[RJasonKlein]

I think concerns over a fast-approaching Orwellian future are valid, but I think most of the fears about the Amazon Echo are unfounded. My understanding is that although the unit listens all the time, it records to a very small buffer that is recorded over endlessly without any retention on the device. I also understand that all initial processing is done on-device, which means nothing automatically gets to Google's servers. When an Alexa query is sent for further processing, only a recording of the few seconds it took you to ask the question gets sent - in other words, your personal privacy is only 'at risk' for a few seconds, and it's not like Google has a 'hot mic' recording everything that's going on at all times. Lastly, Google touts that there are myriad layers of encryption on the device to prevent hacking, and to my knowledge there are no public reports yet of the encryption being broken. Can it be broken? Sure - especially by a government, foreign or domesic - but my guess is that from a practical standpoint, your privacy is probably not really at risk.

Thanks to Edward Snowden we know that our government monitors virtually all of our 'private' communication in some way, much in a way that I regard as a violation of our Fourth Amendment. This, along with electronic banking and financial transactions and GPS capable cell phones that track our every move means we really don't have any true privacy anymore - which is something I personally loathe and would make our founders roll over in their graves. These are very serious and valid concerns, and I think the Amazon Echo probably represents a very small threat in comparison.