Amazon Echo

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Amazon Echo
Amazon Echo
1st generation black Amazon EchoTemplate: Infobox / maintenance / picture

Manufacturer Amazon.com
category Virtual personal assistant
Released on United StatesUnited States United States
June 23, 2015 United Kingdom September 28, 2016 Germany October 26, 2016 France June 13, 2018
United KingdomUnited Kingdom 

GermanyGermany 

FranceFrance 
Connectivity WLAN , bluetooth
Dimensions 235 mm × 83.5 mm × 83.5 mm
Weight 1064 grams
Website www.amazon.de/echo

Amazon Echo is an intelligent loudspeaker and its front end to the voice-controlled , internet-based intelligent personal assistant Alexa from the US company Amazon . It accesses various proprietary services as well as services from third-party providers. The device has been sold in the United States since June 23, 2015 and in Germany since October 26, 2016.

voice control

The devices are designed in such a way that in standby mode they initially process the speech internally and wait for an activation word. The actual voice control is initiated using spoken activation words such as Alexa , Echo , Amazon or Computer or by pressing the action button on the top of the device. The device then digitally transmits the words spoken in the room via the Internet to the manufacturer, where an attempt is made to implement the commands. For this purpose, the device is locally connected to the Internet via a WLAN network, audio and remote control via Bluetooth with the A2DP and AVRCP protocols .

The device shows the individual phases between readiness, speech recognition and processing via colored lights. If several devices are operated within acoustic range, speech recognition takes place on the device that is closest to the user. This technique is known as echo spatial perception .

Voice control can also be switched off entirely with a button. This acts directly on the seven built-in microphones, i. H. without further intervention by the manufacturer. Voice transmission that has been switched off in this way is indicated by red lights.

Amazon Echo Dot (2nd generation) with the microphones switched off

Skills function enhancements

Without skill extensions, the device can carry out actions such as playing music, setting an alarm clock or timer, explaining terms, managing calendars, etc. Amazon also offers a store for so-called skills, which can be created by third-party providers. Skills are activated by the user and offer additional functions such as controlling smart home devices, games, messaging or communicating with a bank. In the United States, there are now over 50,000 skills available for communicating with web services. Skills can be activated individually via the Alexa app, which is compatible with Fire OS, Android and iOS devices, or by voice command. With the Alexa Skills Kit (ASK) provided, web services can be used with Alexa. Around 500 German-language skills have been available since January 2017, most of them in the Games, Quiz & Accessories category , followed by Education & Reference Works and News & Humor . Since then, however, the inventory has been increased further, so that over 3,000 Alexa skills are now available in German. While more and more paid skills are coming onto the market in the USA, German users can still access the additional skills free of charge. A couple of example sentences interpreted by Amazon Echo would be “Alexa, put milk on the shopping list”, “Alexa, what appointments do I have today?” Or “Alexa, play music”.

There are several cooperation partners such as BMW , Spotify , TuneIn Radio , Deutsche Bahn , Tagesschau , Spiegel Online or TorAlarm , a soccer app. According to this, it is possible to have Alexa lock his connected BMW or to have the latest headlines read aloud from news sites such as Spiegel Online or the soccer results. With the help of the Hue Bridge and compatible lights (a system of LED lights that can be controlled via an app via WLAN), the device can control the lighting in the entire house or in the garden, if it is networked accordingly. Televisions, AV receivers and streaming boxes that can be controlled with the Harmony remote control from Logitech can also be controlled via Alexa voice commands, which enables the indirect use of Netflix or Amazon Video . In the USA, it is possible to have Alexa check your account balance and place orders at Domino's Pizza .

Amazon's Prime customers can order music and hundreds of thousands of Prime-eligible items on demand, which are sold and / or shipped by Amazon. Voice shopping also supports re-ordering of Prime-enabled products via the Amazon platform. Orders can be canceled after they have been placed and orders that have already been sent can be tracked.

