Amazon Prime Day?

[ame]

I am not normally an Amazon shopper, it's not my favorite company to patronize. But I was told that once a year they will do a discount on a Prime membership, on Prime Day or something, and you can get a year membership for less than the usual $99 a year price. What is the deal with that and what is prime day?

 

[telephone89]

The date has changed. Its only been on for a few years now, different date each time. Early July. AFAIK the membership itself isn't on discount, and only prime members are eligible for the savings. Amazon always offers a free 30 day membership of prime though. So you are able to sign up for that and then get your deals without paying for a membership at all.

edit - sorry didn't answer your last questions. Its basically black Friday for amazon. Just crazy sales on everything. New sales/items released every hour.

 

[OoohShiny]

Amazon's massive push to sell Prime has wound me up. Year before last I bought loads on Black Friday because us 'plebs' could click Buy at the same time as everyone else when offers were released. Last year they basically gave Prime members half hour in advance on everything, which meant bugger all was left for us plebs. Grrrrr.

 

[monarch64]

It's July 11th this year.

 

[Dee*Jay]

I gave up my prime membership because you can buy Chump family products through their site. (Not to politicize every damn thing... but I guess I just did.) I sent them an email and said why, including that I placed 86 orders through there in 2016. Broke my heart when I saw it on grabyourwallet.com. Strangely enough I don't seem to be spending any less money since I gave up on Amazon.

 

[ame]

I don't understand this Prime Day. It's ONLY the stuff they list right?

 

[ame]

I gave up my prime membership because you can buy Chump family products through their site. (Not to politicize every damn thing... but I guess I just did.) I sent them an email and said why, including that I placed 86 orders through there in 2016. Broke my heart when I saw it on grabyourwallet.com. Strangely enough I don't seem to be spending any less money since I gave up on Amazon.

Unfortunately, just about everywhere does.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Unfortunately, just about everywhere does.

I know... I have virtually given up shopping except at small independent places.

 

[mary poppins]

I have found Amazon Prime Day to be a waste of time because you have to wait for deals to appear and most of the stuff is junk they are trying to move off the shelves presumably to make room to stock up on big holiday sellers. I think the Amazon app is enabling people to see what deals are coming up ahead of time so they can plan when to shop rather then checking back frequently.

That being said, what I'm appreciating this year is that other online retailers are competing by having their own specials during all or part of the Amazon 30 hour sale. As a result, I'm getting some good deals from the places I usually shop. In some cases, I can stock up for good price on things I buy on a regular basis.

 

[telephone89]

I haven't seen anything that I really NEEDED so far. The Amazon echo thing was on a pretty crazy sale, but I find those so creepy!

 

[Dee*Jay]

I haven't seen anything that I really NEEDED so far. The Amazon echo thing was on a pretty crazy sale, but I find those so creepy!

Article about a "voice activated device" calling 911 while a man was beating his girlfriend. I also find it creepy, but that lady is probably pretty happy about it right now!

http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/10/us/alexa-calls-police-trnd/index.html

A man accused of beating his girlfriend and threatening to kill her was jailed after Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office in New Mexico said a voice-activated speaker device called 911.

The sheriff's office initially called the device an Echo but later clarified that they couldn't determine what exact device was involved.

Eduardo Barros was arrested July 2 after an hours-long standoff with a SWAT team at a home in Tijeras, near Albuquerque, New Mexico, according to sheriff's spokeswoman Deputy Felicia Romero.
The couple was house sitting for the victim's parents at the time, according to the arrest warrant affidavit and criminal complaint from the sheriff's department.

The alleged assault began when Barros' girlfriend received a text message. Barros accused the victim of cheating and "stated he was going to kill her if she called the cops," the complaint said.

He asked her, "Did you call the sheriff?" the complaint said.

The complaint states that a voice-activated speaker in the room heard Barros say "call the sheriff" and the device called 911.

At one point 911 called the victim's phone back.

It's not clear how 911 operators knew to call the victim back on her cell phone.

"Barros saw the caller ID and threw (the victim) to the floor. Barros then kicked her while on the ground at least 10 times in the face and stomach," the complaint said.

Romero first told CNN that the device that called authorities was an Echo device. CNN reached out to Amazon, the maker of the Echo, which uses voice commands to do everything from play music to order pizza, and a spokesperson said the device is not equipped to call 911 on command.

"Alexa calling and messaging operates via Wi-Fi between Echo devices or the Alexa app -- it does not support PSTN (public switched telephone network) calling," Rachel Hass told CNN. "This means, for example, a customer couldn't complete a call to just any (number) in the US -- the receiving end would also need to have an Echo device or the Alexa app connected to Wi-Fi or mobile data, and they would need to have Alexa calling/messaging set up."

Romero later told CNN that the sheriff's office can't say with certainty what device called 911. She said all they know is that the 911 caller could be heard saying, "Alexa call 911." One of the voice commands for the Amazon Echo is the word, "Alexa."

Sheriff Manuel Gonzales III, in a statement provided to CNN, praised the technology.

