3 ms·

Echo/Home/Alexa devices are the modern day equivalent of winXP systray icons ... their number is inversely correlated to the intelligence of the user.

• smt88 8y ago
  These are two of the most idiotic biases I've ever seen on this site, and that's saying something. As someone writing software on my family's PC 15 years ago, I tended to add 5+ systray icons over the standard ones my parents had. If only I'd known how stupid they made me... Regarding speakers, you're likely referring to the privacy tradeoff. People could say the same about someone using a credit card, grocery loyalty program, or any wireless carrier. We all make privacy tradeoffs on a daily basis as a cost for having a modern, convenient life in a capitalist society.
  • dmichulke 8y ago
    GP meant of course icons such as those of your ask toolbar, pc cleaner, some AV, some boot speedup program, a handful of other "security programs", ...
    • smt88 8y ago
      I guess they should have been more specific. Even then, why is someone stupid for getting a computer with bloatware installed that actively misleads users into thinking it's useful? One of my friends is an aerospace engineer and hasn't uninstalled the antivirus program that came with his laptop. Is he stupid, or does he just not care to investigate all the obscure programs that came with his laptop?
  • User23 8y ago
    Do you really believe that having an always on Internet uploading microphone in your private domicile is equivalent to using a grocery loyalty card? Also phone carriers have well established restrictions on lawful intercepts.
    • briandear 8y ago
      As mentioned before, Siri with HomePod isn’t “uploading.” Run Wireshark and you can see exactly what is happening. The always on listening happens entirely on the device and queries are anonymized. Alexa and Google on the other hand..
    • sigi45 8y ago
      Your smartphone is easier to hack as the isolated Hardwarechip in a smart speaker which listens to you.
      • User23 8y ago
        No doubt phone can be compromised, but listening to everything one says isn't its designed purpose. It's the intended use of the "smart" microphone that's fundamentally untrustworthy. Even if everything works exactly as intended, recordings are available on the owning company's servers and they are subject to discovery, lawful or otherwise.
• sctb 8y ago
  Well, that's just not very civil. Could you please refrain? https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
  • smt88 8y ago
    It's ironic that my response calling biases "idiotic" was flagged, and the original comment calling millions of people stupid was not...
    • deleted 8y ago
      [deleted]