Criticism of the manufacturing conditions

According to the British newspaper Guardian, production at Foxconn in Hengyang (China) systematically violates labor rights, which are in any case not comparable to Western conditions. Schoolchildren aged 16 and over are hired as interns through teachers who regularly have to work overtime, including at night. Instead of eight hours on five days, ten hours on six days were the rule; those who resisted were put under pressure and, if they insisted on their rights, were released.

Criticism from privacy advocates

All voice messages are permanently stored in the Amazon cloud if you don't delete them yourself in your user profile.

In addition, third-party providers store voice messages indefinitely.

In December 2016, the American law enforcement authorities used cloud-stored audio data for the first time, hoping that this would lead to the investigation of a murder case .

The Federal Commissioner for Data Protection , Andrea Voßhoff , points out the lack of transparency, as a rule, of how exactly stored information is used. Since the device listens to an activation word, microphones constantly record noises, which provides intimate insights into private life. This would make it possible to endanger the privacy of your own home . The problem is exacerbated because the recording also starts with commands that sound similar.

In October 2017, Amazon Echo received the Austrian negative Big Brother Award in the category of global hunger for data .

In April 2018, Amazon Alexa received the German Big Brother Award in the consumer protection category . In the laudatory speech by padeluun it was said that it was a bugging interface that disguised itself as an alarm clock, for example, but was an omniscient butler in the service of others, who could be carried into the bedroom by me personally and connected to the worldwide surveillance network .

Conversation recordings stored abroad are evaluated around the clock by people employed by Amazon in the event of recognition problems, and comments are added to enhance speech recognition.

Criticism of security

With a minimum of technical effort and knowledge, a hack by voice assistants was shown in 2017: known under the name DolphinAttack , in the vicinity of the devices, imperceptible acoustic signals were used to take over the device control for the human hearing range - with frequencies above 20 kilohertz. Speech recognition systems can recognize and execute these commands that are inaudible to humans. Amazon Echo was affected by DolphinAttack , along with other voice assistants. A defense against such hidden commands is to switch off the permanent listening into the room ( always-on setting).

In response to a customer's request for information, the German branch of the group sent around 1700 WAV files and a PDF file with chronologically unsorted transcripts of what Amazon's language assistant Alexa understood from voice inputs. The customer had never used Alexa, the data came from other users.

history

Amazon invested several million US dollars in developing voice control and made Alexa Voice Services (AVS) available to third parties. The voice recordings, which form the basis for the software's voice, were made in Gdansk, Poland . There, Amazon took over the start-up Ivona in 2013 , which developed the corresponding technology. The German voice is that of a professional speaker who has worked exclusively for Amazon since then. The group keeps their identity secret. The activation word “Alexa” is Amazon's homage to the Alexandria library .

Amazon Echo has been available to Amazon Prime members in the US since November 6, 2014. The device was offered to all customers on June 23, 2015.

In March 2016, Amazon introduced the Amazon Echo Dot, which is a puck- sized version of the Echo. In contrast to the Echo, it only has a small speaker, as it can be connected to existing speakers.

In February 2017 it became known that Amazon was researching the identification of human voices ( speaker authentication ).

End of the test phase in the USA

After a one-year test phase in the USA , the Amazon Echo and Amazon Echo Dot were also offered in other countries. Including Great Britain , where you can buy a UK version since September 28, 2016.

Market launch in Germany

A version limited to 10,000 pieces for the German market was announced in October 2016. Customers had to apply for a copy. At the beginning of November 2016, Amazon put off pre-orders for an indefinite period. In November 2016, the group announced that no “invitations to buy” would be sent for the time being and that processing them would take several months. In February 2017, the delivery time for pre-orderers was initially given as "several weeks", but was then significantly corrected downwards when the invitation system was canceled on February 11, 2017.

Product variants

The manufacturer offers different product variants with a similar basic function, but different technical equipment.

