beebog t1_j24q1d9 wrote
idk how people can have these items in their home and reasonably think they’re not being listened to
snortgiggles t1_j24t14b wrote
God I wish mine was listening. Or watching. Then it could tell me where I put the remote.
beebog t1_j24to4w wrote
as soon as i can ask one of these speakers a question like that; i might consider getting one
snortgiggles t1_j24umwt wrote
These days it says, "I'm sorry I can't help with that," but once a few years ago it said, "I can't be sure but the couch is a good place to start."
LOL I bet it freaked people out so they had to remove it.
Vindy500 t1_j25z6gc wrote
Finds my phone for me quite often...
feverishfox t1_j24wicu wrote
Honestly I ask mine to find my phone a lot, it's pretty helpful. If anyone is listening then they're just catching my husband and I making weird noises at each other.
jacesonn t1_j25hbew wrote
This. I know mine listens to me, but it's not like I'm spilling government secrets in my kitchen. If hackers want to listen to me badly sing along to disco that's their problem, not mine
FliPhisher t1_j293m9i wrote
For me, the 'I have nothing to hide' argument doesn't get me to the point where I'm willing to allow a monitoring device in my home. It gives me the heevie jeevies and I have noticed over the years that I have started doing a little mental 'check' before I say something or when I'm singing to myself or being silly- 'who else is hearing this?'. It's not good for us as a species.
[deleted] t1_j25m3ob wrote
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Not_floridaman t1_j28rka4 wrote
Lol yes, mine finds my phone a lot for me when my watch is charging. And answers obscure questions my kids have that I couldn't even begin to answer.
pericojones t1_j25yetj wrote
You can put a chipolo tag on it and make it beep with your phone.
[deleted] t1_j27v004 wrote
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70wdqo3 t1_j254nib wrote
Bet you own a cellphone though and don't give it a second thought.
MrTonyBoloney t1_j2718gg wrote
Everyone says this, but if you think about it for more than a minute you realize it’s impractical and unrealistic
How exactly would it listen to you? Obviously they don’t listen LIVE to millions of devices. Store your every word into a database? That’s illegal wiretapping in most states and Google Legal wouldn’t fuck with that. Even if they did: what keywords would they look for, and how is any of that data any more useful to them than the data you willfully hand over? (e.g. Search queries, cross-site cookie tracking)
You should be more skeptical about real, scary data harvesting, not theoretical nonsense like this
_Rand_ t1_j27tyel wrote
Plus its not like they can do it secretly.
We can see what data is being sent/received per device if we want to or at least how much when its encrypted.
If google homes en-masse just opened up the floodgates and started sending data for no reason constantly someone would notice and we would know practically instantly. It would be a matter of days before security researchers were reporting the problem and virtually every major publication would be telling you to turn them off immediately.
If it were a thing that say the FBI was doing to individuals as they felt necessary for surveillance reasons well... they can do that already anyways via other devices. A google home isn't going to change things.
Cmdr_K9 t1_j28aolz wrote
Let's put aside the legal ramifications and talk practicality. Think about the sheer volume of data produced. Hours of audio per day, per device. Add that to what they already collect and even a tech giant like Google would have a hard time handling it. There's an entire school of thought dedicated to producing and handing over garbage data just to screw with anyone who looks at it.
friendofoldman t1_j28m1np wrote
You’re assuming all the Google employees and contractors are ethical and respect googles own rules and regulations.
People are definitely nosy and will snoop. Tons of stories of employees leaking info they shouldn’t have accessed.
Public figures are usually targets of this. So at least they should be informed of the risk.
Also, let’s say your post pisses off the wrong incel who happens to be a contractor? He’ll back door to record your unguarded conversation. All it takes is an improperly thought out comment or joke to ruin a career of posted without the proper context.
I’ve been in IT for 30 years. A lot of the controls we have now are in place because people will snoop no matter how illegal it is.
Say10sadvocate t1_j24vb3q wrote
The Google one at least has a mic switch.
We keep ours off unless we're actively using it. 🤷🏽♂️
beebog t1_j24vn4i wrote
if you trust the mic switch!
