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originally posted by: seattlerat
a reply to: FHomerK
According to Jeff Bezos, it's a hardware button, and various sources seem to agree from the teardowns A forum post at the EEVblog forums quotes a video featuring Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon: In this video about Jeff Bezos being interviewed by Walter Isaacson at around the 6 min mark, Bezos claims the mute button on the Amazon Echo is physically connected to the mic amplification circuit, making it impossible to enable again via software. This is also supported by a reddit thread in which it is said that "Basically it is a physical analog connection that cuts off circuit flow to the mic." Another commenter added: No voltage to mics when mute is on. You're correct as well about the state of mute being software controllable. That said, the state of the LED under the button is tied electrically to if the mics are on (same circuit), so there's no possible way the mics can be powered without you knowing it.
SOURCE
Over the past few days, users with Alexa-enabled devices have reported hearing strange, unprompted laughter. Amazon responded to the creepiness today in a statement to The Verge, saying, “We’re aware of this and working to fix it.” Later on in the day, Amazon said its planned fix will involve disabling the phrase, “Alexa, laugh,” and changing the command to “Alexa, can you laugh?” The company says the latter phrase is “less likely to have false positives,” or in other words the Alexa software is likely to mistake common words and phrases that sound similar to the one that makes Alexa start laughing. “We are also changing Alexa’s response from simply laughter to ‘Sure, I can laugh,’ followed by laughter,” an Amazon spokesperson said
originally posted by: MisterSpock
I'm a long time prime customer. I got a first gen Alexa back on the early access program before they were launched. It was an "invite" offer. They were like half price. I ordered it because I was going to use it solely as a Bluetooth speaker. That was like 5 years ago.
So where is it now, sitting in the box since the day I got it. Right where it belongs.
These devices are horrible IMO.
originally posted by: Maverick1
Hell with just 'fixing' it, why don't they try explaining who is responsible for it first.....