[C19fan]

No thanks.

[GraceG]

Smart Homes for Dumb People...

[SecAmndmt]

Ditto

[Jack Hammer]

Uh... because they’re a bunch of Nosey Parkers who think the First Amendment doesn’t pertain to them...?

[Daniel Ramsey]

I heard a rumor somewhere Obama funneled several billion$$$ to Amazon to develope and market stuff like this.

Imagine tools like this in East Germany before the walls fell.

[grania]

no thanks

It's listening all the time. It has to, so it knows when it's activated. Besides that, it determines what's true and what you should know. It doesn't delve beyond a quick answer. It's another nail in the coffin of intellectual freedom.

I had a creepy technology moment today. The idle page of my computer had a memo about when a package from Amazon would be arriving. The computer is reading my email without authorization and transferring information in an email to another page. The only other possibility is that the computer keeps a record of my online purchases and the delivery schedule for them.

Yikes!!

[Lurkinanloomin]

I’ll never pay to have my home bugged.

[Ciaphas Cain]

[dfwgator]

Remember the old Yakov Smirnoff joke, “In Russia, Television Watches You”.

Well, it is reality here today. But not only is it your television, it’s your Fridge, your Toaster, and everything else with this Internet of Things.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

And while that may help digital assistants like Alexa become better and faster, it also helps law enforcement listen in on private conversations.

Not really - it helps law enforcement listen in on explicit commands issue to the Amazon Echo starting with it's key-word ("Alexa"). These are not private conversations - they are commands to the cloud-based intelligence of a service company.

The device is not listening in to everything a user says at home.

[I want the USA back]

This is a substitute for true police work.

The stupid assumption is that anything recorded is accurate.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

Anyone not see this coming???

[budj]

My son has one; we love to ask it to tell a racist joke, dirty joke, etc. The thing will answer something like “that’s not funny.”

Then tell it to shut the he!! up, or some other nasty thing.

They can be fun; but you should definitely have a good tin foil hat when you’re near.

[Buckeye McFrog]

“Alexa, listen carefully. Everything I say is a lie.

I am telling the truth.”

[freepertoo]

I received one. Promptly gave it away.

[VictoryGal]

I’m not getting one of these fool things. Anyone too lazy to turn on their own damn lights is a pudding not a person.

Not to mention the hacking potential.

[Organic Panic]

Anyone know where the plug is for this?

I think it needs recharged. It doesn't seem to do anything.

[KarlInOhio]

Has anyone set up a packet sniffer on the network to see what is sent when you say "Alexa, what time is it" vs just talking near it. Similarly, does the microphone-off button turn off the microphone or does it just not respond while listening and sending to Amazon?

I know that the only thing it understands locally is "Alexa". for anything else it sends the recording to Amazon which interprets it and responds. It is pretty stupid if it can't find the network.

[Swordmaker]

If you value your privacy, you may want to know that the Amazon Echo is always listening and recording what you are saying in your house, and that the authorities can subpoena that recording! — PING!

Pinging dayglored and ThunderSleeps for their lists. . .

SHHHH! Your Amazon Echo Is Listening
Ping!

The latest Apple/Mac/iOS Pings can be found by searching Keyword "ApplePingList" on FreeRepublic's Search.

If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me

[jalisco555]

Coming to every room at the Wynn Hotel in Vegas.

http://www.roboticstrends.com/article/amazon_echo_coming_to_every_room_of_wynn_las_vegas_hotel