I recently saw the creepy/disturbing Amazon Echo video, and like many other people, my first thought was: THIS IS HOW THE WORLD WILL END.
OK, not really… My first thought actually leaned toward how disturbing the family was… The husband makes fun of the wife (“You don’t have to yell at it”), the son makes fun of the dad (“You just read that off the box, didn’t you?”), and the entire family is essentially falling apart before our very eyes…
But mixed in the middle of all this is a seemingly innocent cylinder that’s actually ushering in the end of the world. (Unless Cortana beats it, but more on that later.) Just look for the creepy moments like: “It can ALWAYS HEAR YOU WHEREVER YOU ARE.” Stuff like that.
If you think I’m stretching to find the creep factor, then maybe Windows’ introduction video to Cortana will help you. When this video came out, they actually featured clips of: WAR, TERRORISM, DEATH, and light-hearted stuff like that. All, apparently, running through Cortana’s mind while she “helps” you. That’s a step worse than innocent lil’ Echo.
But remember, Echo & Cortana are kind of in the same family. 😉 If you still want an Amazon Echo after all of this, you can order one here. Prime members get theirs for $99. But you have to sign up to get on the “beta” list. I accidentally signed up for that, which means a creepy Echo might be showing up at my door any minute now…
While I’m still here, let me add that I had actually cobbled together a little video composite of Cortana + Echo to show how creepy that combo would be. But honestly, the video wasn’t that great. So instead, I’m going to show you another funny Amazon Echo parody that helps bring the point home better:
