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Science & Technology
Amazon Echo via Alexa may not be your friend
2023-06-14
[PJ] Brandon Jackson recently found himself in the midst of a problem. On May 25, he discovered that his smart home, which is tied to Amazon, was no longer doing that which he was paying for it to do. In a piece on Medium, Jackson noted that his primary way of interfacing with all of this wondrous technology is through Amazon Echo via Alexa. And lo and behold, suddenly nothing would respond to his requests or commands.

At first, Jackson thought he had possibly been hacked. But he goes to great lengths to keep his passwords secure. So with security issues off the table, what could it have been? The answer is stranger than you think. Or maybe it is part and parcel of 21st century America, and should serve as a lesson for those who are so enamored of having a "House of the Future."

On May 24, a package was delivered to Jackson’s home. His doorbell camera was programmed to say, "Excuse me, can I help you?" For one reason or another the driver who was walking away from the door and wearing headphones decided that the doorbell camera had somehow uttered a racial slur. The driver filed a complaint and...lights out, so to speak.
Posted by:Besoeker

#7  Anytime I am asked for my email address for no good reason, I use SuckIt@gofuckyourself.com
Posted by: M. Murcek   2023-06-14 11:38  

#6  The mindset that gladly turned over one's life to (insert authority here). The lesson this idiot doesn't see is how he flushed his autonomy. ZFG.
Posted by: Rex Mundi   2023-06-14 11:33  

#5  Won't have any of that shite. It's hard to buy an appliance that isn't connected these days.

Yuck
Posted by: AlanC   2023-06-14 11:26  

#4  I avoid any item that has an unnecessary "internet back end." Most such gear ends up orphaned when the web services behind it are shut down. Some of those items are mighty expensive bricks when the support dries up.
Posted by: M. Murcek   2023-06-14 10:43  

#3  One of the key features of the IOT (internet of things) is to make sure that you keep giving them money. For whatever reason.
Posted by: ed in texas   2023-06-14 09:42  

#2  Using your voice to turn on the lights does not make you Capt. Picard.
Posted by: M. Murcek   2023-06-14 08:05  

#1  People willingly (and even pay for the "privlege") give their personal data away with the Internet, smart phone/apps, or just providing PII without questioning why an entity "demands" it.

But, be ready...more to follow.
Posted by: DooDahMan   2023-06-14 08:02  

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