POLL: Will You Buy the Amazon Echo? (Echo... Echo... Echo...)

In early November, Amazon announced that it'd be getting into the stand-alone, always-on, voice-activated, information-box game when it unveiled its Amazon Echo. (To our knowledge, they are the only player in this very niche field, but enter it they did!) Amazon Prime members could sign up to be put on a waiting list for an invite that would nab them the $199 list price device for 50% off, dropping it to $99. Yes, with free shipping via Prime.
Two months later, Amazon continues to offer this deal to Prime members, which has proven quite popular with our readers. So we began to wonder: What's the deal with the Echo, and will you invest in the first-generation, nascent technology?
A Stand-Alone Personal Assistant Device
If we didn't know anything about technology, we'd say the Echo was a magical cylinder in which resides a tiny wizard. However, knowing what we know of modern technological "wizardry," we're going to assume it has microchips and stuff inside it. The result is an always-on box that sits, patiently waiting for you to utter the activation word (either "Alexa" or "Amazon").
Once you do that, the Echo starts listening to you. You can ask it things like, "What's the weather?" or command it to tell a joke, and it will consult the Internet and then tell you the weather or a joke (respectively). Other answerable requests include asking for the time, setting an alarm, reading information from a Wikipedia page, playing songs from your Amazon Music library (everyone uses that, right?), getting news updates from NPR or ESPN, creating to-do lists, and more.
Better still, since it's connected to the Internet, Amazon can push updates to it which expand its capabilities. One day, you might be able to say "Amazon? Wash my car!" It won't be able to do that, but it might be able to tell you why it's not capable of doing that. What a glorious future!
With everything this little counter-top box can do, it's like finally being able to take the Siri, Google Now, or Cortana function out of your smartphone and put it into another, stand-alone device. One that costs $99 — for a limited time and if you're a Prime member! All kidding aside, we can see how an on-demand informational service like Echo could be of benefit, especially for those with impaired eyesight. However, at its current early stage, we wonder how useful the device would be.
Concerns Over Privacy, Annoying Names
Anticipating your security concerns of an "always listening" device, Amazon has thought to put a mute button on the top of the Echo, to prevent your conversations from being overheard, if only by the device itself. When pressed, the device will not connect with the Internet again until it's physically unmuted. This will may prove to be a useful button to have when you find yourself discussing that one Billy Joel song, or the river in South America.
For us, the worst part of its design is that the trigger-word is "Alexa" or "Amazon." Imagine having "Amazon" be the first thing you say every morning. "Amazon, what's the news this morning?" That's some tight brand-name reinforcement, but it'd get old quickly. We have to imagine that an OS update is in the works, one that will allow you to set a custom name.
Personally, we think we'd opt for "CTHULHU, AWAKE!" if only to taunt the cyclopean nightmares that live in R'lyeh. But what name would you choose? Tell us, in the comments below!

ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CahNAauFgys]
When I first registered I was ready to buy though now since I have been reading others "opinions" of Amazon's ability to create a SIRI or Google now type of system, built into a stand alone device I remember how much I use the pre-mentioned applications the first week and how little I use them now. Still I am always up for a deal and new tech so at the $99 price I will probably pick one up if I have a chance.
But I wouldn't want it sitting in my bedroom, watching me and saying things like, "I'm sorry, I can't do that, Dave..." Big brother is creepy enough without the electronic overtones of HAL 9000!
Lindsay: You would not have been allowed to get the invite unless the add-on Prime membership counted. We, too mooch our membership.
We love it!
- Does this device require a Prime membership or an Amazon account? I'd like to get one for my parents, but they have neither.
- Is this primarily an Amazon content delivery vehicle like their tablets/phone? I was so disappointed in the Kindle Fire; I felt the purpose of content delivery was so prioritized over form & function that I gave it away and got a Galaxy.
Thanks!
Imagine having voice control over your smart phone, without having to pick it up, start an app and wait for the results? Want to listen to music apps with a decent speaker? Set a timer? Add items to a shopping and/or to-do list? Get IMDB info? And the wake word is avoided via the included remote, which ironically is smaller and easier to navigate than your phone. You also left out how nice it is to have a device that doesn't need to be recharged, ever. Finally, if you insist on being tethered to your phone, the Echo is a very responsive BT speaker and is addressed via an app on desktops, lappys and tablets, as well.
There are several annoying limitations to the device, but I'll leave those for you to find. And, no thank you, I don't need a job as an editor.
But honestly it's been fun and useful. Here are some uses;
My wife and I both have the app on our phones so when either of us added something to the shopping list, we both see it. It's easier than her sending it to me.
News and weather
Bluetooth connectivity is very cool. All I have to do is ask Echo to connect to my device and its done.
Kid goes in time out I ask Echo to set a timer
Tunein is integrated, so I just ask it to play ESPN and it streams the local station.
I bought it for what it can't do yet as well.
Echo has been fun to use so far. The function I use the most is the 'ToDo' and 'Shopping' lists. When I stand in the kitchen and look in the refrigerator I can say "Alexa, add beer to the shopping list". Then using my smartphone and the Echo app I can access the list at the grocery store and check off each item.
Another function I use often is the radio..."Alexa, play 98.9 KUPD radio" and you can also tell Alexa what volume you want to hear the music at (1-10). Once catch to that is if you play the music loud, Alexa can't hear your next command unless you shout over the music or use the remote to speak into.
That said, and assuming the name has to be at least two syllables with at least one sharp sound, I'd name mine "Alfred".
That said, you should youtube 'Echo Parody', there are a couple of very funny parodies based of the amazon ad :-)