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 ...
Anyone who buys into these devices is a fool! If one does, they need to be absolutely certain that these devices stop funneling information when they are OFF!
Ha...same here...we don’t even have an automatic thermostat on our furnace...we have to get up, go downstairs to turn up the heat...I would like a combo pushbutton lock for our inside garage to house entry...hate fumbling for the key.
Bump! A bunch of these devices are never “off,” even when you think they are.
My solution is to avoid all social media and not have electronic gadgets that want to link together. My refrigerator DOES NOT need a link to the Internet :)
“Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer, do, ...”
And it can never be turned on remotely.
Would you care to pull the other one? It has bells on it.
Look, all this electric stuff is fine for those who want them. My brother would have his toilet hooked up to the Internet just so he could flush it from his Iphone.
I am reluctant to bug my own house for their convenience.
I won't buy a car with on-star either.
Convenience vs Security. In my house security wins.
Your mileage may vary.
Oh, I’ve looked at them...just haven’t convinced the hub yet
We do have onstar on our new truck....there is a safety component there my husband likes, as we often go more remOTE than a lot of people our age... altho we may drop all the extras
You need to go into your hardware manager and disable and then uninstall the mics, otherwise, they can still be active.
Oooooh you had a website, I’m so not impressed. Meanwhile do you really think you’re interesting enough for the NSA to be keeping a file? Really?
You don’t have to like it or want one but you don’t need to be snarky and imply I’m trying to trick you.
Well, my response is that Echo Dot is pornography for control freaks
Check your FReepmail.
:D
Because only someone who knew nothing about the device would think it could not be activated remotely. That is the whole point of the devise.
Have hundred if you like.
The NSA keeps megadata on everyone.
It is only pulled when they need it.
The problem is they get to decide when they need it.
If that doesn’t scare you—I can’t fix that.
Okay. Curious, do you have a cell phone?
No they don’t. That would be retarded. The NSA isn’t retarded. Really, think about all the data you generate every day, phonecalls, e-mails, purchases. You’re generating at least a GB a day, probably closer to 2 or 3. Multiply that by the whole country and that’s 311 PETABYTES of data generated. Minimum. Every. Single. Day.
Nobody has the ability to store that. Or process it. Or do anything with it.
So no, paranoid fantasy stories that are patently ridiculous don’t scare me. It does kind of scare me there’s so many people who actually believe that crap.
You do realize that 311 petabytes a day times 365 days means over 100 exabytes a year. IE NOT HAPPENING.
You leaned in calling people idiots and here you are, being an idiot.
The are not collect data on everyone. They COULD NOT collect data on everyone. Thinking they are is just plain stupid.
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