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> It would also raise serious privacy concerns for users. To me, that device class alone raises serious privacy issues.

ocdtrekkie 9y ago
Yeah, I mean, I wanna raise a privacy outrage over this news but like... If you put an Amazon or Google connected microphone in your house... You've already given up your privacy. Who else they share it with is just gravy at that point.
- Retric 9y ago
  I actually want a device like this that does not connect to the internet. So, I can ask for the time while half asleep without opening my eyes and more importantly while keeping my bedroom dark. However the idea of having an always on microphone connected to the internet creeps me out.
  - ocdtrekkie 9y ago
    There's a few open source projects out there. I wouldn't recommend anyone use mine, because its written for my needs. And one of the important parts... Speech recognition... Isn't implemented yet. ;) But I think there's a huge perk to a 'personal' digital assistant... One built for your needs, not a corporation's.
  - ashark 9y ago
    > I actually want a device like this that does not connect to the internet. You won't get a decent one until we outlaw spying on people in exchange for a service. Then plenty will pop up. There's just no point in trying to compete with these services now, and anyone who tried and did even a sort-of OK job would just get snapped up by (or, failing that, mercilessly destroyed by) a bigco and set to working on spying services. FWIW I also think "loyalty card" and CC data collection/selling should be illegal, not just spyvertising Internet services. The standard should be only allowing the bare minimum to make the service work (so CCs would have to collect transaction data, yes), NO selling or sharing, transparency requirements, retention limits, and prohibitions on vertical integrations that allow companies to use what they know against people when trying to sell unrelated goods/services.
- mikeash 9y ago
  Everybody with a cell phone already does this. Why does it seem like this worry is confined to things like the Echo?
  - ocdtrekkie 9y ago
    The biggest difference is cell phones aren't listening for activation words to then transmit audio to the cloud. The chance of accidental activation and transmission is much lower. Yes, there are phones that offer this as a feature, but you'd better believe I won't use those either.
    - mikeash 9y ago
      Cell phones aren't doing this... that you know of. If you don't trust Amazon or Google (and I don't mean to imply that you should!) then it seems like you can't trust them not to lie about when the mic is on.
    - reaperducer 9y ago
      "Hey, Siri" and "OK, Google" disagree.

Yeah, I mean, I wanna raise a privacy outrage over this news but like... If you put an Amazon or Google connected microphone in your house... You've already given up your privacy. Who else they share it with is just gravy at that point.

Retric 9y ago
I actually want a device like this that does not connect to the internet. So, I can ask for the time while half asleep without opening my eyes and more importantly while keeping my bedroom dark. However the idea of having an always on microphone connected to the internet creeps me out.
- ocdtrekkie 9y ago
  There's a few open source projects out there. I wouldn't recommend anyone use mine, because its written for my needs. And one of the important parts... Speech recognition... Isn't implemented yet. ;) But I think there's a huge perk to a 'personal' digital assistant... One built for your needs, not a corporation's.
- ashark 9y ago
  > I actually want a device like this that does not connect to the internet. You won't get a decent one until we outlaw spying on people in exchange for a service. Then plenty will pop up. There's just no point in trying to compete with these services now, and anyone who tried and did even a sort-of OK job would just get snapped up by (or, failing that, mercilessly destroyed by) a bigco and set to working on spying services. FWIW I also think "loyalty card" and CC data collection/selling should be illegal, not just spyvertising Internet services. The standard should be only allowing the bare minimum to make the service work (so CCs would have to collect transaction data, yes), NO selling or sharing, transparency requirements, retention limits, and prohibitions on vertical integrations that allow companies to use what they know against people when trying to sell unrelated goods/services.
mikeash 9y ago
Everybody with a cell phone already does this. Why does it seem like this worry is confined to things like the Echo?
- ocdtrekkie 9y ago
  The biggest difference is cell phones aren't listening for activation words to then transmit audio to the cloud. The chance of accidental activation and transmission is much lower. Yes, there are phones that offer this as a feature, but you'd better believe I won't use those either.
  - mikeash 9y ago
    Cell phones aren't doing this... that you know of. If you don't trust Amazon or Google (and I don't mean to imply that you should!) then it seems like you can't trust them not to lie about when the mic is on.
  - reaperducer 9y ago
    "Hey, Siri" and "OK, Google" disagree.