Amazon Echo Dot

America is currently requesting all amazon echo recorded data regarding a murder. Well done for having your entire life recorded for some obscure agency to decide too listen into your conversations.

Police seek Amazon Echo data in murder case (updated)

But worse still as usa_naziland becomes clear to the entire world soon. See rule 41 of the fbi-scumbags



You've just allowed a device into your home that will monitor what you say & if 'they' deem you are saying something that isn't royalist or british enough. You will be dragged off to gitmo, where rectal-feeding, continuous music plays & lights stay on 24/7. Where you can expect to be illegally drugged & possibly killed by torture techniques unknown so far. But then again....you might actually be someone who welcomes 1984 into your home. Where the book/film fahrenheit 451 is the next stepping stone to removing free-thoughts. And you gladly subscribe to the new rulers decree.

If you don't have a clue whats taking place. Fair enough, but if you believe technology is serving you you are completely wrong!

 

I'm making an extreme example but you have allowed a device that is continually recording you & your family. You can pretend you know how it works & when 'its' recording you. But you do not own the recordings & those go off (into the cloud) to be possibly used too ply you with holiday adverts. To name but one, you know those predictive 'items you maybe interested in' ....well, now amazon have a way of really knowing what his/her habbits are because they can/will/take as much out of your personal privacy as possible to make profit.

Let alone the secret-services who will assertain whether you are a real threat because you may not (like me) enjoy the royals taking hundreds of millions per year from an economy bricking it for lavish upgrades whilst been millionaires. Or maybe the criminals will learn when you are leaving & how long you'll be out for. So they can free-roam around your home find your safe. Pilfer your possessions & pocket your new coffee maker. Which of course you've now upgraded so its connects online'

Is Your Watch Or Thermostat A Spy? Cybersecurity Firms Are On It : All Tech Considered : NPR

Good luck, there is not a 3rd person now in your home. There is literally a whole host of agencies who can & will request copies of your life conversations.

 

Before I go too bed, I must say that moral purchasing is the only way forward. These corporations & industries pushing devices that can turn on the purchaser are not the future for any considerate free thinking person. Even as a gift they should be politely refused.

Social media & our western values have brought down companies & made them ammend there vile/evil ways in foreign lands. Because if we choose to boycott a specific product or companies goods. Raising its level of attrocious behaviour into the main-stream publics consciousness. No right thinking person would allow child labour or cancerous chemicals to be used to poision the people who make these products we buy. Or have such pitiful wages that a company builds suicide nets around its factories.

I hope at least someone contemptales more deeply supporting these all-ways-connected products as a real step change is coming. Where doctors can withdraw treatment if you've ordered to many sugary treats or insurance policies get voided because you are not such a stable person. But someone who shouts (rightly so) at another dismal failure of a government department too waste billions of pounds on yet another upgrade. Uk_nazis are running the show & will usurp your personal castle & its domain if you allow them in. Destroying pensions is the theme of 2017-18 for these scumbags in power.

 

not a fan then?

 

I have an Echo and an Echo Dot, I agree in terms of certain areas of home automation etc. it is a useful tool to have. I use it for automating a lot of lighting in the home and also for quick news updates and music.

The Echo Dot does seem to represent pretty decent value for money and a better buy, I feel, than the Echo which although more voice sensitive is twice the price.

I have also just fully automated our bedroom lighting and TV\ceiling stereo system which has become quite complex after a complete refurbishment over Christmas and the Echo Dot which now resides there has been a real boon at just the right time.

Personally the big brother aspect does not bother me, I am sure that any authority that wants to look at me will pass me by very rapidly.

I can see myself adding another Echo Dot when the time arises.

 

The whole big brother thing is very hard to avoid regardless.

Many smartphone apps have access to the microphone, most smartphones have GPS always on, sat navs, email accounts, web browsing, its all geared towards being used to monitor.

For me i cant get used to talking to a 'thing' and thats why products like the echo don't appeal to me.