Echo (3rd generation)

The original version of the echo.

Echo Dot (3rd Generation)

Echo Dot (2nd generation)

A flat version of the echo with a smaller speaker.

Echo Dot with clock

The Echo Dot with clock is an advanced version of the third generation Echo Dot. This is equipped with an additional display on the side. This shows the time or optionally the temperature or timer.

Echo Plus (2nd generation)

The plus version also contains a temperature sensor and a ZigBee module to address smart home devices via the ZigBee protocol. The loudspeaker is slightly larger than the standard Echo version and offers sound advantages.

Echo Show (2nd generation)

Echo Show has a large rectangular display (7 ″ for the first generation and 10 ″ for the second generation) for playing videos. Video calls can be made via the integrated camera.

Echo Show 5

The Echo Show 5 has a rectangular display with a diameter of 5 inches. It has functions of the Echo Show and is intended as a cheaper alternative to the Echo Show.

Echo Show 8

The Echo Show 8 has a rectangular display with a diameter of 8 inches. The design was based on the Echo Show 5.

Echo Spot (1st generation)

Echo spot

In terms of functionality, the Echo Spot is identical to the Echo Show, but has a round display in a spherical housing.

Echo car

Echo Auto is a version for cars. It is connected to the internal infotainment system to output the sound. The input is made via eight internal microphones. The connection to the Internet is established via a smartphone.

Echo input

The Echo Input is purely an input device. The sound is output via an existing sound system, which is connected via a 3.5 mm jack plug or Bluetooth.

Echo buttons

As an input device, the Echo Button is an extension for Echo devices. It is a round push button that can display different colors via an LED. This can be used for games or to start smart home routines. Production and sales were discontinued in 2019.

Echo Connect

Echo Connect is an expansion module for Echo devices. With this it is possible to make calls with an Echo device via the normal telephone connection.

Echo sub

Echo Sub is a separate subwoofer that connects to existing Echo devices. It can generate additional low tones that are not possible with the other Echo devices due to their size.

Echo Studio

Echo Studio is a speaker optimized for audio playback. The loudspeaker recognizes the spatial conditions in order to optimally adapt the sound. It supports Dolby Atmos , 360 Reality Audio and is equipped with a smart home hub.

Echo Wall Clock

Echo Wall Clock is an extension for Echo devices. It is a wall clock that is paired with an Echo via Bluetooth. In addition to the display of the time via pointers, the clock can display running timers by means of an LED ring.

Echo Flex

Echo Flex is a module that is plugged directly into a (wall) socket. A USB-A port offers expansion options. A motion sensor and a night light are currently available. The quality of the speaker is worse than a regular Echo Dot.