MrTonyBoloney t1_j2703qp wrote
Google Home Mini mic switch physically unplugs the microphone from power
aykay55 t1_j272oja wrote
You have a source for this?
MrTonyBoloney t1_j273zaf wrote
aykay55 t1_j2751m3 wrote
Thank you. I know well enough that it isn't listening 24/7, but I hadn't ever heard someone claim that the Google Home Mini physically cuts off access to the microphones when the switch is turned on. I'm happy to see Google built in this level of privacy to their device. Tbh, I was never really scared of smart speakers, I'm more suspicious of smart TVs that come with Alexa or Google Assistant support. Some of these TVs are already sold at a loss, and they don't have any physical shut-off switch for the microphones. And unplugging the TV is a physical chore that no one would bother doing. TVs continue to open their operating systems to third parties and some even offer access to the Play Store. And people don't usually prioritize updating their TVs to the latest software. So, that's a much bigger security hole for anyone that is concerned about being spied on than any smart speaker.
MrTonyBoloney t1_j275b05 wrote
Agreed, when the attack vector is less obvious it gets less attention from both engineers and the public
chargers949 t1_j24y6in wrote
If switch == off then disable light but keep mic on.
beebog t1_j24yukf wrote
exactly! i don’t trust it for one second
rand0mtaskk t1_j2601a5 wrote
Imagine living life this paranoid.
boofskootinboogie t1_j26c2ys wrote
These people all own smartphones right?
TheCoolestCannon t1_j26dglm wrote
This 😂
My father-in-law scolded me for having smart speakers because people could be listening all the while he has an android phone in his pocket
aykay55 t1_j271zpi wrote
Normalcy bias at its finest
70wdqo3 t1_j27jumr wrote
Or plainclothes paranoia.
henn64 t1_j2dxvev wrote
Nice try, but the switch makes a hardware disconnection, not a software disconnect
Say10sadvocate t1_j253sub wrote
If they're putting a fake mic switch in, they deserve to hear the stupid shit we talk about lol.
The_Troyminator t1_j25p22h wrote
So does the Echo Show and Echo Dot. I'm not sure about the other devices.
AlmightyThorian t1_j2937xa wrote
Never gotten the "The microphone is turned off"-voice direction from the google nest when trying to give it commands in that mode? Yeah. It's totally not listening when the switch is flipped.
ommnian t1_j24yawv wrote
Yeah. It's one of the main reasons I can't bring myself to buy anymore Sonos speakers. I love that I have the old ones without Alexa built-in.
MonkeyMafia007 t1_j25utij wrote
You want the SL series. Stands for "Speechless" . You can get the One, the Roam, and the ARC in SL versions, (the Arc might be a Costco exclusive)
beebog t1_j24yrfp wrote
right; i still use a bluetooth speaker from back in the day. holds up great and gets loud enough for a pool party, win/win
Ulrar t1_j25chiu wrote
They have amps you can connect to dumb speakers I believe, that might be an option
OverseerDarthOak t1_j25j2dg wrote
Sonos one SL is not a smart speaker
Chair_Toaster t1_j28qs8e wrote
The new one have it without too.
wild_heart_ t1_j265ain wrote
My FBI guy must be really bored of me rn lol.
l3lasphemy t1_j26tufx wrote
^No, ^not ^yet.
Snensderkek t1_j26q5qo wrote
Do u have a smartphone? Isnt this the exact same thing? Both have microphones, internet connection and voice assistans.
beebog t1_j26tedu wrote
i mean yeah but my smartphone is typically downstairs while my office is upstairs, it’s pretty much on my person only when im bored, talking to someone, or pooping lol. i generally try to minimize my screen time and the amount of electronics that are immediately accessible to me, more for my own mental health than any underlying paranoia. but that is a fair point, and my argument against it would be moreso geared towards minimizing opportunities for unsolicited access points in my personal space
Kinimodes t1_j25l1lj wrote
Honestly these Google speakers have physical mic kill switches on them. If you're paranoid, you leave that shit off.
