It's not magic. It is real.
Devices work as you tell them to do.
You don't need to know any complex spell such as "Wingardium Leviosa" from Harry Potter.
You don't need to know any complex spell such as "Wingardium Leviosa" from Harry Potter.
Internet of Things allows us to control all electronic devices connected to one network with your voice. The IoT refers to the connection of devices (other than typical fare such as computers and smartphones) to the Internet. Cars, kitchen appliances, and even heart monitors can all be connected through the IoT. And as the Internet of Things grows in the next few years, more devices will join that list. The representative application of IoT are Smart Home, Wearables, Smart Cities, and Connected Car.
Make My Wish, Alexa - Amazon Echo
Sounds like IoT is only for tech-savviers? Let me introduce Amazon Echo which will be your best friend, teacher, and counselor. Amazon Echo works through its voice assistant, Alexa, which users can talk to in order to perform a variety of functions. Users can tell Alexa to play music, provide a weather report, get sports scores, order an Uber, and more. So, this is for anyone like us.
Watch this video to get what you can do with Echo.
Echo has a far-field voice recognition, hearing you voice from any direction while playing music. Since it works based on a cloud system, it is always being updated automatically. Also, the more you use Echo, the more it knows about you - your voice pattern, vocabulary, and preferences. New skills are being added as more and more apps are getting available in the Alexa App, for example, you can request a ride from Uber and order a pizza from Domino's. Lastly, Echo makes your home smart allowing you to control all connected devices without lifting a finger. You can set the thermostat while washing dishes!
Two Sides of A Coin
Pros and cons of Amazon Echo are very familiar with those of Big Data that I discussed in my recent post. Echo significantly improves your life quality. It answers all of your questions, controls connected devices by your voice order, plays your favorite music, and do much more things through your apps like your smartphone. Echo knows about you more and better than anyone else. It is always there for you to help you.
Behind the convenience, there are always security and privacy concerns - how much private data does Echo have? who's gonna get the data? what if it's hacked? Echo not only knows your preferences but also recognizes your voice and vocabulary. It is also connected to many other devices you have, of course, including your smartphone! You will get more customized and personalized ads through all over your devices, which means you get completely naked in front of advertisers. No wonder security is the biggest obstacle to IoT application, according to the research of eMarketer.
Behind the convenience, there are always security and privacy concerns - how much private data does Echo have? who's gonna get the data? what if it's hacked? Echo not only knows your preferences but also recognizes your voice and vocabulary. It is also connected to many other devices you have, of course, including your smartphone! You will get more customized and personalized ads through all over your devices, which means you get completely naked in front of advertisers. No wonder security is the biggest obstacle to IoT application, according to the research of eMarketer.
Heena's Review
Amazon Echo was introduced to the mass, for the first time, through Super Bowl commercial this February, which means Amazon started to promote Echo more aggressively. Taking advantage of Cyber Monday, Amazon has pushed Echo and sibling products, Amazon Tap and Echo Dot. If I were to be asked, I would highly recommend Amazon Echo as a holiday gift. I think Echo will follow the trace of smartphones. Even though we didn't 'need' smartphones, marketing made us to 'want' them. Since we're already addicted to the sweetness of convenience, it's not hard to imagine to have one more family member, Alexa, in all of your homes.
