Amazon. com Help Alexa, Echo Devices, and Your Privacy

Introduction to Amazon Echo and Alexa

What is Amazon Echo?– The Amazon echo is brand of smart speakers developed by Amazon. –wiki

The echo is part of a growing family of smart speaker products. This article has a good overview of all echo devices and their main features

All of the Amazon Echo devices work with a Cloud based assistant called Alexa and respond to Voice commands.

They can be used to set alarms, play music, and controlling a variety of smart home devices like lights.

How The Amazon Echo Works

The Amazon echo continuously listens for a Wake up command which by default is Alexa.

Once it detects this command it sends the audio that follows to the Internet for decoding.

The Alexa personal assistant located in the cloud decodes the audio into text commands.

These Text commands are process by a program known as a Skill, and Alexa responds accordingly.

This means that in order to work you need:

A Wi-Fi Network An Internet connection An Amazon account

Amazon records these voice clips on your account, and this has raised a lot of privacy issue concerns.

Amazon does allow you to logon to your account to listen to and delete these recordings if you want to.

You can also Turn off the microphones, but that means that the device is not functioning.

Echo Dot Hardware

There are very few control buttons on the echo and echo dot.

The main ones are:

Volume control Microphone off Action Button – Wakes the device Light ring - shows status - See here for details of all of the colours and their meaning

Here is more detailed overview of the hardware.

Setting Up Amazon Echo

In order to work The echo needs to connect to your Wi-Fi network and the Internet.

The Wi-fi setp can be done either on the App which you will need to download.

For android devices you can download the free App from the google play store. and for IOS from the Apple itunes store.

You can use your PC and a web browser by logging on to your account and click on Update Wi-Fi in Settings and follow the Instructions.

Here is the amazon setup help web page.

Here are some very detailed step by step instructions if you need them

Configuring Your Echo and Alexa

There is zero configuration required on the actual physical device. All configuration is done on Alexa.

To change Alexa settings on your PC go to Alexa. amazon. co. uk (UK based)or alexa. amazon. com (USA) etc.

Go to Settings and there you should add your address so you can get accurate weather information, and your location; so as reminders and alarms workOK

You might also want to Disable voice purchasing

The Alexa App

The Alexa app isn’t only for configuring your echo device it also receives visual information from Alexa.

For example if you ask Alexa for weather information it will tell you and also display a weather Card on your App.

Alexa and Home Automation

Although originally designed as a virtual assistant Alexa can also be used for controlling hundreds of smart home devices using Smart home skills.

These skills are usually created by the device manufacturers and allow you to control them using voice commands.

Alexa Commands

Alexa comes with many built in commands.

You can find a very comprehensive list here

The commands follow a very similar structure or syntax:

Additional Commands or Skills

You can add extra functionality to Alexa by installing third party skills

A skill is simply a program that understands and responds to a set of commands.

Many third party skills require that you link your account to Alexa.

3 essential privacy settings for your Amazon Echo

If you've got an Echo or another Alexa-powered device around the house, you'll want to review your privacy settings. Kim Komando tells you how. USA TODAY

More consumers are buying voice-activated assistants like the Amazon Echo 2, shown here. If you're one of them, it's important to check the privacy settings on these listening devices. (Photo: Amazon)

People used to dream about robot secretaries. Futurists imagined a world where computers obeyed our every command. When the Amazon Echo hit the market, that dream became a reality: Alexa was obedient, personable, and all knowing. The digital voice assistant could carry out a myriad of basic tasks, with a personality as professional and unflappable as a human assistant.

This year, Echo is more popular than ever, and despite competition from Google, Amazon still dominates 75% of the virtual assistant market. With its ever-growing library of skills, Echo becomes more useful with every passing day.

But even as Echo wins over more fans, critics are still skeptical. Alexa is always listening. Our voices are recorded and stored. Owners worry that their Echo will be hacked, enabling strangers to hear our daily activities. Most people are willing to ignore these dangers, but some folks end up with an Echo in their stocking and are terrified of an ad hoc wiretap sitting in their living room.

