Ambient computing is a concept where computing capability is nearly ubiquitous. Computers in an ambient computing paradigm answer responses and require very little in the way of traditional interfaces. I first heard this term coined by Paul Thurrott a few years ago. Examples of devices in this category are the Google hub and Amazon Alexa smart speakers. Asking for information via plain language via voice preceded by a wake word is all that’s needed. The computer is unobtrusive, yet powerful and integrated into a person’s life. That simple yet useful vision changed a bit today with the announcements of several new devices from Amazon. Amazon brought out devices that are in some cases, literally in your face. The days of a computer that vanishes into the the background may be numbered.

The devices announced today include an automated camera equipped drone that flies throughout a person’s house looking for anomalies. There’s another device, the Echo Show 10, that tracks a users’ movement and turns the screen appropriately. They say it doesn’t use face-tracking technology, but it still acts in a similar manner. And it’s still just as creepy. If people used to object to smart speakers because they were afraid of devices listening in on their conversations, then having drones inspecting the house when they are away and screens that turn to follow them throughout their kitchen is a total non-starter.

Amazon is a big company that does their homework. It’s doubtful that they would release these products without having researched customer opinion beforehand. Still, it’s possible these products are a step or two ahead of where the general population is at this moment. It may may take some a future revision and some additional customer feedback to mature these ideas into products that can more generally accepted.