"The unexpected use of this new technology to contact emergency services has possibly helped save a life. This amazing technology definitely helped save a mother and her child from a very violent situation," he said.

Camille Baca, a spokeswoman for the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court, says Barros is facing 14 charges, including false imprisonment, aggravated battery against a household member and possession of a firearm by a felon. He is being held without bond.

Baca says Barros is being represented by a public defender. CNN has called the public defender's office to seek a comment from the attorney representing him.

This isn't the first time that a voice-activated digital assistant has been involved in a criminal case.
Earlier this year, a murder suspect in Arkansas handed over recordings from his Echo after prosecutors said the device contained evidence related to the case.

 

[telephone89]

Article about a "voice activated device" calling 911 while a man was beating his girlfriend. I also find it creepy, but that lady is probably pretty happy about it right now!

http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/10/us/alexa-calls-police-trnd/index.html

A man accused of beating his girlfriend and threatening to kill her was jailed after Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office in New Mexico said a voice-activated speaker device called 911.

The sheriff's office initially called the device an Echo but later clarified that they couldn't determine what exact device was involved.

Eduardo Barros was arrested July 2 after an hours-long standoff with a SWAT team at a home in Tijeras, near Albuquerque, New Mexico, according to sheriff's spokeswoman Deputy Felicia Romero.
The couple was house sitting for the victim's parents at the time, according to the arrest warrant affidavit and criminal complaint from the sheriff's department.

The alleged assault began when Barros' girlfriend received a text message. Barros accused the victim of cheating and "stated he was going to kill her if she called the cops," the complaint said.

He asked her, "Did you call the sheriff?" the complaint said.

The complaint states that a voice-activated speaker in the room heard Barros say "call the sheriff" and the device called 911.

At one point 911 called the victim's phone back.

It's not clear how 911 operators knew to call the victim back on her cell phone.

"Barros saw the caller ID and threw (the victim) to the floor. Barros then kicked her while on the ground at least 10 times in the face and stomach," the complaint said.

Romero first told CNN that the device that called authorities was an Echo device. CNN reached out to Amazon, the maker of the Echo, which uses voice commands to do everything from play music to order pizza, and a spokesperson said the device is not equipped to call 911 on command.

"Alexa calling and messaging operates via Wi-Fi between Echo devices or the Alexa app -- it does not support PSTN (public switched telephone network) calling," Rachel Hass told CNN. "This means, for example, a customer couldn't complete a call to just any (number) in the US -- the receiving end would also need to have an Echo device or the Alexa app connected to Wi-Fi or mobile data, and they would need to have Alexa calling/messaging set up."

Romero later told CNN that the sheriff's office can't say with certainty what device called 911. She said all they know is that the 911 caller could be heard saying, "Alexa call 911." One of the voice commands for the Amazon Echo is the word, "Alexa."

Sheriff Manuel Gonzales III, in a statement provided to CNN, praised the technology.

"The unexpected use of this new technology to contact emergency services has possibly helped save a life. This amazing technology definitely helped save a mother and her child from a very violent situation," he said.

Camille Baca, a spokeswoman for the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court, says Barros is facing 14 charges, including false imprisonment, aggravated battery against a household member and possession of a firearm by a felon. He is being held without bond.

Baca says Barros is being represented by a public defender. CNN has called the public defender's office to seek a comment from the attorney representing him.

This isn't the first time that a voice-activated digital assistant has been involved in a criminal case.
Earlier this year, a murder suspect in Arkansas handed over recordings from his Echo after prosecutors said the device contained evidence related to the case.

Yeah I still don't like it always listening lol. We have a Samsung TV and they straight up tell you its always listening. I've also had weird things where I talk about something and later see ads for it on the computer.

 

[Ariadne_Theia]

I am loving Prime Day. It's pretty chaotic but I am getting good deals on stuff I need. My fiance is building me a computer for my birthday and he's gotten parts and a fancy monitor for like 40-50% off. I think it is a good sale for us because we were going to buy the stuff anyway so we might as well get a discount.

 

[Arcadian]

I haven't really found much for prime day. The stuff I want isn't either on sale or, I've noticed some of the prices were jacked upwards then pulled down. Basically I've seen nothing I can't live without...lol

 

[BlingDreams]

I usually pay it no mind, but a friend posted a link to 50% off the DNA ancestry test so I jumped on that since I'd been wanting to do it anyway.

 

[azstonie]

I usually pay it no mind, but a friend posted a link to 50% off the DNA ancestry test so I jumped on that since I'd been wanting to do it anyway.

I had this done with 23andme, they do a great job, I think you'll be pleased!

So far, I've bought an Instant Pot $89 for the 8 quart size I also bought "Vice Principals"/HBO, hilarious so far; Versaille.

 

[Arkteia]

I had this done with 23andme, they do a great job, I think you'll be pleased!

I, too, would recommend 23@me. They read snps better, they also give maternal DNA and Y-haplogroup for men (Ancestry does only autosomal DNA). The cheaper version of 23@me, without Health (Ancestry only), is better as you may wish to read the results with Promethease.com. anyhow and get your health status through them.

