CONTRIBUTOR
I write about all things tech-gadgets, trends, security, DevOps & more
Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.
If you have an Amazon Echo or Echo Dot in your home, you know that simply uttering the word “Alexa” brings the device to life so it can respond to your requests and commands. Law enforcement officials in Bentonville, Arkansas are hoping that Alexa is always listening and recording voices, though, and has asked Amazon to turn over data in an effort to solve a murder crime. The idea that Alexa is always listening or may somehow incriminate you is a concern for owners of the Amazon IoT (Internet of Things) devices.
We just acquired both an Echo and an Echo Dot in our home. The devices are pretty awesome, really. The microphone’s ability to pick up the word “Alexa” being spoken—at almost any volume and from almost anywhere in the house—is amazing. I can ask Alexa to give me the current news or weather information, play some music, answer questions like “How many ounces are in a pint?” or “What is the distance between Venus and Neptune?”. Using the add-on Alexa Skills, I can also say things like “Alexa, have the Neato clean the house” to activate our Neato Connected robot vacuum.
The question, however, in the wake of the request from Bentonville police, is just how much is Alexa listening and can that listening infringe on personal privacy or be used against you by law enforcement?
"Privacy and security of IoT is big right now following recent attacks like the Mirai botnet and malware targeting specific brands of smart TVs," declared Cris Thomas, a respected security expert and spokesperson for Tenable Network Security. "While I can't speak with authority on Alexa specifically, one of the privacy risks of IoT devices is that they are always listening."
I reached out to Amazon for comment. An Amazon spokesperson informed me, “Amazon will not release customer information without a valid and binding legal demand properly served on us. Amazon objects to overbroad or otherwise inappropriate demands as a matter of course.”
Amazon also pointed to a very helpful Alexa and Alexa Device FAQ page that provides more detail on how the Echo devices work. More importantly, it also provides information for how to shut off the Echo / Echo Dot microphone if you don’t want Alexa to listen at all, or review and delete things Alexa may have recorded you saying.
Obviously, the Echo and Echo Dot microphones must be active in order for the devices to hear you say “Alexa” from across the room. Unless you say “Alexa”, press the button on top of the device, or hold down the button on an Amazon remote, though, that listening is only local and is not stored. You will know when the device is streaming audio and storing what you say in the cloud because the blue ring on top of the Echo or Echo Dot will be illuminated.
If you don’t want the device to listen at all, you can push the microphone button on top of the Echo or Echo Dot. Both the ring and the button itself will illuminate bright red to let you know it is not listening.
Amazon also lets you review and delete things you’ve said to Alexa. In the Settings of the Alexa app your interactions are grouped by questions or requests. Amazon explains that you can tap an entry to see more detail or replay the audio stored in the cloud so you can hear what Alexa heard. The feature is designed for providing feedback to help improve the accuracy and performance of Alexa.
CONTRIBUTOR
I look at the impact of mobile technology and online media.
Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.
For a long time the expectation has been that Samsung would switch to a single model of the Galaxy S8, and this model would echo the S6 Edge and S7 Edge with the two long edges curving into the edge of the device. The curved screen is seen as Samsung's 'key physical attribute' by many and helps the Galaxy devices stand out in the crowded retail market.
The two previous generations of flagships have also provided 'vanilla' handset options with flat screens - the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S7 - although the release of the Galaxy Note 7 in Q3 last year (fiery issues notwithstanding) saw a single model with only curved edges. Putting the focus on a single design emphasises the message of innovation that Samsung always loves to push, it reduces the complexity of shipping multiple SKUs, and it removes the dangers of overestimating demand of one design over the other.
But the latest rumors point to Samsung staying with two models of Galaxy handsets, with the presumptively named S8 Edge, and a vanilla flat-screened Galaxy S8.
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge (image: Ewan Spence)
On the opposite side of the argument, a vanilla Galaxy S8 offers a number of competitive advantages.
Much as Samsung wants to push innovation, for many who just want 'a phone that works' the curved screen of the S6 Edge and S7 Edge leaned too far towards fashion and away from practicality. The screens catch many more reflections, and with no 'guttering' option in the TouchWiz UI, information at the edge of the display can become distorted. To highlight one example, watching an HD video with the top and bottom curving away from you is not a comfortable experience. The vanilla flat screened models are better workhorse devices.
With the Note 7 no longer available as an enterprise device, being able to offer a suitable replacement is one more objective that the S8 family will have to accommodate. Given the edged variant of the S8 is expected to command a hefty price premium, the lower price of the vanilla model should allow Samsung an easier route to the enterprise market.
Finally, it offers Samsung the chance to continue using the 'Edge' branding which has proven attractive to many. Not only is the Samsung S8 Edge a clear statement on what to expect and an easy upsell for owners of the S6 Edge coming to the end of their two-year contracts, it also drops the word 'Galaxy' from the brand. If there are still negative feelings after the Galaxy Note 7 debacle then the S8 Edge will have a little more distance from the problems of last year.
D.J. Koh, president of mobile communications business at Samsung Electronics, speaks during a showcase to mark the domestic launch of the Samsung Galaxy Note7 in Seoul (Photo: Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Images)
In terms of marketing and messaging, I still think that Samsung should go 'all-in' on one design of the Galaxy S8 - if the edge is good enough then it should be for everyone. In that regard the Note 7's lack of a vanilla option was an aggressive move that I welcomed.
Yet launching two models for the S8 family makes more corporate sense. Samsung needs to have a successful launch after the Note 7, it needs to appeal to as wide a range of customers as possible to make up for the lost sales of the phablet, and it needs to retain a foothold in the enterprise market.
It has proven that it can ship two 'S' models previously to critical and commercial success, it has the back-end knowledge of dealing with vast numbers of different models and SKU's and it has the experience of managing a lunch with two distinct models.
I can see the attraction of a Galaxy S8 and an S8 Edge.
Now read about the important feature that could be missing from the S8 family...
Follow me on Facebook. Find more of my work at ewanspence.co.uk, on Twitter, and Linked In. You should subscribe to my weekly newsletter of 'Trivial Posts'.