Echo & Alexa Forums

General Category => Amazon Echo Discussion => Topic started by: jayonsoftware on September 04, 2015, 02:06:09 pm

Title: Echo as a 2 Way audio chat system
Post by: jayonsoftware on September 04, 2015, 02:06:09 pm

For example my Foscam camera, I can use their IPhone app to chat with some one at home. Can the same done with Echo ?

Jay

Title: Re: Echo as a 2 Way audio chat system
Post by: jwlv on September 04, 2015, 03:53:27 pm

That would be a very useful feature. I would definitely use that frequently. But as I understand from the development side of things, everything must go through Amazon's servers. There is no direct way to connect to your Echo. You pointed out that a Foscam camera can do this. With Foscam (or most other network cameras), you don't go through any servers. You might use a dynamic DNS, but your connection is still directly from your smartphone to your camera. In a way, that is a bit less secure. But also, since everything for the Echo must go through Amazon, there are probably going to be a lot of issues if private conversations are all passed through Amazon. Would FCC start regulating that? Would Amazon be taxed as a telecommunications company? That would certainly be classified as a carrier.

Title: Re: Echo as a 2 Way audio chat system
Post by: renegade600 on September 05, 2015, 04:23:31 pm

Quote from: jwlv on September 04, 2015, 03:53:27 pm

That would be a very useful feature. I would definitely use that frequently. But as I understand from the development side of things, everything must go through Amazon's servers. There is no direct way to connect to your Echo. You pointed out that a Foscam camera can do this. With Foscam (or most other network cameras), you don't go through any servers. You might use a dynamic DNS, but your connection is still directly from your smartphone to your camera. In a way, that is a bit less secure. But also, since everything for the Echo must go through Amazon, there are probably going to be a lot of issues if private conversations are all passed through Amazon. Would FCC start regulating that? Would Amazon be taxed as a telecommunications company? That would certainly be classified as a carrier.

Possibly amazon would use a third party with this like they did when they gave free minutes when their fire tablet was first released.   I would like the ability to use skype or google voice through the echo.