'She has a name': Amazon's Alexa is a sleeper hit, with serious superfans

When Steven Arkonovich brought home his Amazon Echo, he knew the little machine's basic functions: he could ask it to tell him the weather, add something to his shopping cart, or play NPR. The Echo was always on, waiting, listening for his invocation. Say "Alexa" and it lit up blue, ready to answer questions – "Where is the nearest Chinese restaurant?" – or act on orders – 'Call me an Uber' – responding in a calm, confident female voice. But after a few days having it in his house, something strange happened between Arkonovich and the squat, black device: Alexa came alive. Related: Goodbye privacy, hello Alexa: here's to Amazon echo, the home robot who hears it all "Even when I've tried to call her'it', it feels wrong. "And when she does something wrong, it's not like a broken vending machine.