Author Topic: Murder suspect's Amazon Echo device could help solve the case  (Read 1596 times)

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Offline EC

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Murder suspect's Amazon Echo device could help solve the case
« on: December 28, 2016, 10:35:04 am »


Arkansas police are seeking data from an Amazon Echo device belonging to a suspect in a murder inquiry.

In a case that sounds like a plot in futuristic movie, authorities want information from the wireless speaker, which contains a virtual assistant called Alexa that responds to voice commands. 

The gadget belongs to James Andrew Bates, who is accused of strangling his friend Victor Collins, who was found dead in a bath at the suspect’s home in November last year after an evening of drinking.

Police are now looking for more evidence against the 31-year-old, who was charged with murder earlier this year, and believe his Echo may hold some clues, The Information reported.

The gadget is always listening for its "wake word", such as Alexa, and can carry out verbal commands, including playing music and buying goods from Amazon. 

Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2016/12/28/murder-suspects-amazon-echo-device-could-help-solve-case/

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Offline Suppressed

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Re: Murder suspect's Amazon Echo device could help solve the case
« Reply #1 on: December 29, 2016, 05:57:54 am »
It saves the actual voice recording of what you ask/command. You can go to the app and replay the audio clip of you asking.  I was just tonight pondering what data they are using and for what purposes beyond the service itself.
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Offline Gefn

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Re: Murder suspect's Amazon Echo device could help solve the case
« Reply #2 on: December 29, 2016, 06:04:07 am »
My sister bought herself one for the holidays.

I forgot to ask her if she likes it.

She liked toys like this. I don't see it's purpose.
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Offline Frank Cannon

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Re: Murder suspect's Amazon Echo device could help solve the case
« Reply #3 on: December 29, 2016, 06:08:22 am »
The company has sought to play down these fears, pointing out the device will only record when activated by the “Alexa” wake word, and that a button on the device can mute the microphone.

So what are the cops hoping for? That this dude yelled out during the murder "Hey Alexa, can you play strangling a fat bastard music?".

If the cops ever get my logs for Alexa all they will see is "Alexa, ask about a fart" 40 times an hour and a slew of requests for modern crappy Top 40 songs.

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Re: Murder suspect's Amazon Echo device could help solve the case
« Reply #4 on: December 29, 2016, 05:41:32 pm »
She liked toys like this. I don't see it's purpose.

My dad is blind.  I got him the Google Home device (similar to the Echo, but I thought it might be better on searches), and he can ask about things without bugging my mom.  He can play radio stations via TuneIn without messing with trying to find them on the radio (or ones that are out of range).  He can just ask it to play something ("Hey, Google, play some Italian dinner music.") and it will.  Or rarely it will misunderstand and he'll get Norwegian Death Metal...followed shortly by him bellowing, "Hey, Google...STOP!"   :laugh:

You can have it do alarms or timers, or tell the time or weather or news, by voice, all which is surprisingly handy to ask while you're doing something else. 

If you have the $, you can buy setups to control your lights or thermostat, etc., by voice.  And you can set it to order pizza or (the Echo can) order from Amazon.
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“The most effectual means of being secure against pain is to retire within ourselves, and to suffice for our own happiness.” -- Thomas Jefferson

“He's so dumb he thinks a Mexican border pays rent.” --Foghorn Leghorn

Offline Gefn

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Re: Murder suspect's Amazon Echo device could help solve the case
« Reply #5 on: December 29, 2016, 07:30:06 pm »
My dad is blind.  I got him the Google Home device (similar to the Echo, but I thought it might be better on searches), and he can ask about things without bugging my mom.  He can play radio stations via TuneIn without messing with trying to find them on the radio (or ones that are out of range).  He can just ask it to play something ("Hey, Google, play some Italian dinner music.") and it will.  Or rarely it will misunderstand and he'll get Norwegian Death Metal...followed shortly by him bellowing, "Hey, Google...STOP!"   :laugh:

You can have it do alarms or timers, or tell the time or weather or news, by voice, all which is surprisingly handy to ask while you're doing something else. 

If you have the $, you can buy setups to control your lights or thermostat, etc., by voice.  And you can set it to order pizza or (the Echo can) order from Amazon.

I can see this. But I'm schizophrenic when it comes to technology. I have an iPhone 6s plus, but my Macs are from 94, 05, and 12. My iPad is from 11. My TV is from the 80s. I also have a PC from 98 .

I got a Kindle for my birthday, not a fan. I now have my dad's watch which he bought when he was stationed in Germany in 45. (During the war). - on a weekend leave.

My mom's old 60s Electrolux vacuum finally died and my sister bought a brand spanking new Dyson for me. I wish she didn't.

And I live in an apt that was built when Eisenhower was president. I don't want to move to something newer- and in this area I also can't afford to.

I'm really crazy I think.

Oh most of my furniture has been in the family since the 1910s. Except my mattress, and my lamps. Those were my moms bought in the 60s. My couches are semi new. When my cat died in 13, my mom gave me her old sofa and love seat and bought new ones.


« Last Edit: December 29, 2016, 07:35:27 pm by Freya »
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Oceander

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Re: Murder suspect's Amazon Echo device could help solve the case
« Reply #6 on: January 01, 2017, 01:12:16 am »
If they get anything useful out of this then I definitely won't get one because it'll mean the thing is recording everything you say whether you've asked it to or not.

