Comments on: Wait, don’t buy an Echo yet!

By: G

Sun, 01 Oct 2017 09:32:41 +0000

Orwell was wrong, Huxley was right. The way to enslave humans isn’t by threatening them with pain, but by enticing them with pleasure or at least laziness. So: you’re going to invite Big Brother into your home, cameras as well as microphones, so you don’t have to turn your head to look at a clock, or get your derriere out of your chair to flip a light switch. That’s just PATHETIC.

By: Gilbert

Gilbert — Sat, 30 Sep 2017 21:50:54 +0000

An Echo in the bathroom?? All your other devices will start displaying for you ads of woopie cushions.

uXDT is the practice of advertisers hiding ultrasounds in their ads. When the ad plays on a TV or radio, or some ad code runs on a mobile or computer, it emits ultrasounds that are picked up by the microphone of nearby laptops, desktops, tablets or smartphones.

SDKs embedded in apps installed on those devices relay the beacon back to the online advertiser, who then knows that the user of TV “x” is also the owner of smartphone “Y” and links their two previous advertising profiles together, creating a broader picture of the user’s interests, device portfolio, home, and even family members.

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/234-android-applications-are-currently-using-ultrasonic-beacons-to-track-users/

By: WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot

WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot — Sat, 30 Sep 2017 02:02:58 +0000

So which one is best?

By: dean

dean — Fri, 29 Sep 2017 21:23:11 +0000

One other thing to consider — whether you are already in the Amazon echo system.

We don’t have Amazon Prime (I order some fountain pen ink from Amazon occasionally, but that’s it), don’t subscribe to their music or video services, etc. I’m not sure that I would even if I had an Echo (and I know they’re good devices from feedback here and from friends who do have one or more).

I have a Google Home — I use (don’t subscribe, however) their music and entertainment system. It is linked to my calendar, etc, and will cast to a tv and to a chromecast. Google has small versions coming out soon.

It’s interesting watching Amazon and Google fight back and forth over this. It’s the technology version of Godzilla vs Mothra.