Top 5 secrets you don’t know about Alexa | Amazon echo

Top 5 secrets you don’t know about Alexa

Top 5 secrets you don't about Alexa

Hello, I’m Anshul and today I’m going to talk about Alexa means Amazon Echo.

Amazon Alexa, also known simply as Alexa, is a virtual assistant AI technology developed by Amazon, first used in the Amazon smart speaker developed by Amazon Lab 126 It is capable of voice interaction, music playback, making to-do lists, setting alarm, streaming podcasts, playing audiobooks, and providing weather, traffic, sports, and other real-time information, such as news. Alexa can also control several smart devices using itself as a home automation system.

Amazon Echo is one of the smart AI assistants after Google's assistant. Most of the people use this device at their home for their general purpose. Users are able to extend the Alexa capabilities by installing "skills" (additional functionality developed by third-party vendors, in other settings more commonly called apps such as weather programs and audio features).

Most devices with Alexa allow users to activate the device using a wake-word (such as Alexa or Amazon); other devices (such as the Amazon mobile app on IOS or Android and Amazon Dash Wand) require the user to push a button to activate Alexa's listening mode, although, some phones also allow a user to say a command, such as "Alexa" or "Alexa wake". Currently, interaction and communication with Alexa are available only in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, and Hindi. In Canada, Alexa is available in English and French (with the Quebec accent). You can say that Alexa can control your smart home easily.

But today I will tell you the top 5 secrets that you don’t know about Alexa.

1. Record everything about you

Record everything about you

Alexa is not only open when you shout it’s named this always opens in the background and the device hears everything about you like your’s likes and dislikes and this can help it’s self to show you the recommendation of your choice.

The fact is that your Echo, Dot, or Show is always eavesdropping. This is and isn’t as creepy as it sounds. Although it’s true that the device can hear everything you say within range of its far-field microphones, it is listening for its wake word before it actually starts recording anything (“Alexa” is the default, but you can change it to “Echo,” “Amazon,” or “computer”). Once it hears that, everything in the following few seconds is perceived to be a command or a request, and it’s sent up to Amazon’s cloud computers, where the correct response is triggered. You know your Echo is paying attention because the circular blue light turns on when it hears its name. Think of Echo-like a dog: It’s always listening, but it understands only “cookie,” “walk,” or “Buddy.” Everything else goes right over its head.

Anyone who owns a smart speaker, uses a smartphone, posts on social media, or in some other way interacts with the Internet has likely experienced a few weird “coincidences.” Maybe you recently talked about something with a friend and then weirdly started seeing ads on the Internet for whatever it was. It’s creepy. And it probably makes you wonder to what extent your gadgets are spying on you.

2. Order’s only from Amazon

When you want to order something online and you ask this thing from Alexa so this device order’s only from Amazon stores. For example, if you want to purchase a Monitor and you ask “Alexa which is the best monitor ” so Alexa shows some recommendation related to Monitor and tell you that those are best and when you went to buy so Alexa purchase this thing from Amazon stores only.

A recent survey by Sumo heavy indicates that only 1 in 5 consumers have tried voice shopping. However, data suggests voice shopping will increase as digital assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant make their want into more homes. In fact, the industry expected to jump from the $2 billion industry it is today to $40 billion by 2022. Moreover, Amazon is expected to dominate the new channel with the largest market share of smart speakers, currently more than twice that of its competitors Google and Microsoft.

Amazon's Alexa’s voice shopping service lets you make purchases or get a rundown of the day's best deals with the sound of your voice. For instance, if you decide you need some paper towels, you can shout out your request to Alexa, and within days, your order will arrive at your doorstep.

The e-tailer has even offered exclusive Alexa-only discounts to consumers who purchase or re-order items via an Alexa device. Chances are, we'll see similar offers again during this year's Amazon Prime Day. But there are some requirements you should know about. First, you'll have to be an Amazon customer, and you'll want to be a Prime member subscriber to make Alexa Voice Shopping much easier. You'll also need a device with Alexa built-in, such as an Echo Dot.

3. Video Recording (Hackable)

Video Recording (Hackable)

Once you've connected a compatible smart home camera to Amazon's Alexa, you can use simple commands to watch the live feed on your Echo Show. To view the live feed, say the wake word, followed by “Show [camera name].”

For example, if you have a Ring doorbell connected to Alexa, you would say, “Alexa, show me the front door,” and Alexa would respond, “OK, getting the front door camera.” The camera feed appears so you can view and hear what is taking place.

You can stop watching the feed by saying, “Alexa, hide [camera name],” or “Alexa, stop the [camera name] camera.”

If the compatible smart home camera you have connected to Amazon Alexa has the Cameras Recap skill enabled, you can use your Echo Show to view the most recent recorded event on your camera.

But no one knows that this can be hackable. In a simple way, we can say if a person doesn't have much knowledge about but if the person learns some minimum hacking from the internet then they can easily hack your Alexa they can see everything that you do in-home in their Computer or Laptop by just doing minimum hacking. In simple any noob can hack your Alexa.

4. Amazon improves paid promotion

Amazon improves paid promotion

As we talk about that amazon echo records you every time your likes dislikes and many more but Amazon also makes a profit from that if a company made a paid promotion with Amazon echo then your Alexa recommends that thing. For example, a clothing company makes paid promotions with Alexa then Alexa always shows this company products first.

One method that has proven to work in raising awareness of Alexa skills is paid promotion. Amazon offers this as an option to Alexa skill publishers. In the new documents, the company shows examples from Tide, auto brand Genesis, and smart home device maker WeMo. The call-to-action around advertising opportunities says:

“Boost discovery of your skill and build awareness by targeting Alexa users throughout their journey on Amazon — through a suite of paid media opportunities. Leverage Amazon Advertising including Display, Mobile, Fire Tablet, and Fire TV to reach targeted customers and raise awareness of your brand’s Alexa skill voice experience. More opportunities coming soon.”

Ad formats listed as available today include “display, mobile, Fire Tablet, and Fire TV placements…brand pages, [and] video across Amazon’s inventory through their DSP and OTT video network.” Targeting options include “people who are Amazon Echo Devices Shopper Lookalikes.” Amazon had not responded to an inquiry related to accessing the ad units at the time of publication. There is a note suggesting advertisers could access more information from their AE (account executive).

5. Works only in wifi

Works only in wifi

Amazon’s Alexa is a device that strictly revolves around WiFi to access everything from Google to various music-streaming services. Without WiFi, it is simply impossible to connect to these applications and features. In order to make the most out of your Amazon Alexa investment, a Wi-Fi connection or hotspot must be available to get started and to take advantage of all that the device has to offer.

So it is clearly defined that Amazon only works in wifi.

As it stands right now, Wi-Fi carries over 60% of the world’s internet. Wi-Fi stands for wireless fidelity and it’s just a different way of saying WLAN which means wireless local area network. Wi-Fi uses wireless radio frequencies to send signals to and from wireless devices. As opposed to a no wifi radio which uses kilohertz and megahertz, Wi-Fi uses Gigahertz frequencies. If you want to break down even farther, Hertz (Hz) is just a unit of frequency. One Hertz is equal to one cycle per second. So one GHz is equal to one billion cycles in one second.

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