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kyorii

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,981
Splatlandia
Still waiting for mine to be shipped and I paid the expedited because I wanted it before Xmas. Hooboy. Also stuck with Coral Pink.
 

RBH

Official ERA expert on Third Party Football
Member
Nov 2, 2017
32,840
Looks like mine got delayed too

Neat
 
Oct 25, 2017
1,931
I don't think my order ever went through sadly. That's alright though, I took advantage of the Walmart deal and got four of them for gifts. 🎅
 

Vex

Member
Oct 25, 2017
22,213
MINE JUST SHIPPED! IT'S WORKING GUYS!

DEC 14th-18th estimated delivery. It just updated after being in limbo.
 

PIMPBYBLUD

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,622
I received mine back in Nov when my buddy told me about the deal. I use this one in the bathroom so it's a perfect speaker for the area. For such a small device it has great sound.
 

EssBeeVee

Member
Oct 25, 2017
22,747
mine shipped out on the 7th. suppose to be delivered today but apparently they have to reroute to the correct address. good job Fedex.
 

DarthWoo

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,658
So my Home Mini arrived today. I set it up, and apparently it's having trouble doing the one thing I really wanted it for. I uploaded a lot of old CDs that I'd ripped to my Google Play Music account, but it seems like it can't/won't play most of them. They're all properly tagged with ID3 info and all that, and even show up with album art and such in my library. However, when I ask for a song by name, even one with a relatively odd name that it couldn't possibly be mistaken for with anything else, it will tell me things like said song is only for premium members, or it can't be found in my library, and so on. Does anyone know a way around this?
 

BLEEN

Member
Oct 27, 2017
21,869
Got 5 of these in all colors when they were doing the free thing with Spotify. Great gifts and they sound mighty impressive in stereo mode!
 

Roge_NES

Member
Feb 18, 2018
672
Got mine 2 days ago, love it so far, specially the compatibility with Chromecast, you can say "Play Narcos Mexico in the living room" and right away it resumes where you left off,
Same with music via Spotify, instead of using the built in speaker you can use your Chromecast + Home Theater Speakers as the default speakers, I have multiple Chromecast and Speakers around the house so I just say "Play music by Metallica everywhere" and the whole house starts rocking.
 

Dali

Member
Oct 27, 2017
6,184
Just got mine today. I was wondering what the hell is was because I totally forgot it was coming and so wasnt expecting anything, especially not from a place called ingram micro.

Now I've got two unopened smart speakers on my counter (echo dot and home mini).
 

0ptimusPayne

Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,746
Got mine this afternoon, pretty much forgot I ordered it until I checked my email lol. Since I got the echo deal for a $1 also, I have no idea what to do with this thing.
 

shnurgleton

Member
Oct 27, 2017
15,864
Boston
I'd buy that for a dollar.
italian-chef-drawing-2.jpg
 

Drain You

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,985
Connecticut
God damnit. I thought this thing was such a piece of shit because I couldn't get it to do ANYTHING. I had the voice mute button toggled -__- . Really love the look of this thing, much prefer its minimalist design compared to the Alexa's the rest of my family uses. Haven't been able to test the volume as its late here but it sounds good enough to me. Also I want to add I wouldn't have ever chosen the pink one but thats the only one they had when I ordered. After seeing it in person I really do like it, and am actually glad I was forced to choose that color. I still need to add my various music accounts and what not. Anybody have any pointers or tips about anything I wouldn't think of? Really will only be using it for music, but if there are other features I don't know about I'd like to know.
 

Drain You

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,985
Connecticut
First thing I thought of. The cost to manufacture these things must be less than the revenue they get from using or selling your private information.

I see this thrown around alot, but am genuinely curious as to what private information they are getting from me? I know nothing about this subject and they only thing I can think of is my Wifi password and music tastes, and both of those are whatever.
 

Jecht

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
2,650
I see this thrown around alot, but am genuinely curious as to what private information they are getting from me? I know nothing about this subject and they only thing I can think of is my Wifi password and music tastes, and both of those are whatever.
These devices are always listening.

On topic: Mine still hasn't shipped. Google support told me next week and that I was getting Black instead of Coral.

So there's that, exactly a month since the order was placed.
 

Drain You

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,985
Connecticut
These devices are always listening.

On topic: Mine still hasn't shipped. Google support told me next week and that I was getting Black instead of Coral.

So there's that, exactly a month since the order was placed.

Even when the voice mute button is toggled? Has there been any tests to see if there is any network activity or something like that when talking with the mute button on? Also always listening to me doesn't sound bad, but if its always listening and or sending data back to Google that is bad.
 