Offline mountaineer

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Re: Murder suspect's Amazon Echo device could help solve the case
« Reply #7 on: January 01, 2017, 01:34:58 am »
The company has sought to play down these fears, pointing out the device will only record when activated by the “Alexa” wake word...
That's what they want you to believe ...  :pondering:     ^-^

Online DB

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Re: Murder suspect's Amazon Echo device could help solve the case
« Reply #8 on: January 01, 2017, 02:22:46 am »
The company has sought to play down these fears, pointing out the device will only record when activated by the “Alexa” wake word, and that a button on the device can mute the microphone.

So what are the cops hoping for? That this dude yelled out during the murder "Hey Alexa, can you play strangling a fat bastard music?".

If the cops ever get my logs for Alexa all they will see is "Alexa, ask about a fart" 40 times an hour and a slew of requests for modern crappy Top 40 songs.

Because if it thinks it may have heard one of its trigger words it records and processes what follows to sort out if it was a false start or not. They apparently have many false starts causing it to wake up and take notice when it wasn't actually being addressed. With music playing, the TV going and/or multiple people talking it is easy to get false starts.

So who knows what was recorded.

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Re: Murder suspect's Amazon Echo device could help solve the case
« Reply #9 on: January 01, 2017, 02:32:25 am »
If they get anything useful out of this then I definitely won't get one because it'll mean the thing is recording everything you say whether you've asked it to or not.

There was a story of one of these providing suicide hot line instructions because it heard the owner say "I'm going to kill myself" talking to himself in reaction to something embarrassing he had just read online about himself. "Alexa" was not spoken to yet it provided unsolicited info anyway. I don't know if the story is true. If it is, then it hears a lot more than they claim.

Offline Weird Tolkienish Figure

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Re: Murder suspect's Amazon Echo device could help solve the case
« Reply #10 on: January 01, 2017, 03:15:02 am »
The one I bought for wife for Xmas still hasn't arrived from Amazon! :(
« Last Edit: January 01, 2017, 03:15:32 am by Weird Tolkienish Figure »

Online DB

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Re: Murder suspect's Amazon Echo device could help solve the case
« Reply #11 on: January 01, 2017, 04:11:29 am »
The one I bought for wife for Xmas still hasn't arrived from Amazon! :(

Are they on backorder???

Sorry to hear that.

Offline Suppressed

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Re: Murder suspect's Amazon Echo device could help solve the case
« Reply #12 on: January 03, 2017, 02:46:56 pm »
There was a story of one of these providing suicide hot line instructions because it heard the owner say "I'm going to kill myself" talking to himself in reaction to something embarrassing he had just read online about himself. "Alexa" was not spoken to yet it provided unsolicited info anyway. I don't know if the story is true. If it is, then it hears a lot more than they claim.

Just tested it. No reaction.
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“The most effectual means of being secure against pain is to retire within ourselves, and to suffice for our own happiness.” -- Thomas Jefferson

“He's so dumb he thinks a Mexican border pays rent.” --Foghorn Leghorn

Offline Gefn

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Re: Murder suspect's Amazon Echo device could help solve the case
« Reply #13 on: January 03, 2017, 02:56:10 pm »
Are they on backorder???

Sorry to hear that.

Amazon has something on sale called "Echo Dot" for $49.99

It popped up on the front page when I went to Amazon just now.
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Re: Murder suspect's Amazon Echo device could help solve the case
« Reply #14 on: January 03, 2017, 03:06:01 pm »
If they get anything useful out of this then I definitely won't get one because it'll mean the thing is recording everything you say whether you've asked it to or not.

"although you took very thorough precautions in the pod against my hearing you, I could see your lips move."

Offline Meldrew

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Re: Murder suspect's Amazon Echo device could help solve the case
« Reply #15 on: January 03, 2017, 05:47:05 pm »
Quote
"although you took very thorough precautions in the pod against my hearing you, I could see your lips move."

Zing!  Good one!

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Re: Murder suspect's Amazon Echo device could help solve the case
« Reply #16 on: January 03, 2017, 09:13:42 pm »
Just tested it. No reaction.

Thank you.

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Offline Suppressed

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Re: Murder suspect's Amazon Echo device could help solve the case
« Reply #18 on: January 05, 2017, 04:46:31 am »
Amazon has something on sale called "Echo Dot" for $49.99

It popped up on the front page when I went to Amazon just now.

The speakers on the Dot aren't good. It's designed to be hooked by Bluetooth to speakers, or to be a device you can have in multiple rooms more cheaply than the full device to control things like lights.
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“In the outside world, I'm a simple geologist. But in here .... I am Falcor, Defender of the Alliance” --Randy Marsh

“The most effectual means of being secure against pain is to retire within ourselves, and to suffice for our own happiness.” -- Thomas Jefferson

“He's so dumb he thinks a Mexican border pays rent.” --Foghorn Leghorn

Offline Suppressed

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Re: Murder suspect's Amazon Echo device could help solve the case
« Reply #19 on: January 05, 2017, 04:48:04 am »
Thank you.

You're welcome.

Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner....the cops were at the door.   :laugh:
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“In the outside world, I'm a simple geologist. But in here .... I am Falcor, Defender of the Alliance” --Randy Marsh

“The most effectual means of being secure against pain is to retire within ourselves, and to suffice for our own happiness.” -- Thomas Jefferson

“He's so dumb he thinks a Mexican border pays rent.” --Foghorn Leghorn