The always-connected part is the steep price for that functionality.

Here the entire thing is designed around constantly uploading incriminating photos of you, without the value of home security.

On the other hand, the Echo Look only uploads photos when you ask it to, and AFAIK doesn't store them, but everyone is freaking out because it could upload photos whenever it wants.

Sure, HN doesn't see the value in a Look, but it is clearly less invasive than a Dropcam.

My phone at rest is either looking at the inside of my pocket or the ceiling/floor.

But if you were, I'd be willing to bet that you have a laptop in your bedroom or phone-cradle that can hold your phone in a position to record you so you can instagram today's outfit to your friends.

(1) This device is absolutely sealed and opaque. It can't (easily) be analyzed to see what it's running, doing, or sending. It's even more opaque than a phone. It has enough processing power to do local image analysis, object recognition, etc., so just looking at bulk traffic won't prove anything about whether or not it's watching.

(2) The camera in this device is part of its core functionality, is always on, and is situated deliberately so as to watch you.

(3) The device is literally an Amazon sales rep in your house. Its primary purpose is to represent Amazon and sell you stuff.

I've always thought Alexa and the other cloud-connected voice-activated things were completely insane. I will never own such a thing. Period. This takes it to a whole new level of creepiness.

Having it being completely sealed without the ability of the end-user to install software is a security win for most people. Then it's much less likely that a user will install Malware on the device, and it's not likely that Amazon is going to hack their own devices to make them into spy cams. Not allowing user installed software greatly reduces the attack surface of the device.

No, there's no way anyone would do that.....

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Parenting/pennsylvania-school-fbi-...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/2013/12/0...

https://it.slashdot.org/story/13/01/29/0111238/58000-securit...

Even if it wasn't intentional, unknown bugs are a thing, and trusting someone like amazon, who clearly does not have their customers best interests in mind, seems foolish to me.

This is not super-useful; it could locally cache "bad" video and send it later when you think it is only sending "good" video.

Amazon says their camera only records you when you ask it to, if you don't trust them, then how do you trust that your cellphone or laptop isn't recording you illicitly?

Firearms: never point it at something you don't want to destroy. Internet connected cameras: never point them at something you don't want the world to see.

This Amazon device either needs to be left alone to capture/not capture whatever it is going to or it serves no purpose at all. I'm not going to turn it around or cover it every time I enter my bedroom. If I did, then the value proposition falls significantly.

I dont, and I dont trust them, I am one of "those people" that places tape over the lens. I also do not own an echo, nor will I own this or any device like it

I hate that Phone do not have removal batteries because there was a time where I did remove them.

Some may call be paranoid, but only the paranoid are ever truly prepared

I swear, my wife would LOVE this product, unless I can scare her about the security implications.

The Xbox itself has never had fashion/fitting advice as a feature.

So, like a smartphone?