The TV could store a "wake up" word locally. The TV doesn't send any audio anywhere until you speak the wakeup word, at which point in beeps and a light flashes and then all audio is sent away to the cloud for processing.
Amazon Echo uses on-device keyword spotting to detect the wake word. When Amazon Echo detects the wake word, Amazon Echo streams audio to the Cloud, including a fraction of a second of audio before the wake word.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=2...
Interesting that they are able to transmit audio-data that occurred prior to the wake word being said (in essence to transmit the wake word). Looks like Amazon is keen to redefine "collected" just like other groups are...
It's not "collected" since it only has 1 second of audio until it wakes up.
Unless you are talking about the half second before the trigger word? But even then - it only sends when triggered.
Then you are alone in this. Even amongst technological people, never mind the general public. This amount of time is perfectly reasonable.
> Once we allow those technicalities to slide, the truth is easier to bend and/or ignore.
No it doesn't. Slippery slope might be a valid argument in some places, but not here. You are overreacting.
> to prevent this sort of subtle-switcheroo.
There is no subtle switcheroo.
It's very very simple: It only sends audio when commanded to. That is the essence of the difference, and it's all that matters.
And don't tell me "next they'll send 1 hour of audio when triggered" because they won't. You are being ridiculous if you think that's where it's headed.
Taking outrageous positions like this just makes people ignore you.
> the trigger word (I feel dirty saying that phrase)
? Why? Does it have some special meaning I am not aware of?