Or, at least, marketers & data brokers ARE out to get your data & sell it. News on 'Active Listening' on your phone and those pesky, tedious app T&Cs we mostly don't read. (audio; 5:30)
Ha, very timely. Privacy seems to be under attack like never before.
I use Alexa for exactly two functions: (1) a voice-controlled alarm clock / timer, and (2) a list-keeper. The convenience of shouting "Alexa, add Oyster Sauce to my shopping list" WHILE you are cooking and have the almost-empty bottle in hand, is difficult to beat.
I have long used Home Assistant (homeassistant.io) for cloudless home automation. They recently added support for local voice assistants, where all processing is done locally. I already have the hardware, and replacing Alexa with a private assistant is about three projects down my to-do list.
Their options include building the assistant into an old landline phone. So you have to pick up the receiver to talk to it, and you have the assurance that there is nothing listening all the time.
Ha, very timely. Privacy seems to be under attack like never before.
I use Alexa for exactly two functions: (1) a voice-controlled alarm clock / timer, and (2) a list-keeper. The convenience of shouting "Alexa, add Oyster Sauce to my shopping list" WHILE you are cooking and have the almost-empty bottle in hand, is difficult to beat.
I have long used Home Assistant (homeassistant.io) for cloudless home automation. They recently added support for local voice assistants, where all processing is done locally. I already have the hardware, and replacing Alexa with a private assistant is about three projects down my to-do list.
Their options include building the assistant into an old landline phone. So you have to pick up the receiver to talk to it, and you have the assurance that there is nothing listening all the time.
Home Assistant sounds cool, especially with cloudless voice control!