Skeptics say it’s only a matter of time until Amazon takes over the world. Well, it seems that time may come sooner than we had thought. The global corporation have launched Echo Buds, the latest extension of their virtual assistant Alexa, which sit subtly within your ears, able to accompany you everywhere rather than just within the parameters of your home.
The wireless ear buds feature Bose’s noise reduction technology and in-built Alexa functionality, including a microphone to listen out for commands. All you have to do is say the word “Alexa” and the service springs into action, able to offer any one of its 100,000+ skills, and communicate with other smart products from thousands of brands. Want to know when the next bus is? Alexa’s got the answer. Forgot to buy dog food? Tell Alexa to order some.
While Amazon’s Echo Buds take convenience culture to new levels (you don’t even need to take your phone out of your pocket anymore), it also raises concerns over privacy and questions over how Amazon handles the voice data it collects through its devices. In the past, they have faced scrutiny for recording customers’ conversations and storing audio files for artificial intelligence training.
In an attempt to reassure, Amazon announced a throng of privacy updates including improved ‘wake word’ software to better control Alexa’s recording activation and a mute option that will allow you to disable the microphone on your Alexa devices. You’ll also be able to command Alexa to “delete everything I just said” to give users more control over their own recordings.