sadphonics t1_j2537zx wrote
Duh, of course it listens to you. That wasn't the problem here though
TheCoolestCannon t1_j26cuwr wrote
If anyone is listening to me they are probably bored and confused.
aykay55 t1_j271qvn wrote
I think it’s reasonable to believe the only people hearing my requests is Google. And in this case, that is what is happening except the hacker reprogrammed my Google Home onto their account. The only thing that would change is that all my searches would be listed under the hacker’s account, giving the attacker access to my search history from that device alone and the voice recordings that are attached to the searches. If they’re lucky, they could maybe peek at what is playing on my Chromecast. They can’t actively listen whenever they want to. The article’s headline is incredibly misleading
Kelemenopy t1_j27k2nm wrote
Anything with the ability to record and transmit data is a potential window into your life in the digital age, isn’t it? We’re up to our knees in Bentham’s panopticon. The trick is to accept it pragmatically without becoming paranoid.
AlmightyThorian t1_j292sdq wrote
The best feature is when you turn off the microphone on the side of the device, it then tells you the microphone is off when you try to use voice commands.
North_South_Side t1_j2595po wrote
I just don't ee the appeal of these things at all. I've been to friends' houses where they have shown off the capabilities... and it's not very impressive at all. Sure "Play salsa music" will get it to play salsa music, but... who cares?
These things are largely solutions looking for a problem.
retirement_savings t1_j25fk0y wrote
They're perfect hands free kitchen devices. Set a timer. Play Spotify. Turn the TV on. Turn the volume down.
The_Troyminator t1_j25q0dj wrote
This is where they shine. When my hands are covered in batter and I need to set a timer, voice is awesome. It's also nice when a recipe has step-by-step instructions you can trigger by voice. The intercom functionality is kind of nice too. It's an easy way to get people to come down when dinner is ready.
Not_floridaman t1_j28vcde wrote
Yes! We love it for cooking and the broadcast feature. Also, each night I have a family bell that chimes and my kids know that means it's bedtime.
The displays are also good for looking at the cameras/doorbell.
My husband thought they were wholly unnecessary but once we had one or two, he saw their usefulness and we got more. I love being able to move the music from speaker to speaker as I'm cleaning also.
Oh! And turning off lights and locking the door when I'm already in bed!
Okay, I just really love everything about it.
*^(not paid for by Google unfortunately)
ChapterN7 t1_j25dfx1 wrote
I care. I like that I can just tell it to play whatever song I want, and it starts up a whole playlist based on that song. How's the weather tomorrow? What's the news? Turn off all the lights. Turn the TV on and go to this or that channel. Where's my stuff (amazon delivery)? Set an alarm for 5AM. Set a timer for 15 minutes. Play this or that audiobook.
List goes on and on. I know it's all the rage to hate on these things while the cellphone on your desk carries all the same vulnerabilities, but I've found them to be pretty convenient in a lot of ways.
dreamingabout t1_j25psmd wrote
All my lights are smart lights and I generally control them through my google home devices, it’s convenient to just say “hey google turn on the hallway light”. Or my fan or air purifier, it’s nice not having to get up to shut them off or turn them or look at my phone to shut the smart plug off when I’m still half asleep in the morning. I’m having issues with my new tv, but previously I could go “hey google skip 1:30s of this show” to get through intros. It’s obviously not for everyone, but I enjoy the convenience of controlling my home with just my voice.
North_South_Side t1_j25qqv5 wrote
I can see some upsides. But the one friend who was demonstrating it for me had similar issues like you had. He said he had everything set up really well for a while, then it stopped working perfectly. He re-adjusted it over and over. Then eventually instead of fixing it, he just started turning lights on manually like before. I think he started having troubles when they added more stuff to it, and it just plain didn't work with his new TV.
dreamingabout t1_j267amx wrote
Yeah previously I had a chrome cast and stuff so it worked pretty seamlessly with my google voice, but now I just have a smart tv and it wants me to do voice commands using their remote and I haven’t been able to properly connect them.
