This week in the Weekly News Roundup, Amazon sends all your voice to the clouds, money scams are on the rise, and gametic donation centers...leaked. Also, OpenAI will scam your Google drive, and Plex raises prices. We also visit SillyVille.
#WeeklyNewsRoundup #AmazonEcho #plex
8:00p EST
All Articles:
https://switchedtolinux.com/news/the-echo-chamber-in-the-clouds
In an email sent to customers today, Amazon said that Echo users will no longer be able to set their devices to process Alexa requests locally to avoid sending voice recordings to Amazon’s cloud.
https://www.wired.com/story/everything-you-say-to-your-echo-will-be-sent-to-amazon-starting-march-28/
#Amazon #Tech #Alexa #Privacy #AmazonEcho
Amazon’s Controversial Change to Echo’s Privacy Settings Takes Effect Soon – Source: www.techrepublic.com https://ciso2ciso.com/amazons-controversial-change-to-echos-privacy-settings-takes-effect-soon-source-www-techrepublic-com/ #rssfeedpostgeneratorecho #ArtificialIntelligence #SecurityonTechRepublic #SecurityTechRepublic #CyberSecurityNews #CloudSecurity #amazonalexa #DataCenters #amazonecho #Security #BigData #privacy #Storage #Amazon #cloud #AI
Was Not Was - Spy in the House of Love
Ars Technica: Everything you say to your Echo will be sent to Amazon starting on March 28. “Starting on March 28, recordings of everything command spoken to the Alexa living in Echo speakers and smart displays will automatically be sent to Amazon and processed in the cloud.”
I have a bunch of Amazon customer surveillance devices at home, i.e. echo dots. While they offer some value and I've taken steps to mitigate some of their downsides, It's time to look for a local, FOSS based replacement.
I have the tech background to deal with the quirks of most of these projects. Anyone have thoughts on which projects I should look into? Just need basic functions like setting kitchen timers and controlling lights.
Alles, was zu Echo gesagt wird, wird ab dem 28. März direkt an #Amazon gesendet
Alle Sprachaufnahmen sollen in die #Cloud und ausgewertet werden #Amazon Alexa
Amazon hat Echo-Nutzer darauf hingewiesen, dass sie Alexa-Anfragen nicht mehr lokal verarbeiten können. Sprachaufzeichnungen landen standardmäßig in der Cloud.....
With just a few week's notice, Amazon is telling folks with Echo devices that the setting that lets smart speakers & displays process Alexa requests locally is disappearing. Starting March 28 all requests will be recorded and sent to Amazon's cloud servers, whether you're using Alexa+ or just plain old Alexa. #Amazon #AmazonEcho #Alexa #privacy http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/03/everything-you-say-to-your-echo-will-be-sent-to-amazon-starting-on-march-28/
If you still use one of these devices, you might want to start looking into alternatives.
"In an email sent to customers today, Amazon said that Echo users will no longer be able to set their devices to process Alexa requests locally [...] Starting on March 28, recordings of everything command spoken to the Alexa living in Echo speakers and smart displays will automatically be sent to Amazon and processed in the cloud."
"Since Amazon announced plans for a generative AI version of Alexa, we were concerned about user privacy. With Alexa+ rolling out to Amazon Echo devices in the coming weeks, we’re getting a clearer view at the privacy concessions people will have to make to maximize usage of the AI voice assistant and avoid bricking functionality of already-purchased devices.
In an email sent to customers today, Amazon said that Echo users will no longer be able to set their devices to process Alexa requests locally and, therefore, avoid sending voice recordings to Amazon’s cloud. Amazon apparently sent the email to users with “Do Not Send Voice Recordings” enabled on their Echo. Starting on March 28, recordings of everything command spoken to the Alexa living in Echo speakers and smart displays will automatically be sent to Amazon and processed in the cloud."
Wenn ihr mir folgt, habt ihr wahrscheinlich kein Amazon Echo in Hörweite stehen. Wer sowas kauft, hat ganz sicher die Kontrolle über sein Leben verloren. Das Gerät hat nicht umsonst mehrere #BigBrotherAwards »gewonnen«.
Aber vielleicht kennt ihr ja Leute, die sich selbst was vormachten und dachten, sie seien auf der sicheren Seite, wenn sie anklicken, dass der Echo (Dot/Spot) die Spracherkennung selbst machen soll, statt alle Tonaufzeichnungen in die Amazon-Cloud zu schicken. Tja, diese Option schaltet Amazon Ende des Monats ab. Weil der Bullshit-Generator Alexa+ sonst nicht profitabel sei.
Everything you say to your Echo will be sent to #Amazon starting on March 28
"Since Amazon announced plans for a generative AI version of Alexa, we were concerned about user privacy. With Alexa+ rolling out to Amazon Echo devices in the coming weeks, we’re getting a clearer view at the privacy concessions people will have to make to maximize usage of the AI voice assistant and avoid bricking functionality of already-purchased devices.
In an email sent to customers today, Amazon said that Echo users will no longer be able to set their devices to process Alexa requests locally and, therefore, avoid sending voice recordings to Amazon’s cloud. Amazon apparently sent the email to users with “Do Not Send Voice Recordings” enabled on their Echo. Starting on March 28, recordings of everything spoken to the Alexa living in Echo speakers and smart displays will automatically be sent to Amazon and processed in the cloud."
