To not see the point of Alexa?

[abacucat]

Unless you are disabled, switching lights on or off is no big deal. And everything else is simply what you can do on a laptop or tablet. I don't see why you would spend money buying another gadget that doesn't do anything new.

Why burn candles? Why waste electricity on this shit? Are you the same people sharing on SM pictures of plastic in the sea? You can harness electricity for your radio from a tiny solar panel instead of having several devices sucking up energy because you can't be bothered to flick a light switch.

Alexa listens to your every word so it can hear when you say "Alexa" - the whole thing wouldn't work otherwise

It can be turned off?

Don't people have saved preset channels on their radio? I do and mine is about 25 years old. Just press the button and you change channel, no tuning required.

It can be turned off?

Doesn't that defeat the object of having it in the first place? Isn't it meant to be a hands-free gadget that's voice activated?

Is there an idiot's guide somewhere to getting the most out of Alexa? We have a couple of dots but don't use them for shopping lists of anything clever like that...

Alexa listens to your every word so it can hear when you say "Alexa" - the whole thing wouldn't work otherwise

It is constantly listening, but it doesn't start recording until you say the trigger word.

They are for people who need to have everything, and have everything done for them. My friend was telling me how Alexa will tell her the weather - while sitting next to a window with her phone in her hand. I really don't get it. But then we have no loads, tv, freezer, tumble dryer, Netflix, Spotify... I'm a technophobe born in the wrong era.

It is constantly listening, but it doesn't start recording until you say the trigger word.

If you believe what Amazon tell you, sure.

"In one highly publicized incident, a Portland family’s Alexa captured a private conversation after the voice-controlled device misheard what it thought was the wake word. It later sent the audio recording to someone in Seattle whose number was stored in the family’s contact list."

www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2018/may/31/ro-khanna/your-amazon-alexa-spying-you/

Personally I don't believe a corporate like Amazon have my best interests at heart. There is a reason they sell these things at such ridiculously low prices and I don't believe it's just to encourage more people to use Amazon Prime or to sell them more gadgets.

People can have them if they want, that's their business but others are well within their rights to be wary of it. The idea of a device in my home that's ultimately controlled by Amazon (yes, you can switch it off, but really, how many people do? And if it's linked to your lights, kettle, heating and goodness knows what else, you can't really do that without a lot of hassle).

I don't believe Amazon are just selling cool little voice-activated gadgets to make my life easier. There is some ulterior motive there somewhere. Personally I don't want to buy a device that records my conversations and sends it to goodness knows where. How do you know Amazon aren't paid to send certain conversations (which contain certain trigger words) to the government or the police?

It's already happening in China, I don't think it's massively out-there to say it could be happening here too.

People will realise one day that Alexa is the government listening in.... and all these amazing family tree DNA kits are the government putting you in the system 🤪🤪🤪

She had to download the gov approved version of whats app too, which is linked into the camera system
In China the govt is looking for absolute control of the population, here we have private companies looking to control and farm us for profit, with the govt also wanting a slice of the pie

The point of Alexa is blindingly obvious. It is to facilitate the mass-surveillance of millions of people by a multi-national corporation answerable only to its shareholders. The objective of the surveillance being to generate data about customer behaviour which can be used for commercial purposes.

even if you dont give up your DNA in much of it can be inferred using data from blood relatives

here we have private companies looking to control and farm us for profit

And ultimately this has been really successful in getting huge numbers of people to willingly go out and buy listening devices for every room in their house. They don't care if Amazon or Google can hear their conversations so they don't think these devices could be sinister in any way.

Until one day the government get in on this surveillance and start paying Amazon/Google/Apple to record conversations with certain trigger words. But everyone's homes will be so reliant on Alexa etc. by this point that it won't be as simple as just chucking the devices in the bin.

yes BonnieF, that Alexa....she's a trojan horse and no mistake

People can have them if they want, that's their business but others are well within their rights to be wary of it.

I only wish it was that simple. The trouble is that the people who have them and use them are helping to train the algorithms that will be used on the rest of us in future, whether we installed these devices ourselves or not. There is no opting out.

But everyone's homes will be so reliant on Alexa etc. by this point that it won't be as simple as just chucking the devices in the bin

Will they?

For many people they’re a fun gadget. Take it or leave it.

Ask Alexa to play Trivia Hero....it's so addictive!

notice that amazon's spying device has a female persona, a woman who obediently and helpfully serves you is much easier for us to accept and trust

For many people they’re a fun gadget. Take it or leave it.

Maybe. Or that's what people have been convinced of, anyway.

Do you really think the government or Amazon or Google are going to come out and admit these devices are anything sinister? Of course not.

Incidents have already happened where Alexa's recordings have been used by police. That's fine if you're a genuine victim. What if you haven't done anything wrong but Alexa picks up and records a conversation that could be used against you?

It's not paranoia when it's something that's already happening. Or does it not matter because it's happening in China and not here (yet).

yes, it's a fun gadget, focus on that and you dont really notice all that other sinister stuff do you

I read an article a week or so ago about the rise of human microchips in Sweden! Thousands of people have them and apparently it's 'convenient' as people use the chip in place of credit cards, and door fobs etc. Bloody terrifying.

am not anti tech, humanity is bringing out really cool stuff which has enormous potential to improve life for everyone, it could also be used for harm.
It's important that we examine what's going on and keep chewing the fat together, we are the public discourse and we can shape the future by pointing out what else is going on behind the official narratives

yes, it's a fun gadget, focus on that and you dont really notice all that other sinister stuff do you

I have it in one room. Nobody has any conversations.

I mean it’s very welcome to record me cooking pasta and salad and profile me therein. Together with a penchant for war songs and metal.

Yuval Noah Harari has much to say on this topic