tvtd

I am only commenting on the logic of this statement.

Those categorizations assume the manufacturer's intended use of collected data (whether transmitted or not) is a non-issue. The debate surrounding these smart devices is about the acceptance of that level of monitoring. Do we allow Google or Amazon or Apple or whoever to always be listening? I ask that question because while you or I may not worry too much about what one or all those companies will do with the phone call home to talk about the day, I highly care about the personal nature of those calls being retained indefinitely to be given over to governmental authorities at the least, or being used to steal identities or worse. What you would use the device for is your personal decision knowing that somewhere everything you say or request is archived, but those of us who do not want them should also be allowed to make that decision and know that decision is honored.

Personally, I have no use for such assistants. I am an Apple user and think iCloud and CarPlay are the two best products Apple has to date. Google doesn't need access to all my information to date to know that when I request a gas station during trip for which I am already using turn-by-turn directions I don't mean the one I passed 10 miles ago. The one 15 miles ahead and right off the highway is more logical than the one 10 miles ahead but six miles off the highway. Amazon is Walmart of the internet. If I can find it elsewhere, though I might pay more, I take my business there. And Apple is so scared of giving Siri a brain that she'll always be a step behind.

I think the usefulness of these devices will explode exponentially when they become passively situationally aware. I don't need Siri or Google prattling off every known name for an obscure highway on-ramp a tenth of a mile down the road. I don't need Alexa to call the front desk when my neighbors are too loud, I'm upset about that enough as it is. I don't need a virtual assistant telling me they can't process my request.

TomMM

I am involved in a project that wants to deploy Alexa in a public retail setting and one of the sticking points is obtaining consent from the customer to have their voice recorded and sent to Amazon who will then become the owners of the recording and who can use it for their own purposes. I am guessing that Marriott's position might be "well you selected an Alexa room" so that's all the consent that is needed.

tth6133

I think this is just another bad idea. As a networked, microprocessor-based system, your conversation can be listened to and/or recorded inadvertently by the hotel or the service provider, or purposely by some third parties with malicious intent. Remember the hotel door keyless access idea?
https://www.wired.com/2017/08/the-hotel-hacker/
https://www.zdnet.com/article/millions-of-hotel-door-locks-bypass-with-master-key/

KRSW

...and depending upon what I am working on, the telephone and clock radio get unplugged, wrapped in a blanket, and put in the other room, or shoved in a drawer. Then again, my office works on some pretty nasty stuff at times.

No, I'm not paranoid -- my own father was once part of a project where they DID bug the hotel rooms of prospective clients and used what they heard to help sell their product, and that was sales! I've never found an electronic bug in a hotel room myself or my coworkers have stayed in, BUT we have found hidden cameras elsewhere.

dayone

Walk into your room, unplug the Alexa device, and then go about your business.

Orange County Commuter

So I sent Marriott an email saying "don't waste money on Alexa use it to fix the Platinum Reservation Number"

Their response was that you can have Alexa removed. (they ignored my comment on the reservation number )

pinniped

Marriott should do this: keep the unplugged Echo dots behind the front desk. If someone asks for one, great. That way Marriott will actually get them back (charging you $40 if Alexa walks off), there will be no issues with people who don't want them in the room, and the reservations system doesn't need to care about "Alexa rooms" and "non-Alexa rooms".

One you've configured a Dot to your local network, unplugging it and replugging it in is not an issue. It just boots up and you start using it.

This can be super easy and non-controversial. People who are used to Alexa will enjoy having one on the road. People who don't want it are unaffected.

RogerD408

Of course, you gave them a choice of items to respond to. They can still claim they responded to your email even if it didn't address all the issues. Actually, they don't even need to respond to any of the issues and just say thank you for your comments and they are done.

Now I wonder how long it will take to get someone to show up to remove the device? Can I just unplug it and place it outside the door like a room service tray?

pinniped

If so, you've answered the question. "About 2 days, give or take."

darthbimmer

I would not want a room with Alexa or any other always-on, always-listening personal "assistant". If I entered my room to find one, unplugging it and stowing it in a drawer would be my first order of business.

EricH

"Alexa, send someone up to remove you from my room"

kimikoftokyo

Kremmen

Do you really believe that? Plenty of hotels are incapable of setting up wifi competently, let alone complex pieces of equipment.

I stayed in a hotel a few days ago which provided a Handy phone in the room. The documents with it claimed that all personal data is cleared after each guest checks out. Would you like to guess which month the call log on mine went back to?

BSpeaker

Amen. For those who didn't get the reference https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/25/b...ared-echo.html

If they told me there was an Alexa in my room I would ask for a different room.

honest_abe

Right on! There is no way to guarantee that someone that works for the hotel is not listening, recording, or monitoring even if prohibited by the hotel. Nor is there any way to be absolutely sure that it is not nor could it not be hacked.

If the hotel would not remove it and if I could not unplug it and remove any batteries, I would "accidentally" disable it or otherwise protect my privacy. Sad how so many complain about government intrusion and spying but give away that same information to any private company (which might be hacked or even legally subpoenaed by the government). I minimize all cellphone/computer access in as many ways as possible even going out of my way to do so.