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Regardless of what Amazon says, Amazon Alexa devices are NOT many of the things that Amazon Bills them to be nor what people may believe they are.
An Amazon Alexa Device is NOT a computer. It can do almost nothing on its own. In fact you will need an Android or iOS device to even really use it.
It Can NOT play your local music library easily. It can however play your local music with a very convoluted set up that involves requiring an Internet connection to share your local music list. But note the requirement of Internet to play LOCAL music.
It can NOT connect to your IPP printer as Amazon now claims, with the exception of newer Amazon enabled printers. At first Amazon said that this works with IPP printers. Amazon launches Alexa Print, a way to print lists, recipes, games, & educational content using your voice (msn.com) That was exaggerated and slowly we began to see the phrase "MMDS enabled printers". Neither Google nor Bing seem to know what this MMDS protocol is for printing as of this writing. Now we even see phrases like "select printers" and "Printers from\ the following manufacturers...". What a bunch of SALES PITCH HYPE! My Linux connected color laser printer is an IPP enabled printer. I can print from any Windows , Android, IOS or OSX device driverlessly by way of the Linux host . It does not however work for Amazon Echo Dot nor Fire TV Cube.
It is NOT capable of giving you any voice warning for an event on your network. For instance I wanted to send a message from my asterisk server saying restart was complete and asterisk is running, however there is no way to get Alexa to say this or anything like it. In order to do that Alexa must INITIATE the process.
Alexa is NOT very secure. Most functions require "account linking" meaning that in order to use the "Alexa Compatible" power plugs you must link your Amazon Alexa account with an account from the manufacturer of the power plugs. These accounts residing on and communicating over the Internet leaves a world of vulnerabilities to be explored and exploited, when in fact both of these device are on you home LAN an need not be on the Internet at all
I know Jeff Bezos is a really rich (and selfish) guy who misrepresents what he is selling you. This is the same guy who wants to take you into space. What are you not disclosing there Mr. Bozos?
