I guess "big brother" IS "big brother".......

[David from Dothan]

......whether we like it or not. On the way to show a house, this morning, I was using Google Maps (as I always have) to get to the location. My bride and I were talking (about what I don't recall, but it's really irrelevant, anyway) and all of a sudden (for the first time EVER) my phone sounded a tone, then said, "I'm sorry, I can't help you with that"......LOSS of privacy...It's the nature of the beast, technology.

 

[DirtMechanic]

Thats why I have alexa by the tv. Sometimes they talk. I am hoping for another smart toaster oven.

 

[DirtMechanic]

Yeah I know. Wanna know a first world problem? Your wife keeps using the manual switch on the lights instead of the voice switch, so you gotta walk across the room in the dark, and dodge cat toys! Wanna know another? Google has to talk to you, loudly, at night, and say "OK! I am endeavoring to execute your high command to magically turn off the device you have commanded me to turn off while trying my best to be noticed by people I think are in the room with you so we can sell more google home services and we do this an incalcuable number of times as you turn a simple switch on and if withyour voice vibrational pattern" vs Lexa which now goes "ding".

 

[Silentrunning]

The lack of privacy used to really upset me but then I realized I am a very boring person and nobody really cares what I say. Now if I could just get Alexa to quit reacting to the tv ads. Last month she tried to donate money to some charity that was on tv.

 

[Becky]

You can disable virtual assistants on things like phones and tablets. Which device do you have @David from Dothan?

 

[David from Dothan]

You can disable virtual assistants on things like phones and tablets. Which device do you have @David from Dothan?

Well Becky.........I would think that I shouldn't have to disable an "app" that I didn't enable to begin with and I SURE don't like cellular companies taking liberties WITHOUT my permission........and MOST ESPECIALLY without notice . I've got a dreaded Android (one whose mother and daddy were, obviously, brother and sister). I've had it since May 21, 2015.

 

[roadrunner]

I still don't have a smart phone; I walk around with an old flip-style phone. Not too long ago I was in the mainstream, now I live in the dark ages...

 

[David from Dothan]

Double R.........there are some instances where "living in the dark ages" is the better of two evils.

 

[zigs]

This article had me in stitches

Parrot has been placing orders by talking to Alexa t

Rocco the parrot, who was rehomed from a Berkshire sanctuary after cursing too much, has been accidentally placing orders on Amazon by chatting to voice-activated personal assistant Alexa.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[tNtRanch]

I have 14 years of experience in very high level IT work. I can say with certainty that ads are matched with texts, browser usage (such as this site), conversations near your phone or smart device and in some cases your phone conversations (phone apps that give you a *free* phone number.) I know how deep the rabbit hole goes because I literally helped dig the rabbit hole. I routinely tell people to get phone cases that are faraday cages (google it) and to cover your cameras on your devices with a little sticker. I also use old DSL cameras without gps for sharing photos online. (Location to 3 feet is in your cell phone photo meta data)
Big brother is bigger than you think there is plenty I haven't said.
Edit for typos

 

[David from Dothan]

I have 14 years of experience in very high level IT work. I can say with certainty that ads are matched with texts, browser usage (such as this site), conversations near your phone or smart device and in some cases your phone conversations (phone apps that give you a *free* phone number.) I know how deep the rabbit hole goes because I literally helped dig the rabbit hole. I routinely tell people to get phone cases that are faraday cages (google it) and to cover your cameras on your devices with a little sticker. I also use old DSL cameras without gps for sharing photos online. (Location to 3 feet is in your cell phone photo meta data)
Big brother is bigger than you think there is plenty I haven't said.
Edit for typos

And these sheeple around here think I'm crazy.......

 

[Esther Knapicius]

somehow I am surviving without any major teck

 

[Tjohn]

Here, where I live, there is no cell service, no cable, and no fiber optic internet. My Grandson walked three miles to my workplace from home because he didn't recognize my landline phone, nor know how to use it! I sometimes feel like the world has passed me by.....

 

[Esther Knapicius]

its funny how prior to cell phones our thought could wait till we found a land line phone.

 

[David from Dothan]

its funny how prior to cell phones our thought could wait till we found a land line phone.

Used to be "they can't walk and chew gum at the same time"......now it's "they can't drive, shop, walk, eat, breath, work, or ANYTHING else unless they have their "idol" in their hand".