Alexa or Google Assistant?

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A friend has one, and I asked him about swearing to it, so he did "Hey Google, Go.."

"That's not very nice. if you have an issue with Google, you can contact our service dept.." or something like that. cute, a good laugh after a few Jamiesons' :D
 
Ez2cDave said:
So, you block the ads, but it's still listening, recording, and reporting everything you say . . . Sounds like a good deal to me - NOT !

Dave F.
Click to expand...
The Google device only listens to the key phrase and then once it hears the phrase, it sends what is said after it up to the cloud and a reply/action back. It doesn't send any data except after its triggered by the key phrase. Alexa does listen to more which is one of the reasons I didn't go with the Alexa.
 
heada said:
The Google device only listens to the key phrase and then once it hears the phrase, it sends what is said after it up to the cloud and a reply/action back. It doesn't send any data except after its triggered by the key phrase. Alexa does listen to more which is one of the reasons I didn't go with the Alexa.
Click to expand...

I am having a hard time believing that Google would be the "least intrusive" product . . . Naturally, the "sources of information" that tell you the "facts" might be highly-biased. at best, or deeply involved themselves. For me, personally, I don't want any "smart devices" in my home.

Dave F.
 
Ez2cDave said:
I am having a hard time believing that Google would be the "least intrusive" product . . . Naturally, the "sources of information" that tell you the "facts" might be highly-biased. at best, or deeply involved themselves. For me, personally, I don't want any "smart devices" in my home.

Dave F.
Click to expand...
I work in IT and sometimes think myself smarter about IT things than the general public. I was curious what my Google pod was doing so I setup a packet capture for all ipv4 and ipv6 traffic for it. It does do keep-alive type connections once an hour or so but the only time it actually does data packets is when it's activated. If you don't believe me, do it yourself. You can get a pod dirt cheap and Wireshark on a PC is free. You can upload the capture and people will review it for you if you don't know how to read it yourself.
 
heada said:
I work in IT and sometimes think myself smarter about IT things than the general public. I was curious what my Google pod was doing so I setup a packet capture for all ipv4 and ipv6 traffic for it. It does do keep-alive type connections once an hour or so but the only time it actually does data packets is when it's activated. If you don't believe me, do it yourself. You can get a pod dirt cheap and Wireshark on a PC is free. You can upload the capture and people will review it for you if you don't know how to read it yourself.
Click to expand...

Granted, that may be what it does "automatically", but can it be remotely-activated to "listen in", at will ?

Dave F.
 
I'd be more worried about your smart phone than a home assistant. Your phone actually has enough power in it to process the audio stream, albeit not in real time.

Anything with a mic or speaker and a net connection can send data up. Yes, you can run a speaker backwards as a crude mic and it works.
 
heada said:
I'd be more worried about your smart phone than a home assistant. Your phone actually has enough power in it to process the audio stream, albeit not in real time.

Anything with a mic or speaker and a net connection can send data up. Yes, you can run a speaker backwards as a crude mic and it works.
Click to expand...

That is why I don't have a smart phone, only a "bare bones" flip-phone with talk & text, no internet.

Dave F.
 
As long as your phone can connect to the 3G network or better, it can send data even if you don't have a data plan. Your provider can be tracking you even on your flip-phone. How do you know that they aren't?
 
I started using "Hey Google" recently while I'm driving, to turn on Bluetooth and play music. It hasn't yet proved useful otherwise.

Everyone in my household has a Kindle Fire of some sort. On occasion we would hear one chirp; and at times we would hear Alexa say something along the lines of not understanding what we said or to repeat it. So Alexa was listening. We don't know what the trigger phrase is but "Hey Alexa" isn't a common phrase we speak in the house
We have since turned off Alexa on all our devices, they come with it on.

A device that listens for a trigger phrase is listening. And that's all there is to it. Storing, sending, logging...well that's something entirely different. And anything that listens can mis-hear words, or misunderstand what is spoken, which may lead to false triggers, which we think was happening with our Fire tablets.

I have an Android phone and use Facebook and never have any ads pop up because of my conversations. Now, if I go to Google and search for something then stuff like that will pop up on Facebook, and on TRF and any other site that has ad services. That's Google sharing info, not Facebook spying. I would imagine all search engines do it.

But...back before Christmas we had some down time at work and that leads to interesting conversations. One "anti-nerd" guy (cares mostly about sports) started a conversation about space travel, bombs in space, anti-gravity booby traps and soke more general nonsense. He got on Facebook later and had ads about new Sci-fi books coming out. Never read sci-fi in his life. He has an IPhone and uses Siri. Don't know anything about his phone settings, permissions, linked accounts or anything, I just know he had ads pop up from his conversations.
 
heada said:
As long as your phone can connect to the 3G network or better, it can send data even if you don't have a data plan. Your provider can be tracking you even on your flip-phone. How do you know that they aren't?
Click to expand...

Good question . . . One that I have asked myself, in fact.

Whenever I am "talking politics" or going anywhere I don't want "documented", I don't have it on me.
Plus, I'm sort of a "car nut", so I drive a "pre-electronics" vehicle, at those times, and leave the GPS at home.
I also only spend cash on those trips, the "chipped" cards stay home, too.

Dave F.
 
I was in the "no way no how" camp until a few weeks ago. My dad is having some health issues and they wanted to set up devices so that he could call for help if needed without being able to reach a phone. I believe that they can't call 911 but there are emergency alert services available for free or nearly free. All of a sudden, that made sense. I don't want one for myself, but I can see a few reasonable use cases.