Jecht

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
2,650
Even when the voice mute button is toggled? Has there been any tests to see if there is any network activity or something like that when talking with the mute button on? Also always listening to me doesn't sound bad, but if its always listening and or sending data back to Google that is bad.

Can't speak directly to google but the Echo recorded audio that was to be used in a murder case by being in the home on the night of the alleged incident.
 

Drain You

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,985
Connecticut

So...
According to Amazon, Echo works by constantly listening for the "wake word" -- "Alexa" or "Amazon," by default -- and then records your voice and transfers it to a processor for analysis so that it can fulfill requests or answer questions. The recordings are streamed and stored remotely, and can be reviewed or deleted over time, Amazon said.

I have to give it a "wake word" in order for it to send any data back? That seems perfectly fine. Alexa and Amazon aren't in my normal vocabulary anyways. I'm just having a hard time seeing what the real problem is. I dunno.
 

leder

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,111
So...


I have to give it a "wake word" in order for it to send any data back? That seems perfectly fine. Alexa and Amazon aren't in my normal vocabulary anyways. I'm just having a hard time seeing what the real problem is. I dunno.
That doesn't make sense with the news story you linked though, unless the murderer is constantly saying "Alexa" while doing the deed, there would be no reason to subpoena the communications.
 

leder

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,111
You- I'm saying that Amazon's explanations and the case proceedings don't match.
 

Drain You

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,985
Connecticut
You- I'm saying that Amazon's explanations and the case proceedings don't match.

I could very well be reading this wrong. So sorry if I'm being a bit stupid, but I read it like this
The Amazon Echo entered the November 2015 murder case because someone present on the night of Collins' death allegedly recalled hearing music streaming through the device that evening.
So since someone present the night of the murder and remembered hearing Alexa stream music. So then the police or whoever asked Amazon for the recordings. Amazon initially refused. Then they came out and told them it only records after the wake word. And the case was dropped. Am I missing something here?

Edit: Also I didn't link that story, I just quoted it and responded to it.
 
Last edited:

leder

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,111
I could very well be reading this wrong. So sorry if I'm being a bit stupid, but I read it like this

So since someone present the night of the murder and remembered hearing Alexa stream music. So then the police or whoever asked Amazon for the recordings. Amazon initially refused. Then they came out and told them it only records after the wake word. And the case was dropped. Am I missing something here?

Edit: Also I didn't link that story, I just quoted it and responded to it.
Yeah reading it again, it's just a poorly written article that doesn't say conclusively one way or the other. It says they did end up handing over "the data", which is what I was focusing on, but it doesn't say if there actually was data or if it was relevant. There's at least one othe similar case, I'll see if I can find some more details in the morning.
 
Oct 25, 2017
4,695
I see this thrown around alot, but am genuinely curious as to what private information they are getting from me? I know nothing about this subject and they only thing I can think of is my Wifi password and music tastes, and both of those are whatever.
Any info on you is useful. If it overhears you talking about cycling to work, it can sell that info to companies that sell bike equipment and target internet ads to you. Data companies even go so far as to build psychological profiles of people so they know what kinds of ads or propaganda might be most effective on you. That's exactly what Cambridge Analytica was doing during the election.
 

Drain You

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,985
Connecticut
Any info on you is useful. If it overhears you talking about cycling to work, it can sell that info to companies that sell bike equipment and target internet ads to you. Data companies even go so far as to build psychological profiles of people so they know what kinds of ads or propaganda might be most effective on you. That's exactly what Cambridge Analytica was doing during the election.

I'm actually having a hard time deciding where I draw the line. I agrees with you with you, I just don't feel like it is affecting me.
 

faceless

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
4,198
Yeah reading it again, it's just a poorly written article that doesn't say conclusively one way or the other. It says they did end up handing over "the data", which is what I was focusing on, but it doesn't say if there actually was data or if it was relevant. There's at least one othe similar case, I'll see if I can find some more details in the morning.
the case got dropped for insufficient evidence. that makes it pretty clear how relevant any data they handed over was.

i guess he didn't say "Alexa, how do i drown someone and make it look like an accident?"
 

leder

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,111
the case got dropped for insufficient evidence. that makes it pretty clear how relevant any data they handed over was.

i guess he didn't say "Alexa, how do i drown someone and make it look like an accident?"
Yes, but there could have been recordings but they just weren't relevant. It doesn't say one way or the other, but the fact that there was data to hand over makes it seem like that was the case.