Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2018/02/27/amazon-to-acquire-ring-com-for.html
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2 Likes
It seems crazy that Amazon can’t develop a doorbell with a built-in webcam for less than a billion dollars.
On the other hand, this probably makes a ton of sense for tax purposes, shoveling money away from the “profit” column. There is so much money stuck at the top now that people literally have no idea what to do with it. It’s stupid money now.
8 Likes
This makes complete sense for Amazon deliveries. The drones will be able to open the door, drop the packages inside, and lock up after themselves.
13 Likes
Oh, they can. But that takes time, and they had a billion dollars between the couch cushions and the swear jar, so why not?
6 Likes
They already have a service where the delivery guys can unlock your door and drop the package off inside. This makes sense from that angle, but to the outside observer they grossly overpaid for an otherwise unremarkable hardware and cloud service company.
2 Likes
It might be cheaper for them to buy the patents than license them.
4 Likes
I was envisioning flying robot drones, not corporate drones.
3 Likes
Pretty soon, if you lock yourself out of the house you can yell through the door “ALEXA! UNLOCK THE FRONT DOOR!!!”
9 Likes
“largely allowing the company to continue operating as it has in the past”
That’s a shame.
My experience with Ring was disastrously bad, but the worst part was that they were ill-equipped to handle support calls. In email exchanges, their replies were frequently sent to the wrong email address, I was repeatedly addressed by the wrong name, and I was blamed for their billing error. If it weren’t for all that, maybe I could have forgiven them for the fact that the product didn’t work.
It was my second (and last) foray into the internet of shit, and it’s the first (and last) time I purchased a product after reading a gushing review of it on BoingBoing.
9 Likes
I’m sorry Dave, I’m afraid can’t do that.
20 Likes
A service that I’m pretty sure exactly nobody was excited to take advantage of.
3 Likes
From what I understand it is pretty popular with the handful of people beta testing it. There is a camera in your house so you can see who is dropping the package off and have a recording of them doing it. It’s a lot better than having your packages stolen off of your front stoop yet again.
3 Likes
Fixed that for you.
15 Likes
I will stand in front of someone’s door and live stream all day for $1m. Bargain right?
3 Likes
“…home video surveillance maker”
They want access to ‘data’.
6 Likes
Damnit! I was in talks to sell them KnockKnockWho’sThere?.com for a cool 5k.
4 Likes
Yeah I mean people don’t like Amazon Key for obvious reasons, but it seems like there’s quite a few people that could hugely benefit from it if they live in areas where package theft is a constant problem.
3 Likes
How long before someone gets shot because of these ?
2 Likes
Cue a Mission Impossible scenario where Barney Collier has to break in to an Amazon Warehouse and then get himself drone delivered in to a secure location.
3 Likes
