Posted on 11/19/2016 6:31:19 AM PST by BenLurkin
Having a smart speaker like Amazon Echo or Google Home ... can ... feel creepy. And sometimes, really annoying.
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So, if you want to order an Uber through Echo, you have to link your Uber account to it via Amazon's Alexa smartphone app. If you want to use Home to order your Chromecast to start playing music on your stereo system, you have to set that up in the Google Home smartphone app.
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You can link Amazon's gadget...npopular ones like Google's Nest thermostats and Philip's Hue lightbulbs, but also more obscure devices like connected coffee pots, smart sprinkler controllers and smart meat thermometers.
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For some reason, Echo gave me restaurant recommendations based on my old work address, even though I linked it to my personal account and haven't worked in that office for two years. Changing my Echo address to my home address required a Web search, because I couldn't figure out on the Alexa app where to change that setting.
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Both devices work by listening for your voice at all times, something that just feels creepy. Both promise to only keep what you say immediately before and after your trigger word or phrase, but I worry about them listening in -- even innocently -- on my private conversations and moments.
When it comes to privacy, Google in particular hasn't always been upfront about its practices or even kept the promises it's made to consumers; it's been investigated by the FTC multiple times and had to pay a $22.5 million fine a few years ago. And both it and Amazon have an interest in collecting and keeping as much data as possible on their customers for marketing purposes. And both companies keep a record of all questions and requests users make through their smart speakers.
(Excerpt) Read more at toptechnews.com ...
A picture is worth a thousand words.
"Sir, we've analyzed the audio. He's said, Open the Door 3000 times this month and Close the Door the same amount of times. What do you want me to do with this information?"
I sat down with my Kindle Fire last night to read a book only to find that “Alexa” had installed herself on it.
I already have stickers over the camera lenses but what do I do to prevent eavesdropping now?
Sheesh! It’s making me paranoid!
Amazon and Google will be collecting an amazing database—of incredibly stupid people who don’t value their privacy.
If someone gave me one of those as a gift I would stomp on it until destroyed right in front of them.
We have echo dot in our home. We use it primarily for turning on the lights. The wife, who is admittedly more of a techie than I am, uses it to make shopping lists and other stuff. It’s also a jukebox with acccess to the Amazon music library...for example just say “Alexa, play ‘Saturday in the park’ by Chicago” and it immediately starts playing it.
This technology is going to be a game changer, IMHO
Indeed.
You’re talking to someone who has disabled all the mics and cameras on her computers.
:D
Y'all get them if you like. I will stick with mechanical on locks, faucets and not connect my small electronics to the Internet.
The idea of someone being able to turn control the security cameras in my house from a remote location and then unlock my doors strikes me as unsafe.
Amazon should start selling ‘sound proof’ boxes to store “smart gizmos” in... they can listen in on each other... I'm waiting...
I’m ok with remote monitoring of alarms and home status on a phone. Remote control of camera systems and locks is out of the question.
Or maybe they’re just not paranoid luddite fools. Really all the data is boring crap that’s available through other sources anyway. And it could save somebody’s life, I’ve seen a friend with diabetes mess up the sugar math and start sliding into the coma, if I wasn’t there what happens to them. Well they now have an echo.
Some folks just need to get over themselves. You really aren’t that interesting and nobody is actually hunting for your precious data.
This “Luddite” had a web page in the 1990s before it was cool.
Then there was Snowden, and I found out Google and F__book was feeding data to the NSA.
So pardon me if I am paranoid.
F___ the NSA and all the corporate spies.
What comes to mind is “The Lives of Others”.
When I come home my wife’s phone always says “Quick, out the window!”
RIP Rodney Dangerfield
What could go wrong?
Nothing.
Because I simply refuse to have any device with a camera in it online.
I refuse to link any of my accounts or tell them my phone number.
And I refuse to have a phone programmed to do anything but make phone calls.
(And yes - I have two laptops with cameras and mics.
I duct taped them.)
It's the future.
At least these don't spy on you.
The echo has a mute button on it to turn off the microphone.
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