Alexa Is Not Your Friend

[Flopsweat]

An Amazon driver accused a customer of making racist remarks, and Amazon locked their account without speaking with them. All of their smart devices stopped working when they lost connection to Amazon.

Video:

Spoiler: NSFW - Some cussing.

A Tale of Unwanted Disruption: My Week Without Amazon

On Wednesday, May 31, 2023, I finally regained access to my Amazon account after an unexpected and unwarranted lockout that lasted nearly…

medium.com

Read More

 

[Alexx1401]

Did not bother to follow the link as it "sounds" like click bait. We have several of the Amazon smart speakers around the home and I do enjoy them. If at some time Jeff wants to cut my business off? Hey I would not kick about it as there is other choices. Now if they shut me off from shopping there? That would be a PITA for a while but this too has other choices. I normally don't bother to use them but if Jeff one day decided he did not like the color of my money? I would shop elsewhere.

 

[arakboss]

I could care less if Alexa stopped working but if all my appliances, HVAC, etc became inoperable that might bother me a bit.

 

[Alexx1401]

I could care less if Alexa stopped working but if all my appliances, HVAC, etc became inoperable that might bother me a bit.

Our newest fridge, Dryer, and washer all have wifi. Did not hook any of them up but we can see them on our home network now. One day they may all conspire to get us.

 

[arakboss]

Our newest fridge, Dryer, and washer all have wifi. Did not hook any of them up but we can see them on our home network now. One day they may all conspire to get us.

When kitchen appliances attack

When kitchen appliances attack. .. Half-Life 2 Manhack

funnyjunk.com

 

[Certaindeaf]

An Amazon driver accused a customer of making racist remarks, and Amazon locked their account without speaking with them. All of their smart devices stopped working when they lost connection to Amazon.

Video:

Spoiler: NSFW - Some cussing.

A Tale of Unwanted Disruption: My Week Without Amazon

On Wednesday, May 31, 2023, I finally regained access to my Amazon account after an unexpected and unwarranted lockout that lasted nearly…

medium.com

I didn't click but it sounds like a lawsuit? Isn't racist speech protected under the 1st amendment?

 

[Flopsweat]

I didn't click but it sounds like a lawsuit? Isn't racist speech protected under the 1st amendment?

They are a private entity, not a part of government, unless you count the Congressmen they own.

 

[Certaindeaf]

They are a private entity, not a part of government, unless you count the Congressmen they own.

If he's handicapped and has a new vergina it'll give them a run for the money.






Lol, who knows

 

[ilikegunspdx]

An Amazon driver accused a customer of making racist remarks, and Amazon locked their account without speaking with them. All of their smart devices stopped working when they lost connection to Amazon.

Video:

Spoiler: NSFW - Some cussing.

A Tale of Unwanted Disruption: My Week Without Amazon

On Wednesday, May 31, 2023, I finally regained access to my Amazon account after an unexpected and unwarranted lockout that lasted nearly…

medium.com

What I hate about Amazon devices is they are constantly collecting info on you. Each Alexa device records your every word and stores it in files. They even sell rings now which track your mood and responses to things such as ads. People are unknowingly handing out personal info to a giant corporation that has no accountability. I prefer to control my home and the things in it manually. Phone is still a data collector though despite turning everything off I possibly can I'm sure there is still data mining as long as it's on. I just try to limit it as much as possible. Control of anything in the home I would never do though. I recall the late John Clayton Seahawks/sports reporter was locked out of his house more than once cuz his internet went down. Everything was networked in his "smart" home. He was a damn smart person and he fell for the gizmos.

 

[Flopsweat]

What I hate about Amazon devices is they are constantly collecting info on you. Each Alexa device records your every word and stores it in files. They even sell rings now which track your mood and responses to things such as ads. People are unknowingly handing out personal info to a giant corporation that has no accountability. I prefer to control my home and the things in it manually. Phone is still a data collector though despite turning everything off I possibly can I'm sure there is still data mining as long as it's on. I just try to limit it as much as possible. Control of anything in the home I would never do though. I recall the late John Clayton Seahawks/sports reporter was locked out of his house more than once cuz his internet went down. Everything was networked in his "smart" home. He was a damn smart person and he fell for the gizmos.

I have worked on a lot of enterprise web apps over the years, and based on what I've seen, I trust exactly none of them. Smart devices are just web app clients that also do other things. By extension, I trust none of them either.

 

[ma96782]

A Tale of Unwanted Disruption: My Week Without Amazon

On Wednesday, May 31, 2023, I finally regained access to my Amazon account after an unexpected and unwarranted lockout that lasted nearly…

medium.com

Aloha, Mark

PS...after a few hours.

 

[teflon6string]

Burglar bursting into condo waving a gun:
"Don't do anything stupid, just give me all your money."

Millennial tossing wallet to burglar:
"Sure thing pal. Hey Alexa, call the Police."

Alexa:
"Okay, shuffling songs by the Police."

Millennial getting shot 14 times.

 

[Jay Walk]

You are saying that listening devices and video cameras connected to the internet is a bad idea?

People install these themselves too.

 

[Cavedweller]

 

[Lilhigbee]

When I first read 1984, I thought it would be financially impossible to put telescreen technology in every location. It didn't occur to me that people would actually pay for it themselves and welcome it to boot. The fact that they go out of their way to get that technology, in fact demand it, is remarkable... and disappointing.

 

[Certaindeaf]

When I first read 1984, I thought it would be financially impossible to put telescreen technology in every location. It didn't occur to me that people would actually pay for it themselves and welcome it to boot. The fact that they go out of their way to get that technology, in fact demand it, is remarkable... and disappointing.

Upon reading that my smart watch started playing a soothing tune because it thought I was going to die.


Not really.

 

[parallax]

My wife asked me why i speak so softly when I am in the room with the Amazon device, I said because it might be listening.
I laughed, she laughed, Alexa laughed, the television laughed, the fridge laughed.

 

[Alexx1401]

My wife asked me why i speak so softly when I am in the room with the Amazon device, I said because it might be listening.
I laughed, she laughed, Alexa laughed, the television laughed, the fridge laughed.

We bought a new fridge a bit ago that keeps trying to connect. I have been tempted to just say yes just to see WTF is does once I let it connect. Assuming it did not already just do so and is pretending its not.

 

[Flopsweat]

We bought a new fridge a bit ago that keeps trying to connect. I have been tempted to just say yes just to see WTF is does once I let it connect. Assuming it did not already just do so and is pretending its not.

The wifi stuff is in a panel on the back, so you'll have to pull the fridge away from the wall or out of its alcove to get at it, but often it's just a matter of unplugging a connector, after you take the panel off.

 

[Mikej]

Being a reasonably intelligent human being, I've developed the ability to turn my heat and lights on/off, Among other things around the house, all by myself. Including reading the temp in the fridge, and adjust appropriately. This technology should must be greatly helpful to millennials.