A new report from security researchers alleges that Amazon Ring doorbells have exposed users’ home Wi-Fi passwords to hackers. TechCrunch reports that security researchers at Bitdefender have claimed that Amazon Ring doorbells were sending users Wi-Fi passwords in cleartext as the doorbell joins the home network. This would allow hackers to intercept the Wi-Fi password […]
I Tried Hiding from Silicon Valley in a Pile of Privacy Gadgets by Joel Stein…
As the spy gear piles up on my desk, my 10-year-old son asks me what my mission is. “I’m hiding,” I whisper, pointing in the direction I think is north, which is something I should probably know as a spy. “From Silicon Valley.” It isn’t going to be easy. I use Google, Facebook, Amazon, Lyft, […]
You Bought Smart Speakers Over the Holidays. Now What Are Amazon and Google Doing With Your Data?…
I recently attended a holiday potluck hosted by a tech-junkie friend who had decked out his one-bedroom apartment with smart speakers, smart lights, and small, infrared motion sensors that looked disconcertingly like cameras. Toward the end of the party, after one of the guests disappeared into the back of the apartment, another decided to play […]
Echo Is Listening & Recording: Judge Orders Amazon to Hand Over Echo Recordings from Home in Murder Case…
A judge has ruled that New Hampshire authorities investigating the stabbing deaths of two women can examine recordings made by an Amazon Echo speaker with the Alexa voice assistant. Timothy Verrill, of Dover, is accused of first-degree murder in the deaths of 48-year-old Christine Sullivan and 32-year-old Jenna Pellegrini at a Farmington home in 2017. […]
Senators Ask Jeff Bezos Just How Many Complaints Amazon’s Received About Eavesdropping Echoes…
Lawmakers in the U.S. have taken a greater interest in the failures of tech companies lately but most of the focus has been on Facebook and Google while Jeff Bezos has been busy making a reported $230,000 a minute. Now it’s Amazon’s turn in the barrel. On Thursday, Senators sent a list of questions regarding […]
Amazon Alexa Has Got Some Serious Skills–Spying on Users!…
“Alexa, are you spying on me?” — aaaa…..mmmm…..hmmm…..maybe!!! Security researchers have developed a new malicious ‘skill’ for Amazon’s popular voice assistant Alexa that can turn your Amazon Echo into a full-fledged spying device. Amazon Echo is an always-listening voice-activated smart home speaker that allows you to get things done by using your voice, like playing […]
Sorry Alexa. ‘South Park’ Episode Messes With Viewers’ Home Devices…
In Wednesday’s episode, “White People Renovating Houses,” characters repeatedly yelled commands at Amazon Echo and Google Home devices, the Hollywood Reporter reports. Thanks to the nature of voice activation, this led to some chaotic and foul-mouthed results with real-life Echos and Homes across the country…
Amazon Echo Shuts Down Over CIA Connection Query (VIDEO)…
The WikiLeaks ‘Vault 7’ data dump allegedly detailing CIA hacking tactics has again thrown the privacy of electronic devices into focus. One viral video showing an Amazon Echo refusing to confirm a link to the US spy agency is summing up people’s fears. On Tuesday, Wikileaks unexpectedly released 8,761 documents claiming to reveal “CIA hacking […]
Amazon Refuses To Hand Over Privacy Data To Feds…
The U.S. government completely forfeited its moral standing when it was revealed that agencies like the NSA spy on every aspect of day-to-day life. Or at least they try to. In 2016, there is one last bastion of privacy – what is said in the confines of one’s own home. And in 2016, the government […]