Amazon Echo Club

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by OtinG

Here are the instructions on how to turn off Amazon’s ability to listen to your voice recording:

1. In Alexa app select Menu icon in upper-left of screen.
2. Select Settings —> Alexa Account —> Alexa Privacy to open the Alexa Privacy page.
3. In the Alexa Privacy page, select Manage How Your Data Improves Alexa to open the Manage How Your Data Improves Alexa page.
4. In the Manage How Your Data Improves Alexa page, you can toggle OFF the Help Develop New Features option and the Use Messages to Improve Transcriptions option.

Thanks. I didn't know this even existed. I turned it off. I also unplugged my Dot--again.

Apparently the default is to collect information, which seems like a violation of privacy just waiting for a class action suit. Vizio settled a class action suit because their smart TVs were collecting data; seems like Amazon's doing much the same thing.

[John F]

Originally Posted by Catlady

Thanks. I didn't know this even existed. I turned it off. I also unplugged my Dot--again.

Apparently the default is to collect information, which seems like a violation of privacy just waiting for a class action suit. Vizio settled a class action suit because their smart TVs were collecting data; seems like Amazon's doing much the same thing.

FWIW, many/most apps "collect data to help improve the product": Firefox, Siri, ...

[OtinG]

Yes a lot of companies do collect data in a so-called "we want to improve our app/device" guise, but some go way too far, especially Google and Facebook. We really need a federal law on the books requiring companies to automatically turn off data collection as the default setting, and have to request our permission to collect data before they do, and have to be 100% transparent with what they will do with that data. I mean ANY data, period. There is way too much abuse, including the sharing and selling of our data to other companies and organizations, in some cses even GD political organizations can purchase that data. That needs to stop unless we give our specific permission to them. I've installed a lot of iOS apps that ask for permission to collect data and I always say no, at least until I can check them out through research. That is the way it should be required, that the default is set to NO data collection unless we give our permission.

[Catlady]

The trouble is that too often you can't use the app without giving permission for all sorts of invasive actions that seem to have no connection to the purpose of the app--like access to the contacts list.

I am fairly sure that when I installed the Alexa app, there was no information given about turning off data collection, or I would have done so.

[OtinG]

Originally Posted by Catlady

The trouble is that too often you can't use the app without giving permission for all sorts of invasive actions that seem to have no connection to the purpose of the app--like access to the contacts list.

I am fairly sure that when I installed the Alexa app, there was no information given about turning off data collection, or I would have done so.

Agree. Plus the Alexa app is being updated very often and no telling what kind of new permissions have been added without our knowledge.

Yesterday a friend of mine who has almost no knowledge in computers or smartphones tried to send me a couple of photos he took on his Android smartphone. He wasn’t sure how to attach them to a text message but eventually managed to get them attached, or so he thought. I got his text message but it contained a link to the photos rather than the photos. When I clicked the link I was asked if I wanted to install Google Photos on my iPhone. I hate everything Google because of their lack of security and history of data mining, but I installed the app anyway. When I tried to run the app it asked for permission to access my iPhone’s Photo app, I checked NO because I do not want Google snooping around my iPhone. The app responded it would not work without access to my iPhone Photo app and quit. I promptly deleted the Google Photo app. I still haven’t been able to view the photos my friend tried to send me. They were of a 12” diameter snapping turtle he saw along the road where he lives. I see absolutely no reason why an app has to have access to my iPhone photos in order to allow me to view a photo that is not therein. I’m also not sure why my friends Android phone didn’t attach the photos rather than force them into the Google Photo app cloud other than Google probably wanted to snoop around. App permissions are sometimes understandable, but certainly not in this case. BTW, I receive photos attached to emails and text messages all the time from friends who have Android phones, so I know they don’t require Google Photos. I guess the phone store must have set up his phone to use that app and service. Like I said he has no clue how to set up a new phone and he has a brand new phone...

[Tarana]

FYI - you can now have Echo send ebooks or audiobooks to your registered devices. Start it by saying "Alexa, manage my content."

[OtinG]

Originally Posted by Tarana

FYI - you can now have Echo send ebooks or audiobooks to your registered devices. Start it by saying "Alexa, manage my content."

Alexa keeps interpreting light control commands for my “Bath Light” as “Mike”! I’m not sure how in heck she hears Mike rather than Bath Light, but she does. I can only wonder which strange books she would incorrectly load to my devices. Some things are easier and quicker to do on a computer or tablet/smartphone than they are when you have to argue with Alexa.

