While the average Hackaday reader is arguably less likely than most to install a megacorp’s listening device in their home, we know there’s at least some of you out there that have an Amazon hockey puck or two sitting on a shelf. The fact is, they offer some compelling possibilities for DIY automation, even if you do have to jump through a few uncomfortable hoops to bend them to your will.
That being said, we’re willing to bet very few readers have bothered installing more than a few Alexa Skills. But that’s not a judgment based on any kind of nerd stereotype — it’s just that nobody seems to care about them. A fact that’s evidenced by the recent revelation that even Amazon looks to be losing interest in the program. In a post on LinkedIn, Skill developer [Mark Tucker] shared an email he received from the mothership explaining they were ending the AWS Promotional Credits for Alexa (APCA) program on June 30th.
For those that haven’t tried their hand at developing an Alexa Skill, there’s a frustrating amount of back-end stuff that needs to happen to enable even the most basic of functionality. Not surprisingly, a lot of it relies on Amazon Web Services (AWS), which in turn means somebody has to foot the bill for it. Up until now, Amazon was giving out AWS credits to Alexa Skill developers so this wasn’t as much of a concern. But now that the program is ending, developers will need to decide if its worth coming out of their own pocket to keep their Skills running.
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