If you already have an Echo, be prepared for a shocker. My Echo recorded much more than I ever thought was possible. Learn how to hear all your Amazon Echo recordings (and delete them, too.)

Before you welcome Alexa into your life, consider some security settings. You may not feel they’re necessary, but it’s good to know your options.

1. Turn off your Echo's mic

You can turn off the listening aspect of Alexa-powered Amazon devices by turning off the microphone at the top. (Photo: Amazon)

The most vulnerable part of any Echo unit is its microphone, which absorbs all the sound in the room and may compromise your private conversations if the machine picks up the wrong words. To turn the Echo's mic off, press the microphone off/on button on the top of the device. Whenever this button is red, the mic is off. To reactivate it, just press the button again.

Then again, muting the mic will stop the Echo from hearing commands and renders the device useless as a personal assistant. The always-on, always-listening nature of these smart virtual assistant speakers is what makes them truly compelling gadgets to have.

Sometimes, you may wish to switch off the mic for short periods, just for peace of mind. If you’re hosting a top-secret conversation in your home, you can switch Alexa off during the sensitive parts, then reactivate it later on.

2. Turn off voice purchasing or set up a PIN code for purchases

There's a way to change the settings on your Amazon Echo so you can keep voice ordering without risking unwanted purchases. (Photo: Robert Deutsch, USAT)

“Alexa, buy more laundry detergent.” This is a pretty nifty trick, and it’s a major draw for people who like to shop for household items online. This may feel like one of its most futuristic features. But a single security breach could cost you dearly.

Personally, I turned off my Echo's Voice Purchasing option and use Amazon's app or website to shop. To turn it off, open your Alexa app, tap Settings then scroll down, tap Voice Purchasing and toggle "purchase by voice" to Off.

If you still want the convenience (and the sci-fi vibe) of Echo voice purchasing, set up a PIN code to avoid unauthorized purchases. To set it up, go to the same Voice Purchasing settings page on your Alexa app, toggle "Purchase by Voice" to On, then toggle "Voice Code" to On as well. This will prompt you to enter your four-digit PIN code.

Now, the four-digit code has to be spoken out to complete a purchase on your Echo. That said, anyone can simply listen in and reuse your code so having a Voice Purchasing PIN is not fool-proof.

3. Check your 'Drop-In' settings

The Amazon app with Alexa enabled is shown on an iPhone. (Photo: Amazon)

In June, a new Echo feature called "Drop In" was introduced that works on all Echo gadgets, including the Dot and the Show. Drop In lets other Echos automatically connect to another Echo to start a conversation. The other party doesn't even have to pick the call; the line is automatically open and works just like an intercom system.

Although convenient in some ways, this can be a privacy issue since people can "drop in" to your Echo and listen anytime. This is why it's vital that you check your Echo's Drop-In settings.

Open your Alexa smartphone app, tap Settings. Under Devices, select the Echo speaker you want to modify. Scroll down and tap "Drop In" and from here you can set it to On, Only My Household or Off.

You can set specific contacts to be able to drop in on you automatically by going to the Conversations tab on your Alexa app (it looks like a text bubble icon) and tap the Contact icon on the top right corner (it's shaped like a person). Based on your phone's contact list, the Alexa app will then list everyone who has an Echo linked to their phone number (creepy, I know) and you simply toggle "Contact can Drop In Anytime" to On.

Beware that turning this on means that the contact can access your Echo devices automatically and drop in or listen and talk to them at any time.

To audit your contacts that are allowed to Drop In, go to the Contacts Menu again then check "Others Who Can Drop In on my Devices" to see everyone who is permitted. Simply tap Remove to revoke the contact's Drop In permissions.

Bonus: Switch off the Echo Show camera

You can make v /> (Photo: Amazon)

If you haven’t seen it, the Echo Show is a mini-interactive TV screen with additional touchscreen controls. Selling for under $200, Show includes everything you loved about your speaker, plus transcribed song lyrics, surveillance footage of the baby’s room, and video calls.

