Alexa, how do you spell Ten Billion Dollar Loss?

Amazon's Alexa is ten years old! How time flies! I might have guessed the old girl was seven or eight years old. But she's been around for ten years, and apparently is a big loser--as in "billions and billions."

Amazon expected that Alexa owners would buy more stuff because it was so easy to just "speak" your order. But it turns out most of us not idiots. We want to look at the product, read the reviews, and make an informed decision. You can't do that standing in the kitchen in your bathrobe instructing Alexa to order a pair of pants. Most people, as it turns out, use Alexa to ask about the weather or to play some music, and that's about it. Maybe there are a few commodities like paper towels where you could get Alexa to help: "Alexa, more Bounty--the quicker picker upper!" And she would probably get that order correct.

Google's Assistant reportedly has the same problem....a device sold at cost that does not really generate any revenue. Apple's Siri device is a more expensive audio speaker, so Apple is not losing the same amount of money.

I would never allow any of those devices in my house, as they listen to everything you say and discuss, and it all gets sent back to the Amazon, Google, or Apple mothership. It's none of their business what we talk about at breakfast.

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