 

[BlingDreams]

I, too, would recommend 23@me. They read snps better, they also give maternal DNA and Y-haplogroup for men (Ancestry does only autosomal DNA). The cheaper version of 23@me, without Health (Ancestry only), is better as you may wish to read the results with Promethease.com. anyhow and get your health status through them.

That's who we bought, and just the DNA version - yay! Only $49

 

[Arcadian]

I, too, would recommend 23@me. They read snps better, they also give maternal DNA and Y-haplogroup for men (Ancestry does only autosomal DNA). The cheaper version of 23@me, without Health (Ancestry only), is better as you may wish to read the results with Promethease.com. anyhow and get your health status through them.

I did 23 and me lots of years ago and am on an earlier V3 chip.

 

[Arkteia]

That's who we bought, and just the DNA version - yay! Only $49

Great! Now when you get the results, play with the ancestry and relatives for a day or two, but don't forget to feed it into Promethease (and read the results on their website, not downloaded version). Good luck!

 

[azstonie]

I did 23andme during their first year of operations and got the in depth health. BRCA, Parkinson's, etc etc. My internist thought it was useful and so did I.

 

[BlingDreams]

I did 23andme during their first year of operations and got the in depth health. BRCA, Parkinson's, etc etc. My internist thought it was useful and so did I.

I had in-depth genetic testing done a couple of years ago by my doctor due to a family history of cancers so it wasn't anything I needed again. It's useful information to have, but my understanding is that the accuracy/reliability isn't perfected yet and different companies will produce different results. Does anyone else have information on it?

 

[Arkteia]

I had in-depth genetic testing done a couple of years ago by my doctor due to a family history of cancers so it wasn't anything I needed again. It's useful information to have, but my understanding is that the accuracy/reliability isn't perfected yet and different companies will produce different results. Does anyone else have information on it?

Well, depends on what you want. In terms of ancestry, 23@me is a good start as it gives you decent breakdown, enough DNA relatives and also, you can hang out results to My Heritage or Geni.com and get additional DNA relatives tested in other commercial systems. If you need more, like myself, working at a family tree from a scratch, then FTDNA.com offers more possibilities. But we still need more people participating in the tests to get meaningful results. Especially the ones of us who are not plain British/Irish.

In terms of health, I would think that 23@me Ancestry version with Promethease reading is good enough. One has to understand, looking at all these genes does not give you a prediction as we do not know how the genes are interacting with one another (and even more interesting - the double helix held together by binds between different chromosomes... it might end up with chromosome I of maternal couple being bound to chromosome XV from the paternal one, how to interpret these effects? No one knows). However, knowing something about yourself especially what is on page 1 of the results is interesting. And may help.

One more thing - if you are testing an old parent, choose the commercial system that promises to keep DNA for 25 years and ask for more tubes to collect the samples.

 

[Arkteia]

I did 23 and me lots of years ago and am on an earlier V3 chip.

I did 23 and me lots of years ago and am on an earlier V3 chip.

I think it may have been better, and gave more interpretations, did it not? But the benefit of Promethease is that newly discovered genes are put into it, so I think won't hurt using it. I don't know how it works with V3 chip though.
I

 

[Arcadian]

I think it may have been better, and gave more interpretations, did it not? But the benefit of Promethease is that newly discovered genes are put into it, so I think won't hurt using it. I don't know how it works with V3 chip though.
I

I think there are pluses and minuses as with everything. I believe because of the FDA you won't get as much health info from the new chips. Also locations tested have been reduced on new chip. But yeah older chips don't get the benefit of the new discoveries.

What a lot of people have been doing is putting the raw data on Gedmatch. In my tree I see a lot more there than I do on 23andMe, but also there's people from Ancestry over there too. (Gedmatch takes a lot of different co's raw data)

 

[Arkteia]

I think there are pluses and minuses as with everything. I believe because of the FDA you won't get as much health info from the new chips. Also locations tested have been reduced on new chip. But yeah older chips don't get the benefit of the new discoveries.

What a lot of people have been doing is putting the raw data on Gedmatch. In my tree I see a lot more there than I do on 23andMe, but also there's people from Ancestry over there too. (Gedmatch takes a lot of different co's raw data)

Ancestry, FTDNA (my favorite as I am trying to explore direct paternal lines of my grandparents), even MyHeritage is accepted by Gedmatch.

Gedmatch has weird stuff, like "Lazarus" function - you pay for it, though. My mom has died, but I have my DNA, my mom's brother's DNA and her cousin's DNA. So the system reconstructed a portion of my mom's DNA.

It has other fun stuff. It is an experimental site, but I can't but respect people who are putting their time into developing all these cool functions.

 

[ame]

I wish I'd done the 23andMe thing during PrimeDay. I skipped it but I regret that choice.

I did grab a new Vacuum seal waterbottle that has a sport cap because I HATE my Swell and I want to get that thing out of my posession, a scanning stand and a second Nulaxy phone and iPad stand for at work to replace the charging dock I use (this one folds flat and weighs much less), and an RFID running belt that my parents use. I also got two different Cold Brew Pitchers to try out. I was hoping Grady's would have a deal but no luck.