AMAZON failed to make a viable smartphone so it can’t compete with Google and Apple on their own turf. Instead, the company wants to dominate the home and is throwing everything against the wall to see what sticks, literally.
Yesterday, Amazon unveiled a 15-inch wall-mounted version of its Echo Show screen that watches and listens to your home, as well as a robot with friendly eyes that rolls around to watch and listen.
A flying indoor drone for watching and listening to your home that it previewed last year will soon go on sale. And the company showed several other new products and services that all monitor you in some way to figure out what you want, when you want it and maybe if it’s something Amazon can sell you for it.
At the company’s annual fall press event – held virtually for the second year in a row because of the Covid-19 pandemic – executives stressed its commitment to privacy, pointing out that consumers can opt-in to some features.
“As I’ve said, privacy is foundational to everything we do, from adding new ways to ask Alexa about your privacy settings to providing more granular information about your household’s voice history,” said David Limp, Amazon’s senior vice president of devices and services.
“We continue to give customers greater transparency over control of their data. Overall, we think privacy is a huge opportunity for invention.”
The event is something the company does every autumn, as a way to hype up new products before the holidays and test the waters for its more out-there ideas. It’s also an opportunity to slowly increase customers’ tolerance for what’s normal. Every year, Amazon releases products that push more invasive technology into people’s homes.
What started seven years ago with a microphone in a speaker has turned into a flying indoor surveillance drone and an autonomous robot with a telescoping camera in its “face”. The company framed the latest releases as technology to help with the burden of everyday life, solving problems like too much screen time, keeping track of an ageing relative far away or leaving your fridge open. (Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.)
At the heart of almost all its new products is some form of surveillance. Some of it is traditional, in the form of Ring cameras and security services meant to protect a home or family from crime or other danger.
To that end, the company revealed two new home security devices. The $249.99 (R3 757) Ring Alarm Pro is a home security system and wi-fi router that connects to smart locks, motion detectors and other security components. The company also released another video doorbell, this time under its Blink brand.
Amazon’s other Ring offerings pushed the idea that real security requires even more angles. Ring’s tiny flying drone – a kooky home security gadget first shown last year – will finally be able to offer interior airborne views later this year, though would-be beta testers, will need an invitation to purchase one. All these cameras create a new problem: too many feeds to watch and not enough time. Now users can pay $99 a month to have a third-party security company watch their home security video feeds for them.
The other side of Amazon’s surveillance ecosystem is meant to be helpful, heart-warming and even cuddly.
Astro is a robot that roams your home to keep an eye on things and maybe play with the kids. It’s essentially a Ring camera and Echo Show screen built into a robot. The camera on top can rise on a periscope for better views of far-off corners of your home. It’s the most experimental hardware of the bunch and will cost $1 000 for early adopters when it ships as early as this year, but eventually go for $1 449.
To ease concerns customers might have about a wandering security camera on wheels, Amazon included privacy features like the ability to make certain rooms off limits.
It’s one of many products Amazon pitched as helpful for families. The company wants to use AI to automate daily tasks and chores, perhaps even eventually purchases. The Echo Show 15-inch smart screen goes on a wall to organise your family, something Amazon said was difficult to do before.
It’s essentially a giant smartphone home screen but with two notable features that might make some feel uneasy: a camera that can detect who is walking by and customise the screen, and microphones that can listen for specific household noises like an open fridge beeping.
There was also the Amazon Glow, a bulky smart screen on a stand with a built-in projector to let kids make video calls, but avoid other less desirable types of screen time. Amazon rolled out a partnership with Disney, a streaming competitor, to introduce a new voice assistant made up of Disney characters and summoned with the command “Hey Disney”.
The company also tried to follow in Apple’s footsteps, with a new streaming workout service.
The Washington Post