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Old 07-13-2019, 08:51 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cdnirene View Post
Even if Alexa had 911 capability or there was some unlikely glitch allowing such a call, the victim herself activated Alexa by a voice command using the word “Alexa.”

A lot of the police departments in my area have a phone number to call, it's not for emergencies, perhaps that is what it called.
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Old 07-13-2019, 09:28 PM
 
Location: Canada
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thecoalman View Post
A lot of the police departments in my area have a phone number to call, it's not for emergencies, perhaps that is what it called.
The victim would have had to have the name and phone number in her cellphone contact list for Alexa to make the call. I can say “Alexa, phone John Smith”. Alexa finds the phone number for John Smith in my contact list and makes the call. Alternatively, I can also verbally tell Alexa the phone number to call - the exception being 911 calls and perhaps other 3 number phone calls.
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Old 07-13-2019, 09:34 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cdnirene View Post
The victim would have had to have the name and phone number in her cellphone contact list for Alexa to make the call. I can say “Alexa, phone John Smith”. Alexa finds the phone number for John Smith in my contact list and makes the call. Alternatively, I can also verbally tell Alexa the phone number to call - the exception being 911 calls and perhaps other 3 number phone calls.

What if you asked it to call a pizza place?
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Old 07-13-2019, 09:44 PM
 
Location: Canada
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thecoalman View Post
What if you asked it to call a pizza place?
If the pizza place was in your contact list, Alexa could call it e.g. Call Joe’s Pizza.

You could also ask Alexa for the phone number of the restaurant at a certain location. Alexa would look up the number on the web and tell you e.g. 1-555-555-5555. Then you’d say - Alexa call 1-555-555-5555.
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Old 07-13-2019, 11:15 PM
 
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The next thing we know, people will willingly accept microchips in our foreheads....of course, it will be used for our safety and security ONLY!!! LOL
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Old 07-13-2019, 11:33 PM
 
Location: Lexington, Kentucky
14,709 posts, read 8,034,142 times
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I don't have an Amazon Echo but I do have a Google Home device.

I love my Google home device! You can use it for so many things!

If you don't want it to "spy" on you, you can always turn it off or unplug it.
I use mine for so many things, and yes you can tell it to call the nearest "Mad Mushroom" so you can order a pizza and it will. I use it as an alarm clock, timer, reminder, phone book, phone, Calendar reminder,to look up basic information from time to time, etc.

Like I said if you are afraid of it spying on you....you can always turn the microphone off, or unplug.


Instead of wearing tin foil and being afraid of everything....you can always try being smarter than the machine.
Like turning it off~

Last edited by Crazee Cat Lady; 07-14-2019 at 12:48 AM..
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Old 07-13-2019, 11:49 PM
 
Location: Canada
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rstevens62 View Post
The next thing we know, people will willingly accept microchips in our foreheads....of course, it will be used for our safety and security ONLY!!! LOL
I don’t know about foreheads but it is already being done with human hands. Article from a year ago:

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/6...-they-love-it/

Quote:
When Patrick McMullan wants a Diet Dr Pepper while he’s at work, he pays for it with a wave of his hand. McMullan has a microchip implanted between his thumb and forefinger, and the vending machine immediately deducts money from his account. At his office, he’s one of dozens of employees who have been doing likewise for a year now.
Quote:
The idea came about in early 2017, he says, when he was on a business trip to Sweden—a country where some people are getting subcutaneous microchips to do things like enter secure buildings or book train tickets. It’s one of very few places where chip implants, which have been around for quite a while, have taken off in some fashion.
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Old 07-14-2019, 12:10 AM
 
Location: Montgomery County, PA
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How does it place the call? Through the owner's cellphone? I can make calls on my MacBook too but it really goes through my iPhone.
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Old 07-14-2019, 12:46 AM
 
Location: Canada
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HappyRider View Post
How does it place the call? Through the owner's cellphone? I can make calls on my MacBook too but it really goes through my iPhone.
Amazon Echo devices (which are just speakers, not computers) are connected to Amazon servers via WiFi and the internet. When I got my first Echo device, I downloaded the Amazon Alexa app on my iPad and did the initial setup from there (connecting the device to my WiFi network).

However, to set up the call feature, I had to download the Amazon Alexa app to my cellphone and do that setup. This allowed Alexa access to my contact list and my phone number.

When I tested the call feature some days later, my cell phone was turned off. So no, Alexa can not have been using my cellphone to make the calls. I assume my call command to Alexa was relayed via WiFi/internet to the Amazon servers who then placed an internet phone call. I wouldn’t be surprised though if my cellphone number popped up on the screen of the person receiving my call.

Last edited by cdnirene; 07-14-2019 at 12:54 AM..
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Old 07-14-2019, 12:56 AM
 
Location: Lexington, Kentucky
14,709 posts, read 8,034,142 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HappyRider View Post
How does it place the call? Through the owner's cellphone? I can make calls on my MacBook too but it really goes through my iPhone.

At first I didn't even realize the cone looking device could make phone calls, it isn't connected to anything.
(I was using my cell phone and told my phone to place a call to my Doctor when I was in the same room as the Home assistant, and had to tell it hang up, when I realized it was making a call to my Doctor also. Until then, I didn't even realize that it could make phone calls for me.)

I called my Son on it, and asked him what phone number showed up, because I was curious and he said caller ID
said "unknown". We have a google home and google cell phone service family plan, so I thought maybe it used our cell phones, but no, It somehow uses the internet/Wi-fi to place the phone calls. It does tell you that it cannot call 911.
I think it would be brilliant if it could, it could save lives! Because if you were elderly and fell....you could shout out "Hey google call 911!" I guess you could ask it to call an ambulance for you. It can tell you the closest groceries, pizza places, etc to where you are, and call them if you tell it to.
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