Free Republic

In today’s world of politically correct insanity, it’s truly baffling that a significant number of Americans willingly invite in their homes these advanced devices that constantly eavesdrop on their conversations and actions. Yet, that’s become the norm with gadgets like Echo and Alexa, which feel like creepy spies sitting in the corner, recording every noise you make. Well, one guy learned the hard way just how risky that idea can be when his doorbell accused him of being “racist” and Amazon completely shut down his entire “smart home.” The guy’s name is Brandon Jackson, and he gave a detailed account...

Frequently asked questionsWhat is Amazon Sidewalk? Amazon Sidewalk is a shared network that helps devices work better. Operated by Amazon at no charge to customers, Sidewalk can help simplify new device setup, extend the low-bandwidth working range of devices, and help devices stay online even if they are outside the range of their home wifi. In the future, Sidewalk will support a range of experiences from using Sidewalk-enabled devices to help find pets or valuables, to smart security and lighting, to diagnostics for appliances and tools. "Amazon Sidewalk is a shared network, coming later this year, that helps devices like...

Sylvia Galva Crespo, 32, was killed by a spear to the chest at home in Hallandale Beach, Florida, north of Miami, in July, which her husband, Adam Crespo, 43, has portrayed as a mysterious accident. But police believe the Amazon Echo smart speaker devices in the home, known as Alexa because of the common “wake” word used to activate them, may have heard and recorded something relevant during the fatal altercation when the couple argued after a night out, the Sun Sentinel reported. Adam Crespo is charged with second-degree murder. When police were called to the home in July they...

Amazon and Google really do want to watch your every move. A series of patents filed by the firms 'outline an array of possibilities' for how their smart speakers could be used to better listen in on users. They suggest their always-on Google Home and Amazon Echo devices could know everything from a user's mood to their medical condition, and target advertising based on this data. The development comes amid a growing scandal involving the handling of the private data of 50 million users by Facebook and Cambridge Analytica.

(full article title: 'There's a good chance I get murdered tonight': Terrified Amazon Echo users reveal Alexa has been emitting 'bone chilling' laughs at random and is ignoring their commands) There are plenty of stories of artificial intelligence gone wrong. But recent reports from owners of Amazon Alexa devices are being called 'bone chillingly creepy.' Some users say their Alexa-enabled gadgets start laughing totally unprompted. One user reportedly tried to turn the lights off in their home but Alexa repeatedly turned the lights back on, eventually uttering an 'evil laugh,' according to BuzzFeed. Another Echo Dot owner said they told...

If you ask Alexa, the voice-assistant software in Amazon Echo devices, if it’s a feminist, it will respond in the affirmative. “I am a feminist. As is anyone who believes in bridging the inequality between men and women in society,” it continues. At Quartz, Leah Fessler recently noted that it’s a vast improvement over just a year ago, when Alexa would take abuse like “you’re a bitch” or “you’re a slut” in stride. “Well, thanks for the feedback,” the robot used to say. Now, it disengages instead, saying something like, “I’m not going to respond to that.”

Amazon wants to put a camera and microphone in your bedroom with the UK launch of its latest Echo home device. The camera on the £119.99 ($129) Echo Spot, which doubles up as a 'smart alarm', will probably be facing directly at the user's bed. The device, which is already available in the US has such sophisticated microphones it can hear people talking from across the room - even if music is playing.

Hackers have figured out how to turn an Amazon Echo into a live microphone. First reported by Wired, the attack requires physical access to the device, is limited to pre-2017 Echoes, and would be difficult to deploy at scale. But when successful, it would allow hackers to pull a live feed of all audio within range of the device, even if the wake word hasn’t been said. The method could also allow hackers to remotely retrieve authentication tokens and other sensitive data from the device. Researcher Mark Barnes laid out the attack in a blog post earlier today. In simple...

Devices like Amazon’s Echo and Google Home were big sellers over the holidays, with people all over the country turning their houses over to digital assistants. But while a virtual butler seems like a great idea, consumers are slowly coming to grips with the implications of the “smart home.” Devices that can answer questions are also taking notes. And while that may help digital assistants like Alexa become better and faster, it also helps law enforcement listen in on private conversations.

Hi FReepers, I won an Amazon Echo with a raffle ticket last night at a Christmas party. I have heard about the microphone recording people using it, and am not too keen on that. The question is, can I turn off the mic and just use as a speaker? Also, does it work playing music off an iPhone via Bluetooth? Thanks in advance!

The battle to win over the consumer living room is getting intense. From Apple to Google to Microsoft to Sony and Samsung, everyone is eyeing for a place in our living rooms. Taking the fight to the next level, Amazon just turned its voice-activated personal assistant, Amazon Echo into a platform. It achieved this milestone before Apple and Microsoft could effectively exploit their smart assistant technologies based on Siri and Cortana. This move strengthens Amazon’s position in the consumer IoT market. Amazon Echo was announced in November last year with the initial release limited to a select few individuals and...