fleetmack t1_j27aj0f wrote
Alerts at 2am.when my 2 year old kids got out of their room we're handy
beebog t1_j259pld wrote
“ok google, family room light on”
like have we really devolved to this point lol. do you think i should start saving up for my wall-e scooter now or just take out a loan when the time comes
stripybaby t1_j25hsyf wrote
My mom has COPD and it can difficult or tiresome for her to move around her house. When she was staying with me she enjoyed being able to vocally turn off a light instead of using her energy to go do that. She did think is was creepy at times and worried about someone may be listening to her, but overall she felt it helped her. I can see the benefits in those situations for people who aren’t as able bodied as others.
beebog t1_j25kgex wrote
i mean yeah absolutely that makes sense for accessibility or adapting a space for better independence, but i do believe that those circumstances are in the minority
EssVeeUU t1_j26184q wrote
I disagree, I bought a hub because I have a friend who wanted to give me their old nest (eventually). It's a godsend when you have children. Turn off the light, set an alarm for bedtime every night, throw on a YouTube video when I need a quick distraction. It definitely has its benefits with little ones involved. There's a shopping list feature too I haven't gotten to play with but could be very beneficial with one person out and the other at home physically checking for items and adding to the list.
beebog t1_j26hovx wrote
i guess that’s fair, i have littles at home too, honestly i feel like i would just probably forget to use it if i had it lol. these things have never seemed worth it to me but i’m glad there’s people who enjoy them! im definitely not much of a consumer in many ways. i have a couple friends who basically have their whole apartments fitted with these or the amazon alexa one though
are your kids able to make online orders / purchases from these? that’s a deterrent also i’ve seen with the amazon ones is kids just started ordering shit willy nilly racking up charges
jswitzer t1_j27ixxx wrote
Voice purchasing is disabled by default. You can also set up speaker identification for it or require a verification code.
EssVeeUU t1_j26o5ux wrote
Got a free Alexa from my grandma and wasn't a fan. Got the hub for $50 black Friday sale and the video monitor made a huge difference with our initial usage. Got the smart lights for $5 a piece for a different black Friday sale and it was a lifesaver for bed time with a chunky almost 1 year old and clingy almost 3 year old. However, they can barely talk so we have little concerns with purchases for the moment, but we also don't have any cards attached to the Google account, we just made a family one.
beebog t1_j26oiwo wrote
oooh smart!
Not_floridaman t1_j28xhd2 wrote
We have 3 video hubs and 4 minis and it's amazing with kids. We have the family bell for bedtime and for mornings to put shoes on and grab their jackets because I'm usually running around so Google can get them started off I lose track of time, can pull up recipes easily, set timers for when they're fighting over a toy or for cooking, can send music from room to room while I'm cleaning and being and to turn off my lights or lock my front door by voice is incredible when my lupus and RA are flaring. I also like being able to see who's at the doorbell on the hubs or seeing the cameras. The hubs also have games and stories and my son LOVES the lightning McQueen interactive stories.
10/10 recommend for people with or without kids but especially with kids.
EssVeeUU t1_j28xrf4 wrote
.... I need to look into these lightning McQueen interactive stories. My son's going to TRIP. He keeps trying to play the fish feeding game but he can't talk good enough for Google yet 😂 Over time we are interested in the doorbell and speakers as well, and we have a second hub we haven't set up yet. How do you like the lock? Do you feel secure with it? Boyfriend is paranoid as fuckkk and that one might be the hardest sell for him.
Not_floridaman t1_j29gw1h wrote
The lightning McQueen is really fun! My son will sit there with it for 20-30 minutes!
As for the lock, yes I do. My husband is super paranoid but what sold him is that we can give it "guest codes" do they don't get our actual code and we can delete the guest codes as often as you need to so no one who shouldn't have access can't just walk in. My husband works weird hours sometimes coming home after midnight or gone overnight and I wasn't the best at remembering to lock the door so it's really, really nice not having to go back downstairs to lock the door if I forgot to until I had gotten into bed or he'll check when he's working and lock it for me (sounds creepier than it is lol, I'm just really forgetful and grew up in a house where we never locked the front door).
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