Every time i try to use 'ok google' or Siri , i end up arguing with them because they've misunderstood what I've said.

 

I felt the same way at first but the Echo is better than Siri etc. from my experience, and a lot more flexible. It also learns very well and over time makes less mistakes. I notice mine now seems more intuitive than it was when I first got it.

You can also help it along through the Alexa app. by stating what questions it has been correctly answering to. You can delete all recordings supposedly saved by the app if you want to, although of course whether they are totally deleted for all time may be a matter for debate.

 

What with the home extension (a.k.a. knock down house apart from one wall and start again), I basically had the opportunity to go to town with the home tech. I started with mini amps and ceiling speakers in every room of the house running off Apple Airport Express stations for wifi and Apple AirPlay. Installed my first one in the first completed space (kitchen & dining room), then Apple basically announced they were dropping the Airport range.

Back to the drawing board, I have now kept the ceiling speakers and mini amps and gone with Echo Dots. Now have 3 of them and they are awesome, even the wife likes them and she hates 'tech'. Aux out goes straight into the amp and the sound comes out of my various room's ceiling speakers. All are linked to Spotify for music, all play internet radio when requested. They can also pair to your phone via Bluetooth upon request should you want to stream some music from your phone (although Spotify can stream to the echo from within the app anyway). These little things make great home entertainment hubs. We now have one in the office for music too.

I also run a Nest thermostat, Wemo plugs and am going with Philips Hue lighting. All will make for a completely voice or presence activated house. IFTTT is magic at scripting processes too.

Only thing missing at the moment is the ability to play music to multiple echo devices in sync. I'm sure they'll update them at some point to work better together.

 

Get out :rage::tearsofjoy:

Nothing wrong with a light switch, brilliantly simple and functional. When you've sat yourself down on the sofa and then want to switch the light off, automation and voice control work brilliantly. Also when your missus is insistent on walking round the house, leaving every light on as she passes, having the ability to switch them off is great. Other benefits include features such as making your lights all come on, flash or change red when smoke or carbon monoxide is detected (I also run Nest Protect smoke alarms). Having them all come on would certainly aid evac.

 

...far too much complexity in modern life!

....I can see a time when large numbers of people (ie not just a handful of "off grid" nutters) get fed up with this relentless march of technology for technologies sake and simplify their lives. Might be a good business opportunity there...

I think I have mentioned this before, but if you want to know where all this is heading, read Homo Deus by Y N Harari

 

But it's back office complexity for front of house simplicity.

As an example, all of our electrical boxes (Sky Q, Amp, XBox, router, network switch etc...) will all be stored out of sight, in a comms cab in the garage (SWMBO hates wires). That presents a problem with regards to turning everything on with the 1/2 dozen or so remote controls as the IR won't reach. Technology then saves the day in the form of a couple of discreet IR blasters and a harmony hub. Zero remotes (or just one if you wish; phone also an option) and everything can be switched on via voice commands. No more phone calls from the missus asking which HDMI input she needs etc... Tell it you want Sky and it will turn the TV onto the right channel, turn on the Sky box and turn the Amp onto the correct input. Simplicity!

 

Still have to go out to the garage when you want to change the disc in the Xbox though, Echo can't help with that....

 

Discs? My games are all downloaded [emoji6]

Problem I have is that if I do go in the garage I get lost for hours tinkering with the bike [emoji106]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Impressive! When can I book you to come and automate my house?

Great little device as an immediate radio/music source, personal assistant for all sorts of questions, using it for more and more. Will have to look at thermostat....I really want to use it to write long emails; anyone know an app or other way to set up my Dell to use Dot as text input?

 

Sounds an interesting read, have you come across The Circle by Dave Eggers ?

 

Out of interest, as you seem to be ahead of the curve; have you gone for a smart energy system? I'm about to order the Home Genius as it can grow and also control many other devices so looks a good long term investment. A very clever bit of kit and British made. Anyone's views appreciated.