Trivia

In the US in early 2017, a television broadcast on Alexa triggered an automatic mass ordering of dollhouses from viewer households.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Data protection portal for Alexa. Amazon , accessed October 5, 2019 .
  2. ↑ Change activation word. amazon.de
  3. ↑ Amazon Echo, black. Retrieved October 11, 2016 .
  4. ↑ Alexa Skills: The best additional functions. ionos.de, November 20, 2018, accessed on January 25, 2019 .
  5. ↑ Amazon ECHO »Control lamps with Alexa! | Lumizil . In: Inspiration . May 4, 2017 ( lumizil.de [accessed on May 16, 2017]).
  6. ↑ Gethin Chamberlain: Schoolchildren in China work overnight to produce Amazon Alexa devices. In: TheGuardian.com . August 8, 2019, accessed August 10, 2019 .
  7. ↑ Oliver Nickel: Alexa and third-party providers store data indefinitely. In: Golem.de . July 4, 2019, accessed July 4, 2019 .
  8. ^ Alfred Ng: Police request Echo recordings for homicide investigation. In: CNET . December 27, 2016, accessed March 28, 2017 .
  9. ↑ Data octopus in the living room - can privacy still be saved? heise.de, January 10, 2019, accessed on January 25, 2019 .
  10. ↑ Oliver Voß: Google Home and Amazon Echo: Hey, Google - are you listening in? In: Wirtschaftswoche . May 30, 2016. Retrieved March 28, 2017 .
  11. ↑ Zeit.de: An Alexa interception law is not planned, but ... Accessed on June 9, 2019 .
  12. ^ DerStandard.at - Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka received the Big Brother Award . Article dated October 26, 2017, accessed October 26, 2017.
  13. ↑ bigbrotherawards.de
  14. ↑ Is anyone listening to you on Alexa? A global team reviews audio . Bloomberg.com article of April 10, 2019, accessed April 11, 2019.
  15. ↑ DolphinAttack: Inaudible Voice Commands . Article dated August 31, 2017, accessed November 17, 2017.
  16. ↑ heise online: Amazon reveals intimate Alexa voice files. Retrieved December 21, 2018 .
  17. ↑ Volker Zota: Amazon: $ 100 million for voice-controlled products. In: heise online . June 26, 2015, accessed May 13, 2020 .
  18. ↑ Philipp Alvares de Souza Soares: Hey Alexa . In: manager magazin . No. 2 , January 20, 2017, p. 80-83 .
  19. ↑ Julie Bort: Amazon engineers had one good reason and one geeky reason for choosing the name Alexa. In: Business Insider Germany. July 13, 2016, accessed May 13, 2020 .
  20. ↑ Lisa Eadicicco: Amazon Developing Advanced Voice Recognition for Alexa. In: Time . February 27, 2017, accessed May 13, 2020 .
  21. ↑ Amazon Echo Launches Tomorrow. (No longer available online.) In: Amazon Echo UK. September 27, 2016, archived from the original on October 11, 2016 ; accessed on October 11, 2016 .
  22. ↑ Amazon: Alexa voice assistant comes to Germany. In: heise online. Retrieved October 11, 2016 .
  23. ↑ Months of waiting. Amazon Echo: pre-orderers make long faces. In: computerbild.de
  24. ↑ Official website of the Amazon Echo Dot. In: Amazon. Retrieved February 11, 2017 .
  25. ↑ Amazon Echo and Echo Dot now available without invitation. In: heise online. Retrieved February 13, 2017 .
  26. ↑ Amazon Echo - Bluetooth speaker with Alexa. Accessed January 30, 2019 .
  27. ↑ The new Echo Dot (3rd Gen.) intelligent speaker with Alexa, anthracite fabric: Amazon.de: All products. Accessed January 30, 2019 .
  28. ↑ a b c Ronald Matta: Amazon introduces new Echo devices: Echo, Echo Flex, Echo Dot with clock, Echo Show and Studio. Retrieved September 29, 2019 .
  29. ↑ The new Echo Plus (2nd Gen.), with premium sound and integrated smart home hub, sandstone fabric: Amazon.de: All Products. Accessed January 30, 2019 .
  30. ↑ The new Echo Show (2nd gen.) Premium loudspeaker with a brilliant 10-inch HD display, black: Amazon.de: All Products. Accessed January 30, 2019 .
  31. ↑ Amazon Echo Auto: Is it worth buying and retrofitting? Retrieved June 24, 2020 .
  32. ↑ André Reinhardt: Experience report: What is the Amazon Echo Flex good for in everyday life? Retrieved June 18, 2020 .
  33. ↑ Echo Flex - Amazon's most versatile Alexa speaker in the test - Amazon Echo Flex - Inexpensive Alexa speaker for the socket. Retrieved June 18, 2020 (German).
  34. ↑ Amazon Echo arbitrarily orders heaps of dollhouses. In: stern.de . January 11, 2017. Retrieved April 24, 2017 .
  35. ↑ Katie Morley: Amazon Echo rogue payment warning after TV show causes 'Alexa' to order dolls houses. In: The Telegraph . January 8, 2017, accessed May 13, 2020 .