Ready to cut the cord AKA Blue Ridge Cable (houses, live)

[quiet life]

Originally Posted by thecoalman

When you visit site A about blue widgets they may have ads on it from site B, when you visit site C about red widgets that is also using ads from site B it knows you are interested blue widgets and will display an ad.




Site A typically does not provide sales data to site B.


AI is much smarter than that. These companies have accumulated enormous amounts of data and using AI they can analyze and detect patterns in that data. They aren't looking at individuals but the data as a whole to make predictions about individuals. Suppose they know you like steak, there is good probability you like potatoes but that is not the type of prediction they are making. Using that and many other data points they can make fairly accurate predictions about something completely unrelated such as the probability of getting divorced.

I find the bolded part amazing and scary at the same time. That's why I refuse to make my home environment a "smart" house. My son was telling me how I can do it and it scares the bejesus out of me. I just could imagine some kid barely graduating high school but technically savvy enough to take over my home environment. Knowing my habits, tendencies, etc. Next it's Terminator and Skynet. Rise of the machines! I am at this point to kill my cable bill. Now it may become a broader issue. They get you either way.

[CrazyDonkey]

Originally Posted by quiet life

::::Update::::
I finally made my decision. I am going with Ooma box with bluetooth & wifi for $129 out the box and 4K Amazon firestick $75 out the box with Kodi already installed. I already am subscribed to Netflix and Amazon Prime but thinking of letting them go since the firestick is already Kodi pre-installed. I will keep the internet with Blue Ridge and call it a day. After my initial outlay I should be saving between 65% to 75% for the boob tube and phone. Not bad. Waiting on delivery since I just ordered but by February, I shall officially "cut the cord!"

https://variety.com/2019/digital/new...ce-1203197470/

The study, “Fishing in the Piracy Stream: How the Dark Web of Entertainment Is Exposing Consumers to Harm,” focused on devices, known as Kodi boxes or “jailbroken” Fire TV sticks, that resemble Roku or Apple TV boxes yet offer apps that include pirated movies or live sports broadcasts.

“If apps on the box or that are later downloaded have malware, the user has helped the hacker past network security,” according to the study. “Like a trojan horse, the pirate apps are welcomed into the consumer’s home because they purport to offer the gift of free content, only to use their position inside the walls to launch an attack.” According to the group, researchers conducted 500 hours of tests.

[quiet life]

So Skynet will know my every move. Nice. Kodi pre installed is the way to go. I could have just went on Amazon and bought the 50 buck fire stick and downloaded Kodi onto the device. However, I decided to skip the middle man and pay an extra 25 bucks to plug and play. Eh, whateva. Our minds are being controlled as I type this.

[theatergypsy]

Originally Posted by quiet life

So Skynet will know my every move. Nice. Kodi pre installed is the way to go. I could have just went on Amazon and bought the 50 buck fire stick and downloaded Kodi onto the device. However, I decided to skip the middle man and pay an extra 25 bucks to plug and play. Eh, whateva. Our minds are being controlled as I type this.

Whoever is attempting to control my mind is falling asleep in boredom. The Voices will do a pretty good job of repelling invaders.

[quiet life]

The green guys behind my eyes say, "Hi"! I think they are the same guys behind your voices so I feel safe already.

[fisheye]

Originally Posted by theatergypsy

Whoever is attempting to control my mind is falling asleep in boredom. The Voices will do a pretty good job of repelling invaders.

I hate it when the mimes take over! All of those little guys in stripped shirts running around invisible walls. Whoever made the statement: A mime is a terrible thing to waste; was wrong! AI can have my mime any time!

In this modern world it is hard to get away from all the data collecting. Everybody is doing it. No matter where you go somebody wants us to complete a survey. I used to pick up the phone and say "I don't do surveys"; now I just hang up or don't answer. So it is no wonder that they have turned to other methods of collecting information.

[theatergypsy]

Originally Posted by fisheye

I hate it when the mimes take over! All of those little guys in stripped shirts running around invisible walls. Whoever made the statement: A mime is a terrible thing to waste; was wrong! AI can have my mime any time!

In this modern world it is hard to get away from all the data collecting. Everybody is doing it. No matter where you go somebody wants us to complete a survey. I used to pick up the phone and say "I don't do surveys"; now I just hang up or don't answer. So it is no wonder that they have turned to other methods of collecting information.

So you're the one! I used to do surveys for a living. Yankelovich, Skelly and White; Gallup; various others. It was a good gig and most of the people I called at least listened to my pitch before they said, "No, thanks."

The only identifiers we ever requested were M or F; age range(s); income ranges; education ranges. Absolutely nothing that could identify You.

Happy 2020.

[Chefkey]

Gotta admit, I tried Kodi and it's not good. A lot of questionable content on there. Even the links that looked legit and legal did not stream well. You're better off connecting a PC close by the TV, use a bluetooth mouse and keyboard. Go to free places like Tubi, Pluto, Vudu. Sony Crackle just to name a few freebies. I mentioned the Hulu ad Free for $12 per month, it has lot of content, is legal and no ads. Couple that with the freebies and an over the air antenna and you are good to go.

Just be careful with that Kodi, there are a lot of hackers on that domain and pirated content that can get you nailed even if you didn't know it was pirated.

[fisheye]

Originally Posted by theatergypsy

So you're the one! I used to do surveys for a living. Yankelovich, Skelly and White; Gallup; various others. It was a good gig and most of the people I called at least listened to my pitch before they said, "No, thanks."

The only identifiers we ever requested were M or F; age range(s); income ranges; education ranges. Absolutely nothing that could identify You.

Happy 2020.

Yes, that was me! I'm guilty as charged!

I got so many calls I simply let my answering machine screen most of them. Robots hate to talk to other robots; I think they discriminate!

[fisheye]

Originally Posted by quiet life

So Skynet will know my every move. Nice. Kodi pre installed is the way to go. I could have just went on Amazon and bought the 50 buck fire stick and downloaded Kodi onto the device. However, I decided to skip the middle man and pay an extra 25 bucks to plug and play. Eh, whateva. Our minds are being controlled as I type this.

OK; so Skynet took over - but how do you like your new system? I have all of our boxes packed up and ready to return them to BRC tomorrow. I'll worry about what to do next after I pay for the internet for this year. I had dropped HULU; but I have Netflix, Prime and a free week of Starz. I will see everything I want to see on Starz in less than a week! Maybe, next year, they will give me another 'free week' and I can do the same?