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| Amazon's Echo speakers head to the UK and Germany | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Amazon has confirmed its virtual assistant Echo speakers are coming to the UK and Germany. | |
| Until now, the company sold its voice-controlled devices only in the US. | Until now, the company sold its voice-controlled devices only in the US. |
| The machines can answer questions, control other internet-connected devices, build shopping lists and link in to dozens of third-party services including Spotify, Uber and BBC News. | The machines can answer questions, control other internet-connected devices, build shopping lists and link in to dozens of third-party services including Spotify, Uber and BBC News. |
| Experts say they appeal to early adopters' sense of curiosity but tend to be a harder sell to others. | Experts say they appeal to early adopters' sense of curiosity but tend to be a harder sell to others. |
| Amazon told a press conference in London that the devices would become available in the two European countries "this autumn". | |
| The main Echo speaker will cost £149.99/€179.99, and there is a short-term discount for Amazon Prime subscribers who pre-order the hardware before this weekend. | |
| "[Echo's] been relatively successful in the US because it is so easy to use," said Jessica Ekholm from the Gartner consultancy. | "[Echo's] been relatively successful in the US because it is so easy to use," said Jessica Ekholm from the Gartner consultancy. |
| "But for many the question remains: why would they want a smart home?" | "But for many the question remains: why would they want a smart home?" |
| Privacy campaigners have also raised concerns about the use of such listening technology. | Privacy campaigners have also raised concerns about the use of such listening technology. |
| Local accents | |
| Amazon has not disclosed any sales figures for the Echo. | Amazon has not disclosed any sales figures for the Echo. |
| But analysts have estimated that between 1.6 million and five million of the speakers were sold between their release in November 2014 and June 2016. | But analysts have estimated that between 1.6 million and five million of the speakers were sold between their release in November 2014 and June 2016. |
| The BBC understands that one of the reasons Amazon had waited until now to launch the speakers outside the US was to ensure they could handle local accents. | |
| At present, the devices' main competition are smartphone-, TV- and PC-based virtual assistants, including Apple's Siri, Microsoft's Cortana and Google Now. | At present, the devices' main competition are smartphone-, TV- and PC-based virtual assistants, including Apple's Siri, Microsoft's Cortana and Google Now. |
| Google has also announced plans to sell an artificial-intelligence-powered speaker of its own later this year. | Google has also announced plans to sell an artificial-intelligence-powered speaker of its own later this year. |
| Voice dependent | Voice dependent |
| The UK and Germany are being offered two types of speakers: | |
| A third type of portable speaker available in the US, called the Tap, was not mentioned at the press conference. | |
| The Dot will cost £49.99/€59.99 and can be bought at a discount if ordered as part of a six-pack or 12-pack. | |
| Listening in | |
| Last week, one of Siri's inventors, Babak Hodjat, said Echo's lack of a screen or other visual feedback - apart from glowing blue lights - left owners with an "incomplete" experience. | Last week, one of Siri's inventors, Babak Hodjat, said Echo's lack of a screen or other visual feedback - apart from glowing blue lights - left owners with an "incomplete" experience. |
| But one industry-watcher suggested there were benefits to relying solely on voice. | But one industry-watcher suggested there were benefits to relying solely on voice. |
| "The smartphone app hasn't been a great interface for this type of thing," said Michael Philpott, from the consultancy Ovum. | "The smartphone app hasn't been a great interface for this type of thing," said Michael Philpott, from the consultancy Ovum. |
| "You've got to get it out of your pocket and then launch the app - which isn't the most user-friendly experience. | "You've got to get it out of your pocket and then launch the app - which isn't the most user-friendly experience. |
| "If you can just say to Echo, 'Can you check if I've locked the back door?' that's much more natural. | "If you can just say to Echo, 'Can you check if I've locked the back door?' that's much more natural. |
| "But of course, you'll also need to own smart door locks, and businesses are still trying to make the case for such smart home products to consumers." | "But of course, you'll also need to own smart door locks, and businesses are still trying to make the case for such smart home products to consumers." |
| For now, the most common smart home device is the thermostat - and the Echo can be used to control most of the leading brands, including Nest, Hive and Ecobee. | For now, the most common smart home device is the thermostat - and the Echo can be used to control most of the leading brands, including Nest, Hive and Ecobee. |
| The speakers can also be used to play music, stream news broadcasts, read audio books, request car pick-ups and provide weather forecasts, among more than 3,000 so-called skills. | The speakers can also be used to play music, stream news broadcasts, read audio books, request car pick-ups and provide weather forecasts, among more than 3,000 so-called skills. |
| New additions include: | |
| In addition, they can be used to order goods from Amazon itself, and will suggest items an owner has previously bought as well as goods that have positive ratings on its site. | In addition, they can be used to order goods from Amazon itself, and will suggest items an owner has previously bought as well as goods that have positive ratings on its site. |
| "Amazon has an early mover advantage," said David Watkins, from Strategy Analytics. | "Amazon has an early mover advantage," said David Watkins, from Strategy Analytics. |
| "One of the difficulties of using this type of product in its early stages is that the user still has to memorise quite a lot of commands to make it function correctly. | "One of the difficulties of using this type of product in its early stages is that the user still has to memorise quite a lot of commands to make it function correctly. |
| "But over time, Amazon should be able to analyse the data it collects to find out what people like to say and what seems more natural to them. | "But over time, Amazon should be able to analyse the data it collects to find out what people like to say and what seems more natural to them. |
| "So, as the product matures it should understand more context and language, and become capable of more personalisation. And that, in turn, will make it appeal to more people." | "So, as the product matures it should understand more context and language, and become capable of more personalisation. And that, in turn, will make it appeal to more people." |
| Privacy fears | Privacy fears |
| The speakers are deliberately designed not to send data back to Amazon's servers unless there has been a wake command or button press. | The speakers are deliberately designed not to send data back to Amazon's servers unless there has been a wake command or button press. |
| Owners also have the option of deleting transcriptions and recordings of past voice commands via an app. | Owners also have the option of deleting transcriptions and recordings of past voice commands via an app. |
| Amazon's device chief Dave Limp said privacy had been built into the products "from the start". | Amazon's device chief Dave Limp said privacy had been built into the products "from the start". |
| Even so, campaigners still have concerns. | Even so, campaigners still have concerns. |
| "Devices such as Amazon Echo paint a detailed picture of who we are as individuals, which ostensibly Amazon then has access to," said Christopher Weatherhead, a technologist at Privacy International. | "Devices such as Amazon Echo paint a detailed picture of who we are as individuals, which ostensibly Amazon then has access to," said Christopher Weatherhead, a technologist at Privacy International. |
| "For example, if we ask Echo about sensitive medical symptoms, we are potentially revealing very personal details to a corporation, which is not directly telling us how they use that data. | "For example, if we ask Echo about sensitive medical symptoms, we are potentially revealing very personal details to a corporation, which is not directly telling us how they use that data. |
| "It is crucial that should this data ever be requested by law enforcement, courts, or intelligence agencies, the strongest safeguards are in place to mitigate against the misuse of such information." | "It is crucial that should this data ever be requested by law enforcement, courts, or intelligence agencies, the strongest safeguards are in place to mitigate against the misuse of such information." |
| Until now, Amazon has not included details of law enforcement requests for Echo data in its bi-annual Transparency Report. | Until now, Amazon has not included details of law enforcement requests for Echo data in its bi-annual Transparency Report. |