Video calls are an exciting tool, but many people find the camera to be as anxiety-inducing as the microphones. What does the camera see? Is it watching all day and night? How do you know if it’s been hacked? Many people put tape over the webcams on their laptops; they may feel compelled to do the same with their Echo Shows.

Luckily, the device’s camera and mics are very easy to turn off. There’s a button on the top of the Show that controls inputs. Just press it “off,” and both cameras and mics shut off. The front LED will also turn red, signifying that the inputs have been successfully shut down. You can still use the touch screen without a hitch.

Want more tech tips to help you? Call my national radio show and click here to find it on your local radio station. You can listen to the Kim Komando Show on your phone, tablet or computer. From buying advice to digital life issues, click here for my free podcasts.

14 ways you can control your home with your voice using Amazon's Echo and Alexa

But then what? Adding to your shopping list? Setting timers? Asking about the weather? Great, but it's pretty similar to Siri in what it can do, and using your voice to buy things from Amazon isn't super exciting.

Alexa can do so much more than that, especially for your home. With the help from smart home devices, like light bulbs, thermostats, and door locks, Alexa becomes your vocal liaison between you and your smart home.

Controlling your smart home devices with your voice is one of those things that you'll truly "get" once you try it. After you get used to it, getting up and controlling your smart home with panels and switches will seem archaic, and even using apps to control your smart devices will feel outdated.

Check out the devices in your home you can control with your voice and Alexa:

Amazon Alexa – Alexa & Echo Devices: Amazon Devices – Amazon. com

Do you know that you can walk into a dark room in your house and request for light and it comes on without touching anything? Such is made possible by smart speakers like Amazon Echo with Amazon Alexa. Sometimes they are referred to as personal assistants or virtual assistants because of what they do. Amazon Alexa assists in doing little chores in the house and can be integrated with home appliances to do even more.

Alexa is particularly useful for smart-home users because it lets you control your Alexa-enabled devices such as Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Spot, Echo Show, Amazon Echo Plus and Echo Dot Kids Edition without having to take out your phone and launch an app. They are not here to only help with your routine tasks but to entertain you as well. Alexa and Echo speakers are different from other first-generation voice assistants because of their responsiveness. There is no activation button that one could press.

What exactly is Amazon Alexa?

Basically, Alexa is to Amazon what Siri is to Apple. It is Amazon’s voice-control package. Amazon Alexa is sometimes referred to as the Amazon Echo. They work hand-in-hand, Echo is hardware while Alexa is software. Alexa is the brains behind the Echo and all the things you can do with it. And because it is software, its available on more than just Amazon’s own devices. Alexa has been integrated into many of Amazon’s services and can be used in products like Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Spot, and others. Alexa allows you to convey your messages to an Echo smart speaker and watch them happen.

How does Amazon Alexa operate?

Alexa is always listening and is quick to respond. The default wake word is “Alexa,” but can be changed to “Echo,” “Amazon,” or “Computer.” Once you say the wake word, the microphone takes everything you say next and beams it up to Amazon’s cloud computers for quick analysis. If it’s a question it can answer, a slightly computery female voice responds from the speaker. You don’t have to give your command twice because Alexa has very sensitive microphones built into all its Echo devices.

Does Alexa solve it all?

Though Alexa can do a lot, it still has some limitations. Sometimes, the response is not exactly what you want. On the other hand, one of the major uses of Alexa is to ask questions yet it does not know all the answers. Google home is preferrable if asking questions is the primary use as google has all the answers. Sometimes, noise or interferences will not let Alexa hear well.

Amazon Alexa has a lot of interesting features which are capable of making chores easier and this has made it one of the most wanted tools in every home. It is being used everywhere, and it’s ready to take over the world of communication. Alexa can be used for business purpose to improve customer experience and enable efficiency. Amazon is trying to build Alexa that will sound more like human to be a true assistant for most of your needs.