Who has a voice assistant in the bedroom?

[Spacedeck]

We have a Google Home Mini placed underneath our TV in the bedroom. It's been very useful but it did go off at random earlier. Upon checking the activity, apparently it was asked to speak in Mexican... Whatever she was watching on TV might have set it off.

Doesn't go off all the time, seems very random.

 

[Martynt74]

Well yeah, but I've spent a lot of time restricting what they do. Custom ROMs, all Google stuff stripped away, trying to use only FOSS apps, mic jammer, etc.

I'm not obsessive.

That certainly feels obsessive to me!

 

[PermaChanged]

"Arguing that you don't care about the right to privacy because you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don't care about free speech because you have nothing to say." - Edward Snowden

Who here has said they don't care about their right to privacy? Try taking it away and we'll all be up in arms, but purely because we don't actively take steps to protect certain personal data does not mean we do not care for it as our right.

 

[G-MAN2004]

Who here has said they don't care about their right to privacy? Try taking it away and we'll all be up in arms, but purely because we don't actively take steps to protect certain personal data does not mean we do not care for it as our right.

It's being slowly taken away all the time by governments and megacorporations. No one cares because they are offered convenience in its place.

People who truly do care and take measures to limit it are called crazy and obsessive.

 

[steve5424]

I am certainly not about to install mic jammers and delete Google apps. Or stop using certain devices. That's just crazy.

 

[PermaChanged]

It's being slowly taken away all the time by governments and megacorporations. No one cares because they are offered convenience in its place.

People who truly do care and take measures to limit it are called crazy and obsessive.

Do you believe people who live in modern society are entitled to complete anonymity if they so choose, or is there a certain level of data that can be held by the government? Where would you draw the line personally?

 

[steve5424]

In the days of CCTV everywhere and terrorism, then I am happy for a certain level of big brother keeping an eye on what's going on.

 

[Rilot]

We have Amazon Echos in every room:

Kitchen: Gen2 Echo
Lounge: Gen1 Echo Plus
Master bedroom: Gen3 Echo Dot
Son's bedroom: Gen3 Echo Dot
Bathroom: Gen2 Echo Dot
Toilet: Gen2 Echo Dot
Workshop: Gen2 Echo Dot

The bedroom Echos are set to "Do not disturb", that way they don't announce when someone is at the door or I get some notification in the night.

The whole house is automated with smart heating, lighting, sockets etc. It's pretty cool TBH.

 

[Martynt74]

We have Amazon Echos in every room:

Kitchen: Gen2 Echo
Lounge: Gen1 Echo Plus
Master bedroom: Gen3 Echo Dot
Son's bedroom: Gen3 Echo Dot
Bathroom: Gen2 Echo Dot
Toilet: Gen2 Echo Dot
Workshop: Gen2 Echo Dot

The whole house is automated with smart heating, lighting, sockets etc. It's pretty cool TBH.

But, but the Governments will know when you turn a light on and how often you have a poo!

 

[Rilot]

Yeah, my poo habits are of national security importance.

 

[bazzabear]

I often hear one of my neighbours calling out "Alexa, stop!", sometimes several times in succession. I have this image of Alexa saying "Let's play global thermonuclear war"

Alexa did get her own back on me the other day. talking with the wife while some music was playing, and apparently I said something similar to 'Alexa', so she piped up. I replied jokingly with "shush you, I didn't even say your name!". What I didn't realise is that apparently Alexa understands the command "shush you", so she muted herself.

 

[dr_volki]

alexa is an odd one. i must have done somethign wrong when setting it up.
because sometimes she/it speaks english, then german (my mother tongue) and sometimes english with a german accent.

 

[Scam]

Who here has said they don't care about their right to privacy? Try taking it away and we'll all be up in arms, but purely because we don't actively take steps to protect certain personal data does not mean we do not care for it as our right.

I was about to say exactly that. I care about my right to privacy and I'd fight for that. Choosing to buy a personal device that works by listening to you is completely different. If the government was forcing a Google Home into everyone's bedrooms, then that Snowden quote would be relevant. As it stands, it's not.

 

[Will Gill]

I've got an echo in every room of my house, amazon must overhear some funky stuff

 

[Efour]

Id like 1 in every room but the GF thinks im utterly insane so they are limited to kitchen Lounge and hallway.
They pick up most commands though even from 2 rooms away. #disturbing
I mostly use them to stream music and Radio and control the lighting/Tv.
Honestly i love them. Its hard to imagine not having them just a year or 2 ago.

 

[dragonslayer]

I've got an echo in every room of my house, amazon must overhear some funky stuff

Same here I don't think I could live without one now I've gotten so used to just telling Alexa to put the kettle on/ light on that it feels like a right chore when I have to do it myself also the only thing Amazon will hear from me is random screams because I've hurt myself or me saying utter rubbish/ random sounds

 

[krooton]

Due to a recent LifX bulb shopping spree, and my MiL not being too hot with her phone and apps, we picked up some Flex's to make controlling the lights a bit easier.

Flex 1: In our bedroom
Flex 2: MiL bedroom
Flex 3: Kitchen
Flex 4: Entrance hallway
Echo dot: Lounge

Being able to use them as intercoms is cool as MiL's room is as far away from the kitchen as possible, so rather than running up stairs or shouting, we can just drop her a line.

 

[Cleisthenes]

How can I do that when I'm asleep? The whole point is that it wakes me up.

I use a routine where it tells me the weather and then plays radio 6 for me, you can also get it to set the volume to a certain level before playing the radio.

You can also just turn them all off other than just playing the radio. You can make it so it either does it when you say a certain thing, or at a certain time and on which days.


Go to the home app and press routines, then manage routines at the bottom, then add a routine.

 

[dragonslayer]

Due to a recent LifX bulb shopping spree, and my MiL not being too hot with her phone and apps, we picked up some Flex's to make controlling the lights a bit easier.

Flex 1: In our bedroom
Flex 2: MiL bedroom
Flex 3: Kitchen
Flex 4: Entrance hallway
Echo dot: Lounge

Being able to use them as intercoms is cool as MiL's room is as far away from the kitchen as possible, so rather than running up stairs or shouting, we can just drop her a line.

You can use them to announce stuff as well let's just say my gf wasn't happy when I discovered this without telling her

 

[alexakasloth]

We have an Echo with a smart plug for our lamps to turn off/ on, my partner has some sort of routine for alarm/ radio/ lights that she has set up.