How has Google Mini/Alexa improved your life?

[TomRL]

I was tempted, but was scared of by paranoia of Alexa (or 'whatever') listening in or monitoring me.

I already think the vast resources of the Internet contain more personal data about me than I care to know. Having something monitor every sound in hopes of hearing the word Alexa truly creeps me out. So far my home automation system consists of a number of X 10 units placed around the house controlling lights. As my wife and I continue to age, thank God, I may rethink this as it might help us stay independent. Until that day comes I can't see anything convincing me this is worthwhile.

[PN]

The Amazon Echo is not always listening. You can use a program called Wireshark to measure your upstream bandwidth. The Echo is listening for the wake word, "Alexa." I know there was a problem with the newly released Google Home Mini but this was a review unit (was always listening) which was resolved by Google.

[t8burst]

I love my Echos. They can turn the lights on and off without me having to get out of bed. You can also use them as a house intercom. I have my dot connected via bluetooth to my stereo and subsribe to amanzon music which has a great library. And of course there is hours of entertainment doing this

[gjnl]

We might ask a similar question...has Facebook improved your life?

The intrusion of all of these internet platforms is irritating.

If Facebook ends up having to divest itself of user information and give users the right to clean the slate of personal information...watch out any social network and forum...Care Cure Community could be next in having to allow users to expunge any and all of their data and input when any of us decide we want that to happen. I absolutely endorse the right of any of us or our heirs to take down and remove any and all of our comments and information provided to these sources. I understand that the argument is that allowing Care Cure Community members to expunge their input leaves odd gaps in the information stream...get over it...hopefully the consumer is on the way to getting protection of their information and content. I'll probably not see it in my life time...but I am really glad to see people becoming aware of how their information is used and how long it can remain in place.

I remember a family member of a member here asking if he could remove his wife's responses now that she had passed. The answer was...NO! We are the owners of the content we provide and we or our heirs should have the right to remove content. I understand the privacy and usage agreements that we have all accepted, but maybe those should be null and void in light of how information is being misused.

[lynnifer]

How is information at CareCure being misused?

[gjnl]

How is information at CareCure being misused?

How do any of us know? As you should be very aware, there is a continuing lock down on opinions and closing of forums without any explanation, whether on the political spectrum or even the care spectrum. I am getting very wary due to justifiable suspicions of the squelching of opinion on this forum...actually it is kind of creepy.

How many times have you read...this site belongs to Wise Young and (now I am paraphrasing) he will do with it what he damn well pleases...Creepy and now scary!

Maybe I'm just getting paranoid after recent privacy and security concerns at Facebook.

[RollPositive]

I think this post went sideways...Its interesting how some people fear technology...I think the reward far outweighs the risk.

But again if you fear the risk whatever it might be then dont do it.

I cant speak for Alexia but Google works off a Google Gmail account so you could set up a 2nd email which you should anyways and anytime a website ask for you email this is the one you use.

You can also add a 2nd account to any smart phone, or iPad or computer.

But I got to thinking how the mini has helped with my independence and its amazing...when its cold at night and in bed I can warm the house with a simple voice command, I dont have to struggle turning on lights on as I enter and leave rooms.

We to use it as a intercom system...

We are looking at Bond to add home automation to our ceiling fans and lights.



Being able to set our security system with voice and GPS location make one less task we dont need to do.

Social media platforms come and go, educate yourself on opting out of apps, and settings to block your privacy, but look at technology to help our daily challenges.

[PN]

I have both the Amazon Echo and the Google Home. Alexa allows me to talk to my home. It reads my audible books. I can schedule events to remind me when my appointments are and with whom. I also set alarms, timers, listen to podcasts, radio, news, etc. Using the Echo, I do not need four remotes or even one remote to turn on the TV, the Roku, the AVR, the DVD. I can do it all with a single voice command. Sometimes I use it to make phone calls. I set up my Alexa with an iPhone. If you have an Android phone, you can send text messages.

I found the Google Home a little easier to set up. If you are going to use an Amazon Echo with a Harmony Hub, this may take some tech skills.

Amazon will do more when it comes to home automation. Google Home is better when it comes to answering facts or questions because it uses the Google search engine. The Echo has more skills than the Google Home. I just learned today that the Amazon Echo can translate English into different languages.

That's all I can think of at this time.

[Mize]

Jim is imminently approachable in my experience. Have you tried pm'ing him to discuss?

No Alexa/Google for me yet.

[SCI-Nurse]

Not clear why this thread is being hijacked by those paranoid about CareCure and concerned about Microcyn. As a moderator, I can open the old thread (it doesn't take Jim to do this), but if I do, I would move the responses above related to that thread from this one.

(KLD)

PS: the original Microcyn thread has been unlocked, and the off-topic messages here (plus a couple other similar threads on the Care forum) have been combined into that thread. Let's keep this thread on-topic. Thanks.