I've been writing about this a lot lately, but just is case some folks didn't believe me, here is a Los Angeles Times story arguing that the Amazon Echo/Alexa system - and, by extension, all voice-activated computers - serve as "important bridges for the average consumer between today’s 'dumb' homes and a Jetsons-like future.
"With tech firms and appliance makers betting that everything in our homes eventually will get connected, the key, analysts said, is to help consumers feel comfortable with the idea now so they can be nudged along to make bigger investments in the future."
Now, there is a certain irony to this story since it was just last Friday that there was a massive online attack that essentially shut down access to many popular websites such as Twitter, Spotify, Netflix, Tumblr, Reddit, PayPal - and Amazon. The attacking software "The software uses malware from phishing emails to first infect a computer or home network, then spreads to everything on it, taking over DVRs, cable set-top boxes, routers and even Internet-connected cameras used by stores and businesses for surveillance. These devices are in turn used to create a robot network, or botnet, to send the millions of messages that knocks the out victims' computer systems."
But the fact remains that there is an equally massive effort on the part of companies like Amazon, Google and Apple to wire the world and make it easier for people do to pretty much everything through the use of technology. One of those "everythings" is shopping ... and so retailers have to figure out, to use the line coined by my friend Craig Ostbo, whether they are going to be at the table or on the menu.
You can read the entire LA Times story here.
"With tech firms and appliance makers betting that everything in our homes eventually will get connected, the key, analysts said, is to help consumers feel comfortable with the idea now so they can be nudged along to make bigger investments in the future."
Now, there is a certain irony to this story since it was just last Friday that there was a massive online attack that essentially shut down access to many popular websites such as Twitter, Spotify, Netflix, Tumblr, Reddit, PayPal - and Amazon. The attacking software "The software uses malware from phishing emails to first infect a computer or home network, then spreads to everything on it, taking over DVRs, cable set-top boxes, routers and even Internet-connected cameras used by stores and businesses for surveillance. These devices are in turn used to create a robot network, or botnet, to send the millions of messages that knocks the out victims' computer systems."
But the fact remains that there is an equally massive effort on the part of companies like Amazon, Google and Apple to wire the world and make it easier for people do to pretty much everything through the use of technology. One of those "everythings" is shopping ... and so retailers have to figure out, to use the line coined by my friend Craig Ostbo, whether they are going to be at the table or on the menu.
You can read the entire LA Times story here.
- KC's View:
