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^^^^^This. You have to be nuts to allow these devices in your home. They are invasive, an dangerous. If you want your right to privacy and free speech, do not allow one in your home. I guarantee most of the people that have these are brain dead progressives that don't care about their natural rights.
*ahem*
I bought an Alexa for my mom and my aunt, who are living together. My aunt is frail and gets around with a walker and is prone to falling. I got the Alexa with the smart bulbs with the idea that when my aunt needs to turn the lights off and on, she could ask Alexa to do it for her instead of struggling to keep her balance while removing one hand from her walker to do so. My aunt's hands also shake and spasm badly, so holding or manipulating a phone if she needs to make a call has become near-impossible for her. She can make her calls through Alexa. They love it and think it's the best gift ever.
My mom and my aunt are die-hard conservatives. To the point where we've all had to agree to never discuss politics.
I bought an Alexa for my mom and my aunt, who are living together. My aunt is frail and gets around with a walker and is prone to falling. I got the Alexa with the smart bulbs with the idea that when my aunt needs to turn the lights off and on, she could ask Alexa to do it for her instead of struggling to keep her balance while removing one hand from her walker to do so. My aunt's hands also shake and spasm badly, so holding or manipulating a phone if she needs to make a call has become near-impossible for her. She can make her calls through Alexa. They love it and think it's the best gift ever.
My mom and my aunt are die-hard conservatives. To the point where we've all had to agree to never discuss politics.
I hope they are also smart enough not to talk politics in front of Alexa.
What might work for them would be a hybrid between Alexa and Life Alert, where it would have the functionality of Alexa but would only listen when you pressed a physical button.
^^^^^This. You have to be nuts to allow these devices in your home. They are invasive, an dangerous. If you want your right to privacy and free speech, do not allow one in your home. I guarantee most of the people that have these are brain dead progressives that don't care about their natural rights.
Yikes! Imagine a future world where Alexa reports you to the Liberal Utopia Police Force because you dared to say in the privacy of your own home that America was better off with Trump as President and you miss the good old days compared to the Loony Lefty that is now in office, giving away everything to undeserving people and running us all over a cliff.
Alexa overhears "I am voting for Trump" and suddenly the only thing your TV airs is CNN and the radio NPR while your computer is linked to the DNC platform and your only friend on social media is AOC...
I bought an Alexa for my mom and my aunt, who are living together. My aunt is frail and gets around with a walker and is prone to falling. I got the Alexa with the smart bulbs with the idea that when my aunt needs to turn the lights off and on, she could ask Alexa to do it for her instead of struggling to keep her balance while removing one hand from her walker to do so. My aunt's hands also shake and spasm badly, so holding or manipulating a phone if she needs to make a call has become near-impossible for her. She can make her calls through Alexa. They love it and think it's the best gift ever.
My mom and my aunt are die-hard conservatives. To the point where we've all had to agree to never discuss politics.
Her living alone is the problem, Alex and corporate technology is not the answer.
It shouldn't be allowed to be produced for a few old people who can't take care of themselves.
In the old days people would die before they became dysfunctional. My grandmother lived for too long and was miserable.
If they're that old that they can't live alone have someone live with them or move them to a retirement home.
Yikes! Imagine a future world where Alexa reports you to the Liberal Utopia Police Force because you dared to say in the privacy of your own home that America was better off with Trump as President and you miss the good old days compared to the Loony Lefty that is now in office, giving away everything to undeserving people and running us all over a cliff.
Alexa overhears "I am voting for Trump" and suddenly the only thing your TV airs is CNN and the radio NPR while your computer is linked to the DNC platform and your only friend on social media is AOC...
It could happen.
And the political winds shift. What is considered wrongthink today could be considered right-think tomorrow, and vice versa. Some people feel safe because they say all the right things even in the privacy of their own homes but that may not always be the case.
I was suspicious when I read the article because I knew Google couldn’t call 911 (I hope that feature is added at some future date) and needs to be activated with the Alexa word to make any other requested calls.
So, I googled and found this:
Quote:
In the recording, you can hear her screaming, 'Alexa, call 911,'" said the department's public information officer, Felicia Romero.
Quote:
But there's one massive problem with the whole story: Alexa can't call 911. See it for yourself on this Echo simulator.
This also contradicts the article referred to by the OP which said:
Quote:
He was shouting and threatening his girlfriend with a firearm while house-sitting in the small town of Tijeras when he yelled at her: "Did you call the sheriff?"
It was this sentence that an Amazon Alexa smart speaker in the home recognised as a voice command - prompting it to call emergency services.
Even if Alexa had 911 capability or there was some unlikely glitch allowing such a call, the victim herself activated Alexa by a voice command using the word “Alexa.”
We are being spied on all the time by our computers and phones. If I look up something on a website I will see ads for similar products on other websites and in some cases it has transferred over to my phone.
My wife and I were talking about buying something and 5 minutes later she picked up her phone and there was an advertisement for the product.
I would never buy one of those Alexa things. I still like to do things myself, the old fashioned way such as right now I am building a pod like in the movie "2001 a Space Odyssey" so my wife and I can get inside to have a private conversation. I just hope the toaster hasn't learned to read lips...
Okay you made me the first laugh of the day here on City Data so a rep for you.
We prefer our old phonographs. There's just something magical about cranking something non electric that still works over 100 years later, and they don't spy on you.
We've thought about getting Alexa, and if we do, I'll just unplug it and put it in the closet when we don't use it.
(Stay safe in that pod and don't forget the tin foil hats )
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