Not in my Home!!!

[Jim Koepke]

These home helpers have not appealed to me, now they seem even more treacherous:

Over the past two years, researchers in China and the United States have begun demonstrating that they can send hidden commands that are undetectable to the human ear to Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa and Google’s Assistant. Inside university labs, the researchers have been able to secretly activate the artificial intelligence systems on smartphones and smart speakers, making them dial phone numbers or open websites. In the wrong hands, the technology could be used to unlock doors, wire money or buy stuff online — simply with music playing over the radio.

A group of students from University of California, Berkeley and Georgetown University showed in 2016 that they could hide commands in white noise played over loudspeakers and through YouTube videos to get smart devices to turn on airplane mode or open a website.

This month, some of those Berkeley researchers published a research paper that went further, saying they could embed commands directly into recordings of music or spoken text. So while a human listener hears someone talking or an orchestra playing, Amazon’s Echo speaker might hear an instruction to add something to your shopping list.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/10/t...pgtype=Article

[Ken Fitzgerald]

+2

I don't want "Smart" switches, outlets, appliances or a stranger like Siri, Alexa or an Assistant doing anything for me, Thank You!

They will never make a "Smart device" smart enough to prevent hacking.

[George Bokros]

I want none of types of devices in my house nor do I want a thermostat, door locks, garage door opener or my refrigerator on my network so it could be hacked. That is just asking for trouble. I don't even have a camera on my laptop.

[Tom Stenzel]

I want none of types of devices in my house nor do I want a thermostat, door locks, garage door opener or my refrigerator on my network so it could be hacked. That is just asking for trouble. I don't even have a camera on my laptop.

My laptop has a camera and a microphone like most nowadays. I disabled both in Device Manager (win 8.1). The microphone still can be accessed. So when you say no, that means maybe.
-Tom

[Al Launier]

+2

I don't want "Smart" switches, outlets, appliances or a stranger like Siri, Alexa or an Assistant doing anything for me, Thank You!

They will never make a "Smart device" smart enough to prevent hacking.

I may be "old school", but I'm with Ken. Seems like we can't do much of anything these days without being monitored & secretly invaded.

[Keith Outten]

On May 1st 2014 I experienced what is called the Widowmaker heart attack. I was returning to my shop from a meeting in the county and made it to the door of my workshop where I went down onto the floor just three steps inside my shop. I had my cell phone in my shirt pocket so I was able to contact my youngest daughter and told her to call 911. I beat the odds big time on that day and the only reason I am here today is because I had a cell phone in my pocket.

I am not a fan of the so called smart devices available these days other then cell phones obviously. IMO its just to early for me to consider integrating these type of devices into my home, probably because I am skeptical about how easily they might be abused. I admit that my cell phone is without a doubt the most vulnerable device in this category but the risk versus benefit ratio makes cell phones worth owning no matter what your age IMO.

A Friendly Note:
All of you young guys and gals take my words seriously. When I was in my Cardiac Rehab Program I was very surprised at how many young people were in the program right beside me and a few other oldtimers. Honestly it was very sad to see so many young people who were now burdened with many changes in their life with so many years ahead of them.

[Keith Outten]

Pat,

We don't allow access to anyone's email address here. As far as real names and locations that information is publicly available from a number of resources. Additionally if you consider the number of databases that have been hacked from very large companies and government institutions over the last few years its likely that much more sensitive information is available publicly these days than any one of us is comfortable knowing exists.

[Bill Dufour]

On May 1st 2014 I experienced what is called the Widowmaker heart attack. I was returning to my shop from a meeting in the county and made it to the door of my workshop where I went down onto the floor just three steps inside my shop. I had my cell phone in my shirt pocket so I was able to contact my youngest daughter and told her to call 911. I beat the odds big time on that day and the only reason I am here today is because I had a cell phone in my pocket.

Why did you not call 911? was it because she was on speed dial and 911 wasn't?
Bill D.

[Carlos Alvarez]

The medical emergencies made me realize that I should probably give my mom an Echo or similar. She lives alone, and while in good health, isn't exactly young. Sort of an "I've fallen and I can't get up" that is always listening and responding, but you don't have to wear a thing around your neck which you could forget to do.

A few weeks ago a friend of a friend went to the ER because his Apple Watch alerted him to unusual heart rythms and heart rate while not active. Since the Watch knows your exercise level and your heart rate as well as some of the actual pulse rhythm details, it can make those decisions. Turns out he was in a pre-arrest condition, and the Watch saved his life.

But yeah, who needs that junk?

They will never make a "Smart device" smart enough to prevent hacking.

The majority of smart devices are smart enough to prevent hacking. You can see that since, well, they are still working and unhacked. We do a lot of security work on our servers to make them smarter and prevent hacking. A real basic one is to monitor logs for too many failed connection attempts from any one IP address, and blacklist it automatically.

[Mel Fulks]

Interesting,but I wouldn't worry about it. Once everybody has one ....and there is no one to impress, they "too ,will pass".
I've had several demonstrated to me recently by friends. Everybody wants to be in show business.

[Wayne Lomman]

It's the next step in social engineering, the earlier foundations of which are already in place. Having just returned from a business trip to Sydney, I was rudely reminded just how rigidly controlled city life is. Systems like this are to control your daily behaviour, not just sell you crap you don't really want. Expect it to be rolled out in 3 years. Cheers

[Carlos Alvarez]

LOL, on another forum I was just having a conversation about paranoia and fear like this. It must suck to live that way. I'd rather enjoy life and its conveniences rather than worrying about something that doesn't actually happen. This morning our wi-fi thermostat alerted me to the fact that our downstairs AC unit was failing. Without that it may have caused more damage, and I certainly would not have been as quick to make the service appointment for same-day service. They have saved us a lot in electricity cost also. There's obviously the convenience of waking up too warm and clicking it down a degree without getting up.

The garage/shop doors being online is also so useful. From just convenience, to security. I get alerted if they are open. And a special alert if they are left open after 9pm. I can know they are closed from anywhere in the world. I also can open them for deliveries and home services when we are traveling.

Etc.

This is all more secure than old-style locks, of course.

[Carlos Alvarez]

I should add that Alexa/Google devices have no place in our home; they simply don't do anything useful. I have "hey Siri" turned off on the phone, but use it on my Watch. It only activates if you specifically raise the Watch to your face.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Carlos,

Don't mistake caution for fear. I have no desire to have something like Siri or Alexa. I have no desire to have a smart device controlling any of our appliances. We have a carport and while my shop has a garage door, it's manual, gets opened maybe once a year and I have some additional locks on it. I don't want it to have an opener and it's nothing caused by fear.

I'll say it again...anything Smart can be hacked.

I even turn off our wireless router when we are out of town.

[Carlos Alvarez]

Anything can be hacked.