@elbekai@norden.social
Wer #AmazonEcho #Alexa & Co nutzt, dem ist sowieso nicht zu helfen 
Everything you say to your Echo will be sent to Amazon starting on March 28
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/03/everything-you-say-to-your-echo-will-be-sent-to-amazon-starting-on-march-28/
Amazon's latest bait-and-switch is shockingly bad. If you have Amazon Echo devices, say goodbye to privacy in your own home. Soon you'll be forced into a subscription where you pay for them to record everything you say and feed it to Amazon's Alexa LLM / AI training.
There's never been a better time to switch to private, secure, on-premises home automation and voice assistants such as Home Assistant.
A lot of people are talking about throwing #Amazon #Echo devices in the trash this second; in my timeline.
We did this back in February.
Got to say the #HomeAssistant voice boxes are totally usable. A little dumber than Alexa, but perfectly adequate if you are like us and mostly just turn smart plugs on and off and check the weather. #HomeAssistantVoice #AmazonEcho #Alexa #Floss
DOUBLE PLUS UNGOOD! Everything you say to your Echo will be sent to #Amazon starting on March 28
By Scharon Harding, March 14, 2025
"Since Amazon announced plans for a generative #AI version of #Alexa, we were concerned about user privacy. With Alexa+ rolling out to #AmazonEcho devices in the coming weeks, we’re getting a clearer view at the privacy concessions people will have to make to maximize usage of the AI voice assistant and avoid bricking functionality of already-purchased devices.
"In an email sent to customers today, Amazon said that Echo users will no longer be able to set their devices to process Alexa requests locally and, therefore, avoid sending voice recordings to Amazon’s cloud. Amazon apparently sent the email to users with 'Do Not Send Voice Recordings' enabled on their Echo. Starting on March 28, recordings of everything spoken to the Alexa living in Echo speakers and smart displays will automatically be sent to Amazon and processed in the cloud."
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/03/everything-you-say-to-your-echo-will-be-sent-to-amazon-starting-on-march-28/
#BigBrother #Orwell #BigTechBrosAreWatchingYou #BigBrotherIsListeningToYou #NineteenEightyFour
Our esteemed Chair of Email Management also happens to be an expert in all things #AmazonEcho related. Here's a fun tip from him.
Greetings snow people:
Thanks to some enterprising snowmen over on another group I am on, I have discovered that you may be at times receiving some unexpected sounds on your Lady A. I was mistaken in thinking they were as simple as turning on start of request sound or end of request sounds. It turns out that we can at least
for the time being say wake word Turn on Winter Theme or if we are getting unwanted sounds we can say Wake Word Turn Off Winter Theme.
Result: The Lady A will throw in a few extra sounds when providing time or temperature or alarms etc. And these sounds will remind those of us who live
in the cooler areas of the world this time of year that snow is much more fun when you are watching someone else play in it in the movies and you are sitting
on your recliner drinking hot chocolate.
This is why I hate speaking to Google or the Amazon one. Never tried the Apple version, but going from the two others I don't think I'll do any better.
When I either ask for tasks to be done or when I try dictate something. I never got them to do anything near what the ads are showing people do or heck even what friends proclaiming they got their "assistant" doing for them.
This happened today and if they can't do this simple task or don't understand me at all, nevermind I'll do it myself then.
woolly: OK Google, please set a timer for nine minutes
Google: Timer for nine minutes starting now.
w: <thinking> Whohoooo, living in the future
I then figured, I should I set the timer for 8 minutes, doh.
w: OK Google, please change the nine minutes timer to eight minutes
G: OK what time do you want to set the new timer too.
w: <thinking> I've just told you, but anyway I'll tell you since you asked.
w: eight minutes
G: minutes ... Sorry don't understand
w: eight minutes, please.
w: <thinking> best be polite and I forgot to say please, "they" are listening after all
G: minutes ... Sorry don't understand
This goes on, for a few more tires which all fails, in a loop. Since we are in France and I'm getting annoyed with the fecking thing, I try French for a laugh.
w: Huit minute
G: 8 minutes, I don't know which timer you want me to change.
w: the nine minutes timer I just set and asked you to change, you fecking thing. Never mind I'll do it myself aarrgghhh
There's only one timer that it set and is now running. So if it didn't know, why didn't it check that first before going on and on and on about the new time for the timer.
And of course we are now under seven minutes on the timer by now.
I should have just done it old school way, open up the app deleted the nine minutes one and set on for eight minutes. That would have taken seconds.
The best I've ever get out of these "assistant" is a timer, if I set it correctly the first time, mind.
Dictating to it, I'll have to spend longer time editing what it comes up with, than if I had cleaned and dried my hands and then typed it.
Asking it to open up an app and then do something within, never happens.
Or do a simple Google search, it just sits there with some random text or app I've never asked for or told it to open.
I give up.
To other #blind tech enthusiasts, I'm looking for #tech ideas I might like to buy or get. I have a $100 virtual Mastercard I can use right now, and my mom has given me a limit of $500 for Christmas. I consider myself an advanced #technology user and already have a #MiniPC running #Windows, an #iPhone, a #Braille display, an #Android tablet, #AirPods, speakers for my computer, a wireless keyboard, an #AmazonEcho, a smart soundbar, and a #FireTVStick. I've heard about things like the Hable One or DAISY players like the Evo E12, but I'm not sure how useful these are for an advanced tech user who already has a smartphone and a Braille display. Any suggestions?
@mastoblind @main
