hell is the purpose of echo, when you already have a smart phone invading your privacy in every way imaginable, especially after it has passed through US customs where they add programs.
Good morning, Dave (Score:2, Funny)
I see you're having trouble merging with your wife tonight.
May I suggest you update your Viagra drivers to the next version?
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I see you're having trouble merging with your wife tonight.
May I suggest you update your Viagra drivers to the next version?
The problem turned out to be a dangling pointer.
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No, it was a parity error. That wasn't his wife, it was his bit on the side.
(Old Verity Stob [wikipedia.org] joke)
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The problem was his wife, it turns out he likes chasing pointers.
Filed under: Nobody needs this! (Score:5, Insightful)
If you can't get dressed on your own without seeking the approval of others (who aren't even in the same room with you) -- then you're already failing at life.
I mean, I realize I'm a guy (and one of those "techie" types who is know not to care about clothing style as much as others). But this is ridiculous, no matter who you are. If you spent hard-earned money on pieces of clothing you've got hanging up in your closet, that means you liked them enough to buy them in the first place. You're just being petty and superficial if you start changing your mind about actually wearing what you, yourself liked and picked out, all because someone else (looking at a digital photo sent over the Internet) disagrees with you.
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You must not be married.
While I am happy to grab whatever t-shirt is next in the closet (sometimes the wife tries to arrange them based on the next pair of pants/shorts in the dresser)... my wife is a fair bit more concerned about her look, even though she will often deny it.
It took me a while to realize, but Amazon's target market for quite a few things isn't geeks like us who want some random PC part or book delivered the next day... it's our wives/girlfriends who this is geared towards. Just watch the pr
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We already have that... I still get asked the dangerous question "how does this look?" She will even take a pic herself and send it to a friend or family member for a second option, as clearly no answer I can give is correct.
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"how does this look?"
Answer: it's too late now, you already bought it.
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Thrift stores, goodwill, ebay, etc. Plenty of ways to get rid of things already purchased... in order to make room for new things.
One of these months I should measure exactly how much of the closet is mine and how much is hers. It's a good thing I don't have many shirts (because I don't need many), because I am left with very little.
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If you have a single rod, a nice closet system would make a huge difference: https://www.containerstore.com... [containerstore.com]
We designed a custom setup with one rod across the top (up pretty high with some unusable shelving above the rod), and a lower rod on the left and right third. Middle is long hang / shelving / drawers. There are cheaper options elsewhere, but nothing beats their in-store software other than not being able to control the software myself.
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Yes, we understand you are a guy who buys all sorts of tech equipment and talks excitedly about it with your friends and have no fashion sense.
This isn't for you.
Your perceived superiority over those who do want to look fashionable and enjoy clothes as much as you enjoy power supplies is, umm, something you should work on.
I think they already have it. (Score:2)
I got my wife one of those $50 Fire tablets when they were new.
Lot of good it does them when the battery is never charged.....
Not creepy, not at all ... (Score:2)
Who the f... thought that this is a good idea? That e.g. a woman would want to have her potentially naked photos "in the cloud"?
Oh and how long until this gets hacked and the juicy pictures leaked/sold? Amazon didn't take the lesson from the phone hacking scandal in the UK? This sort of device/service would be a goldmine for stalkers, creeps and tabloids hunting for juicy dirt.
Jesus Christ ...
Re: (Score:3)
Times change. A quick purvey of the internet demonstrates women are posting a lot more than naked selfies up - for free - largely in exchange for instant validation.
There's so much amateur porn out there now that it is likely social norms and acceptance are rapidly being biased.
Chances are nobody cares WHAT you post online anymore.
Will be popular (Score:3, Insightful)
Icloud leak writ large (Score:2)
Looks like we found the source for the next celebrity nude picture scandal. Only this time, instead of the pictures being intentionally taken by the celebrity or their lover, the photos are taken by someone that hacked the weak security surrounding the control system for the device and took the pictures themselves.
Security cameras are already ironically highly insecure, and those theoretically are from companies that should specialize in security, where the data should remain only on tightly controlled net
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Most of the cheap security cameras are designed to be accessed from the Internet, making them inherently risk.
This device is not designed to be accessed externally. It doesn't expose itself by default to the internet with a default username and password.
I suspect that this thing stands a far better chance. It has a security model closer to the Nest Cam, which is pretty secure and uses good two way authentication and encryption to protect its video.
Sure, you don't want to have your Amazon account account j
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It doesn't expose itself by default to the internet with a default username and password.
.... Didn't the summary straight up say it automatically uploads the pictures to the cloud? How exactly is that not connected and exposed to the internet by default? I mean it might not have a default username and password but no company every took any shortcuts or did something outside best security practices right?
Obligatory quote (Score:3)
Too much noise (Score:2)
Sorry, can't hear you.
Over the noise of a billion of 4chan creepy online freaks fapping at hacked pictures of said teenage girls.
I don't want one but.... (Score:4, Interesting)
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"IMHO: At first Amazon didn't get what Echo was."
Oh, you are funny.
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So the next iteration is going to walk around your house making snarky gestures that make other people laugh?
Progress is great (Score:3)
How did the human race survive with just mirrors before this technology was developed?
Just fine, if you're actually looking for an answer.
Re: (Score:2)
How did we survive before {fill in the blank with anything}?
Answer is the same, just fine. But just the same I like my phone even though it has a camera and microphone and GPS that someone can use to track me, hear me and see me.
If I'm off to commit the perfect crime I'll leave my phone at home and not count the loot in front of an Amazon Look.
Re: (Score:2)
How did the human race survive with just mirrors before this technology was developed?
