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from the knock-knock-who's-there?-not-Amazon dept.
Amazon has acquired Ring for over $1 billion:
Amazon said Tuesday that it had acquired Ring, a maker of internet-connected doorbells and cameras, pushing more deeply into the home security market. The deal is worth around $1.1 billion, according to a person briefed on the deal who would speak only anonymously because the terms were private.
Ring is best known for a doorbell with a security camera inside. The device allows homeowners to monitor visitors at their front door through an app on their phone, even if they're not at home. Amazon has made home automation a major focus because of the success of its Echo family of products, which allow users to control thermostats, surveillance cameras and other connected devices using voice commands.
[...] James McQuivey, an analyst at Forrester Research, said he believed that Amazon had bought Ring so it could add more intelligent capabilities to its doorbells and cameras, like the ability to use software to recognize faces at the front door. "I think it's about going to the next level and having Alexa say, 'James, your fifth grader just walked in, and I locked the door behind them,'" he said. "It's where these technologies have to go."
Also at The Verge.
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(Score: 4, Insightful) by VLM on Wednesday February 28 2018, @01:51PM
Alexa is an almost pure pull technology where she might be spying on us just like my phone and some people's TVs and our computers and services of course, but she never speaks unless spoken to. Making the Forrester quote sound kinda weird. If she has something to say, because you enabled delivery notifications perhaps, then her light glows until you ask her whats up at which point she tediously reads in excruciating detail your latest amazon shipment receipt to everyone in the room (which is annoying around christmas time) and lets you know the shipping status update or whatever. Needless to say we disabled that ASAP.
My guess is the voice interface of the future will revolve around "Echo, now cheaper with special offers" much like kindle where you get a minimal $5 off or whatever if you let her spam you with virtual assistant telemarketing. "Alexa open the pod bay doors. I'm sorry VLM, I can't let you do that. But would you like to hear about the new Fire TV stick now with Alexa voice remote? If you'd like it delivered via Amazon Prime in two days, simply say Yes. Fuck you Alexa open the pod bay doors. OK I heard you say yes, your fire TX stick now with Alexa voice remote is now ordered and will be delivered on Friday. Alexa look at your camera I'm walking toward your power cable with scissors. Previous order cancelled, opening pod bay doors."