I still say that AI at Amazon stands for Alexa Ignorance.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by OtinG

Alexa keeps interpreting light control commands for my “Bath Light” as “Mike”! I’m not sure how in heck she hears Mike rather than Bath Light, but she does. I can only wonder which strange books she would incorrectly load to my devices. Some things are easier and quicker to do on a computer or tablet/smartphone than they are when you have to argue with Alexa.

I still say that AI at Amazon stands for Alexa Ignorance.

When you're not home, you gotta ask yourself what Alexa is doing in the bathroom with Mike

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Catlady

Thanks. I didn't know this even existed. I turned it off. I also unplugged my Dot--again.



Apparently the default is to collect information, which seems like a violation of privacy just waiting for a class action suit. Vizio settled a class action suit because their smart TVs were collecting data; seems like Amazon's doing much the same thing.

Hubby unplugged Alexa after last months reports he came across about privacy violation. She's now collecting dust. I kind of miss her but he's right. Amazon can't be trusted with this much power.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[OtinG]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

When you're not home, you gotta ask yourself what Alexa is doing in the bathroom with Mike

LOL!

[tubemonkey]

"Alexa, play music"

Beginning today, Alexa customers in the U.S. will have access to top Amazon Music playlists and thousands of stations, at no cost.

• Spoiler:

Amazon launches ad-supported music service to Echo owners

Amazon today announced the launch of a free, ad-supported music service in the U.S. that will be available to anyone who wants to play free music on their Echo speaker.

Until today, Echo owners who wanted to stream music from Amazon could either pay for an annual Prime membership for access to Prime Music or they could pay $3.99 per month to stream from Amazon Music Unlimited (or $9.99/month to stream on non-Echo devices, as well.)

The new service has the same catalog as Prime Music, which today has just over two million songs. Amazon Music Unlimited, meanwhile, has 50 million songs.

[OtinG]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

"Alexa, play music"


Amazon launches ad-supported music service to Echo owners

So those loyal customers like me who have been paying for a Prime Membership for several years but don’t have the separate Prime Music Membership just get rear ended? WTF!!! Oh well, that is what happens to loyal customers with cable companies and cellular phone plans, the long time loyal folks never get the good deals.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by OtinG

So those loyal customers like me who have been paying for a Prime Membership for several years but don’t have the separate Prime Music Membership just get rear ended? WTF!!! Oh well, that is what happens to loyal customers with cable companies and cellular phone plans, the long time loyal folks never get the good deals.

This free service uses the same catalog as Prime Music, but has restrictions. For starters, it contains ads and you can't play specific songs or albums. You can only play radio stations (based upon songs or artists) and the playlists included in the Prime Music catalog.

It's very similar to the free versions of Pandora and Spotify.

BTW, Prime Music (2+ million songs) is included in your Prime membership. Amazon Music Unlimited (50+ million songs) is the paid service.

Bottom line: this free service is a restricted version of Prime Music.

[OtinG]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

This free service uses the same catalog as Prime Music, but has restrictions. For starters, it contains ads and you can't play specific songs or albums. You can only play radio stations (based upon songs or artists) and the playlists included in the Prime Music catalog.

It's very similar to the free versions of Pandora and Spotify.

BTW, Prime Music (2+ million songs) is included in your Prime membership. Amazon Music Unlimited (50+ million songs) is the paid service.

Bottom line: this free service is a restricted version of Prime Music.

Okay, I misunderstood and thought it was based on the Unlimited service with 50+ million songs but with ads and only pre-designed playlists. Prime Music is fairly lame and often doesn’t have the songs I request. Unlimited is pretty good, but not worth the amount they want considering how little I would get to use it. It was worth $3.99/mo but they won’t let you restrict it to one device at a time; they make you restrict it to one specific device period. It can never be used on your others devices, just that one. I think it costs $7.99/mo for all devices at any time. I live alone and only need one device at any time, but I would want to choose from any of my devices so I don’t have to go into a specific room to listen, or move that single device around. Too inconvenient. An extra $4 isn’t worth that upgrade. Especially since they still push a lot of lame live recordings on us...

[OtinG]

FYI, the last two evenings while watching TV I have noticed my Echo Plus gen 2 updating the firmware. I haven't noticed any of the other three Echo devices (two Dot gen 3 and one Dot gen 2) updating, but if they updated around the same time I would not have noticed since all three or in other rooms. I do know that Alexa has had increasing issues with control of my Home devices (lights) in the past few weeks, so maybe they are working on that. Or perhaps Bezos Bozos just wanted to further muck up an already flaky Alexa! You never know with Amazon. It is like a rollercoaster ride with them. Hopefully they made some improvements this time rather than just add more unnecessary features I will never use.