Most people who have ever lived before Amazon planted cameras in bedrooms are dead.
Most people who have lived since Amazon planted cameras in bedrooms are still alive.
This is proof that Amazon's technology is a life saver.
There should be a law... (Score:2)
For several years now, Amazon really has been leading the way toward making it impossible to tell the difference between joke product ideas and the real ones. Google/Apple/Microsoft have had some bad ideas too, but they all get totally left in the dust by Amazon. I mean, this is the company that sells buttons for buying stuff.
Is there a Poe's Law [wikipedia.org] of consumer electronics yet? We're getting close to needing one.
Just name it after me (Score:2)
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They launched it during April...just a bit late.
Also in late April Fool's Day news, Nordstrom now has fake "muddy" blue jeans [nordstrom.com] for $425.
Summary is misleading about intent (Score:2)
It's fairly clear the author of the summary didn't even RTFA. Here is a better summary: This is an idea targeted at women in particular. The intent is to have Amazon Echo be able to answer the question "How do I look?"
Clearly, that's still kind of creepy but you can see why the person came up with the idea even if it's completely stupid. This kind of reminds of the Death 2.0 mobile app that can text you as if a dead loved one were still alive. These ideas are around trying to make "robots" or "artificia
OK I'm just too old. I know that now. (Score:2)
" Amazon is pitching it as an easy way to snap pictures of your outfits to send to your friends when you're not sure if your outfit is cute "
What the serious fuck?
People can't even make decisions about their own clothes any more without consulting the groupmind?
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People can't even make decisions about their own clothes any more without consulting the groupmind?
I take you you have not gone shopping with girls in the last 50 years?
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I see lots of forums where people discuss motherboards, CPUs, power supplies, etc.
They can't even make decisions about their tech purchases any more without consulting the groupmind?
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How Slashdot users would use this:
"Amazon, does this shirt and these trousers go together"
"No, red jeans should never be paired with Hawaiian shirts"
"Too late, it's already on my body"
Yes! Always wanted to transmit my bathroom habits (Score:2)
As if this is new... (Score:2)
I've wanted to put a camera in your bedroom for years, but where's my article?
Amazon hasn't thought this out. (Score:2)
Amazon is pitching it as an easy way to snap pictures of your outfits to send to your friends when you're not sure if your outfit is cute, ...
Alexa? Does this dress make me look fat?
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Alexa? Does this dress make me look fat?
"No, the dress has nothing to do with it".
I would also like to put a camera and microphone . (Score:2)
and best of all, my camera and microphone will cost HALF as much as Amazon is going to charge you. ;D
Unfortunately both of my parents have fallen for this stupid Amazon scheme.
Clap on (Score:2)
Clap off. The Clapper(tm) is the only microphone allowed in my bedroom.
Well... I guess the telephone has a microphone too.
Apparently and obviously.. (Score:3)
The NSA, CIA, FBI and local police are board....
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The NSA, CIA, FBI and local police are on board....
FTFY
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crazy time (Score:3)
Guesswork? (Score:4, Interesting)
I've been wondering lately if tech companies are just throwing technology at various populations to see what sticks. Is it cheaper to develop this crap and see if they stumble on something popular and trendy, or if they actually spend any time or effort researching and vetting ideas before developing them? Maybe I'm slowly going beige, but this idea just seems ludicrous to my dusty old brain.
Oxymoron (Score:2)
why?!? (Score:5, Funny)
I imagine only teenage girls would be superficial enough that they'd feel the need to dress and undress in front of an Internet-connected camera so their outfits could be.... ...
hang on, I need to order 10 of these and a copy of ORA's "Hacking the IoT".
Holy Panoptic Dystopias, Batman! (Score:2)
BrickerBot (Score:2)
Jailbait (Score:2)
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CIA performance review (Score:2)
CP question (Score:5, Insightful)
What would happen if a child wandered in front of the camera nude, and amazon stored that on their server -- would they be responsible for CP?
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I was just being flippant; and of course amazon has the legal clout to not be on the hook for such things.. but yeah, there's cases of people having photos developed of their young toddlers swimming nude, and getting the cops called on them -- so stranger things have happened.
so amazon wants to be an sex offender?? (Score:2)
so amazon wants to be an sex offender?? now just wait for this get someone under 18!
I like to watch (Score:2)
This will benefit boomers ... (Score:2)
... as in: "How many times did I get up to pee last night?"
"When was the last time I took a shit?"
I already have this stuff, so I know there's a market.
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It's the only way to see Trump's dick
You don't need a microscope to see Steve Bannon, what are you talking about?
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Go fuck yourself. Stop trying to be anything other than a store.
I am so happy I got rid of my Amazon account.
I'm not sure I agree with that. Hardware wise they've had good success.
The Kindle e-reader was a life changer. I appreciate that device.
The Kindle tablet was fantastic. $35 (black Friday few years back) for a decent enough crappy tablet to give the kids- will play their crappy games without costing me a fortune if they drop it.
Getting into distribution has saved a bunch on shipping.
I watch Amazon Prime TV, only way I can find some shows.
I'm rather glad they've innovated and branched out. We even have a
Re: (Score:3)
When the echo first came out, I thought the last thing I wanted in my house was an always-on microphone. I stand corrected.
Took me a few reads to realize you stand corrected because this is the new last thing you want. I originally read that as you changed your mind and like the amazon mic now.
Frankly these are all abominations, but the bedroom fashion camera still comes in second to the trivially hacked camera equipped vibrator...
https://www.dailydot.com/irl/c... [dailydot.com]
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Why? Did RealDoll start making nekomimi furry dolls? I'm supposed to be on their mailing list, damnit!