However Gizmodo points out an issue with the Drop In feature. Sounds like a terrible idea all around.
The company is billing it as a service “that makes having an Alexa-enabled home accessible for anyone, regardless of whether they rent or own their home.”
Property managers can provide “custom voice experiences for their residents,” and no account or device setup is required.
“Alexa communications features like Drop In do not work when a device is in vacant or occupied mode. Property managers or smart home integrators cannot use Drop In,” the Amazon spokesperson said in an email. “Drop In will only work if a resident links their in-unit device to their Amazon account, once they’ve linked their account, they’ll be able to use all the features Alexa has to offer, including drop in for contacts who have granted permission.”
For example, your landlord could connect their own account to your device, giving them control over the Drop In feature. As long as the device is not in Do Not Disturb mode, their call will connect, which is especially problematic if you’re not home and Do Not Disturb mode is off.
What? Why would renting make you unable to use an Alexa? Is the assumption that if you're renting you can't afford the $30 it costs to get one? I mean, I get that not everyone can afford to spend...
a service “that makes having an Alexa-enabled home accessible for anyone, regardless of whether they rent or own their home.”
What? Why would renting make you unable to use an Alexa? Is the assumption that if you're renting you can't afford the $30 it costs to get one? I mean, I get that not everyone can afford to spend $30 on a smart speaker, but it's not exactly out of reach for most renters. It's not like it requires bolting equipment to the side of the building like a satellite dish does, and I've known renters who had those, too.
And then they list smart lights as one of the things a tenant could do now they have an Alexa. As if someone who can't justify that amount of money on a speaker is going to fill the house with...
And then they list smart lights as one of the things a tenant could do now they have an Alexa. As if someone who can't justify that amount of money on a speaker is going to fill the house with smart lights. Or a music subscription. It just doesn't make sense.
This entire idea is absolutely fucking horrifying to me. I already practically can't buy a modern car, now I won't be able to live anyplace modern either. Awesome. Maybe it's time to invest in a...
This entire idea is absolutely fucking horrifying to me. I already practically can't buy a modern car, now I won't be able to live anyplace modern either. Awesome. Maybe it's time to invest in a cave or a cabin in the woods.
I can't trust most operating systems nowadays and I'm supposed to trust a car manufacturer here? What happens with the manufacturer decides its too expensive to support my constantly connected car...
I can't trust most operating systems nowadays and I'm supposed to trust a car manufacturer here? What happens with the manufacturer decides its too expensive to support my constantly connected car and stops updating it? Constantly connected cars + greedy end stage capitalism is just a recipe for planned obsolescence and resulting waste the likes of which we haven't seen before.
And that's without even taking the day to day security risks into account. No thank you. I'll be driving around my not connected car for decades to come.
I can’t think of anything a landlord could advertise to make me look elsewhere faster.
I agree. Ring for landlords sounds dystopian. I don't want my landlord having any kind of camera or microphone in my home.
However Gizmodo points out an issue with the Drop In feature.
Sounds like a terrible idea all around.
What? Why would renting make you unable to use an Alexa? Is the assumption that if you're renting you can't afford the $30 it costs to get one? I mean, I get that not everyone can afford to spend $30 on a smart speaker, but it's not exactly out of reach for most renters. It's not like it requires bolting equipment to the side of the building like a satellite dish does, and I've known renters who had those, too.
And then they list smart lights as one of the things a tenant could do now they have an Alexa. As if someone who can't justify that amount of money on a speaker is going to fill the house with smart lights. Or a music subscription. It just doesn't make sense.
This entire idea is absolutely fucking horrifying to me. I already practically can't buy a modern car, now I won't be able to live anyplace modern either. Awesome. Maybe it's time to invest in a cave or a cabin in the woods.
Why can't you buy a car? Are you concerned about the constant connectivity that some cars have?
I can't trust most operating systems nowadays and I'm supposed to trust a car manufacturer here? What happens with the manufacturer decides its too expensive to support my constantly connected car and stops updating it? Constantly connected cars + greedy end stage capitalism is just a recipe for planned obsolescence and resulting waste the likes of which we haven't seen before.
And that's without even taking the day to day security risks into account. No thank you. I'll be driving around my not connected car for decades to come.
Yeah this is a terrible idea.