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Amazon's Alexa is Listening to You - More Than You Might Know

John Martellaro ·

Bloomberg reports:

Tens of millions of people use smart speakers and their voice software to play games, find music or trawl for trivia. Millions more are reluctant to invite the devices and their powerful microphones into their homes out of concern that someone might be listening.

Sometimes, someone is.

The article goes on to explain how Amazon employs thousands of people around the world to  listen, transcribe and annotate conversations with Alexa. All in an effort to improve Alexa’s ability to understand human speech. Of course, Amazon has strict policies and the user identities are anonymized. But still… Seriously?

Mac Geek Gab Podcast

Resetting Wi-Fi, Unlocking Your Mac, & Managing Secure Boot – Mac Geek Gab 756

John F. Braun ·

Are you making the most of your Apple TV? Do you know all the tricks the Finder has to offer? Are you managing Do Not Disturb effectively? Your fellow listeners have the answers, and John and Dave share and discuss them for you. Plus, your two favorite geeks answer some of your questions about Wi-Fi, Watch Unlocking, NAS, and more. Press play, listen, and enjoy learning at least five new things!

Eve Flare LED Lamp Now $10 Off Through April 2
Cool Stuff Found

Eve Flare LED Lamp Now $10 Off Through April 2

Andrew Orr ·

Eve Flare is a portable smart LED lamp you can take anywhere. Indulge in the aura of any color you wish, anywhere you want. Eve Flare delivers ultra-versatile ambient lighting that’s so mesmerizing, you’ll recreate the ideal atmosphere again and again and again. It gives you 6 hours of untethered illumination. Wireless charging. Durable casing with IP65 water resistance. Plus a carry-and-hang handle. This LED lamp is built to go from your bedroom to your balcony to your garden and beyond – virtually wherever you need a pop of light. Activating your desired ambience is effortless. Just use the app or chat to Siri whenever the mood strikes. Or set a timer and have Eve Flare come to life by itself, courtesy of your home hub. Plus, it’s HomeKit-compatible. You can pick it up on Amazon for US$99.90 with a US$10 off coupon at checkout,

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iOS 12.2 Beta 5 Now Available

Charlotte Henry ·

Apple released the fifth developer beta of of iOS 12.2, as well as watchOS 5.2, tvOS 12.2, and macOS 10.14.4 Monday.  9to5 Mac took a look at what we’ve seen in the beta versions released so far and what else is new. iOS 12.2 features focussed on Apple Home smart TV support, and also included Animoji, and the release of  Apple News in Canada.

iOS 12.2 and the related software updates largely focus on supporting smart TVs that work with Apple’s Home app. Other changes include new Animoji characters includuing the new shark, owl, giraffe, and warthog options — plus a few more changes. iOS 12.2 beta 2 also includes changes to the AirPlay icon in Control Center plus AT&T ‘5G E’ in certain markets on certain iPhones and iPads.

Mac Geek Gab Podcast

Finder, Friend or Foe? – Mac Geek Gab 752

John F. Braun ·

The Finder can be your friend or foe, depends upon how well you tame and tweak it. These are the kinds of things John and Dave help you do each week on Mac Geek Gab. In addition to that, we’ve got segments on taming iCloud’s two-factor authentication, suggestions for improving on the Stickies model, and ways of recovering disk space. All this and more! Just press play and learn at least five new things!

Mac Geek Gab Podcast

Touch Bar & The Terminal – Mac Geek Gab Podcast 748

John F. Braun ·

Do you need an elbow connector? You might after listening to this episode! That, after all, is what Cool Stuff Found segments are all about: discovering stuff you didn’t know existed, and now you need! In addition to that, of course, your tips are shared and questions are answered, including some about iCloud Archives, CarPlay, and Watch Notifications. Hosts Dave Hamilton and John F. Braun guide you through all of this and more, just press play and enjoy learning at least five new things!

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Alexa - Stop Listening To Me

Charlotte Henry ·

As ever more people buy smart speaker devices likes the Amazon Echo, the privacy concerns around such devices increase too. I’ve always been somewhat wary of them. Not that I’d be discussing much of any interest, but the idea of a device sitting in my home listening out attentively for a keyword, rather freaked me out. For Tom Hoggins, those concerns got too much. He explains in the Telegraph why he unplugged his Amazon Echo Dot.

I am not usually one for tin-hat conspiracies, but with the examples mounting and the increased scrutiny on companies like Google, Amazon and Facebook (among many others) for excessive data gathering, I did start to eye Alexa with some suspicion. It then showed an increased propensity for piping up over the dinner table, playing music without being asked or blurting out random facts when the ‘Alexa’ wake word had not been uttered in earnest. By that point, it was time for Alexa to go unplugged.

Mac Geek Gab Podcast

Real-World Speeds, Choosing Storage, and Quick Tips – Mac Geek Gab 738

John F. Braun ·

Ever have a disk drive or Wi-Fi device that doesn’t get quite the advertised speeds? Yeah, so have we. In fact, it happens all the time. Listen this week as John and Dave discuss the differences between advertised maximums and real-world expectations… and how to translate between the two. Of course, that’s not all! More questions and Quick Tips than you can shake a stick at. Press play, download, and enjoy!