I don't really get the value of being able to turn on lights and thermostat, but I'm a bit of a Luddite that direction.
 
Steve Shannon said:
My wife also has MS and our Alexa show simply makes it easier for her. Her fine motor control is slowly going away and we can add automation devices to our home that she can use.
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear about the wife. MS sucks... I have it, but im not about to let it get to me. I was a professional musician for almost 50 years, stringed instruments. Now iv'e had to switch to playing bass because i lost a lot of feeling in my left hand and arm. I have RR type. Copaxone...
 
speed said:
Sorry to hear about the wife. MS sucks... I have it, but im not about to let it get to me. I was a professional musician for almost 50 years, stringed instruments. Now iv'e had to switch to playing bass because i lost a lot of feeling in my left hand and arm. I have RR type. Copaxone...
Click to expand...

My wife’s is primary progressive probably. It has been a slow but steady decrease in abilities since June 2002. Somehow she stays positive and fun. I’m lucky.
Good for you not letting it get to you. We were on Copaxone in about 2005 or so. We know a lot of RR MS patients who do really well. I hope that for you.
 
MikeyDSlagle said:
I started using "Hey Google" recently while I'm driving, to turn on Bluetooth and play music. It hasn't yet proved useful otherwise.

Everyone in my household has a Kindle Fire of some sort. On occasion we would hear one chirp; and at times we would hear Alexa say something along the lines of not understanding what we said or to repeat it. So Alexa was listening. We don't know what the trigger phrase is but "Hey Alexa" isn't a common phrase we speak in the house
We have since turned off Alexa on all our devices, they come with it on.

A device that listens for a trigger phrase is listening. And that's all there is to it. Storing, sending, logging...well that's something entirely different. And anything that listens can mis-hear words, or misunderstand what is spoken, which may lead to false triggers, which we think was happening with our Fire tablets.

I have an Android phone and use Facebook and never have any ads pop up because of my conversations. Now, if I go to Google and search for something then stuff like that will pop up on Facebook, and on TRF and any other site that has ad services. That's Google sharing info, not Facebook spying. I would imagine all search engines do it.

But...back before Christmas we had some down time at work and that leads to interesting conversations. One "anti-nerd" guy (cares mostly about sports) started a conversation about space travel, bombs in space, anti-gravity booby traps and soke more general nonsense. He got on Facebook later and had ads about new Sci-fi books coming out. Never read sci-fi in his life. He has an IPhone and uses Siri. Don't know anything about his phone settings, permissions, linked accounts or anything, I just know he had ads pop up from his conversations.
Click to expand...

This post pretty much sums it up . . . They ALL "listen in".

Dave F.
 
Update to an old thread. We went Alexa and now have an Alexa device in nearly every room. These include dots, flexes, and various sizes of Echo Shows. The flex devices are cool because they are incredibly cheap, making them good for the garage and back porch. I'll probably add a motion sensor to the garage flex. Still planning to set up a pihole.

First off, recall that I don't give a flip about who's listening - they'd be incredibly bored.

We're still just beginning to use all the possible functions: A little bit of automation, my wife can control the room lights and ceiling fan from her bed. The home communication is highly appreciated - she can call me anywhere with an 'announce' message. Of course, it can also make regular phone calls. The music and news are excellent, and the alarms and timers are hugely useful. We're barely into using any of the skills, but I'm sure we'll get there. The recipes (there's a show in the kitchen), and other topics (including local weather) that continuously scroll on the show are often interesting and useful. Browser on the show seems to work fine.

So, for the original question of this thread, I'm sold on Alexa (but Google is probably ok too)(and if you're in the neither camp, that's fine also).

I'm planning another Amazon addition soon that I'll report on when I get it installed.
 
Here's my twist to the question: My mom lives in a nursing home (assisted living) and doesn't do computers. At the same time, due to COVID, we can't visit her in person. All we have is phone calls and, because I'm hard of hearing/deaf, I can't use a telephone well and usually rely on email and text messaging which Mom doesn't do. So, calling her takes effort. I can understand most of what Mom says if I sit in my wife's new car and we connect her phone to the sound system or I have to set up my text transcription telephone which kind of works... if Mom doesn't talk to fast (and she usually does). Otherwise, I do okay-ish on Zoom calls if the connection is good.

Is there a device, tablet, Alexa, Echo, Portal, etc. that we can set up at home, and send to her, that will work out of the box for her to video chat, send/receive text message, etc. that she could easily understand with just a few printed instructions on a piece of paper?
 
Peartree said:
Here's my twist to the question: My mom lives in a nursing home (assisted living) and doesn't do computers. At the same time, due to COVID, we can't visit her in person. All we have is phone calls and, because I'm hard of hearing/deaf, I can't use a telephone well and usually rely on email and text messaging which Mom doesn't do. So, calling her takes effort. I can understand most of what Mom says if I sit in my wife's new car and we connect her phone to the sound system or I have to set up my text transcription telephone which kind of works... if Mom doesn't talk to fast (and she usually does). Otherwise, I do okay-ish on Zoom calls if the connection is good.

Is there a device, tablet, Alexa, Echo, Portal, etc. that we can set up at home, and send to her, that will work out of the box for her to video chat, send/receive text message, etc. that she could easily understand with just a few printed instructions on a piece of paper?
Click to expand...
You might want to explore Google Translate for mobile devices (Android phones/tablets). It's designed to translate verbal language in real time. For example, translate spoken Spanish to written (display) English in near real time. Spoken English to written (display) English should be fairly easy. I believe there is integration into the Google Home display devices but I'm not sure.

You can also test Google Meet (video conf tool) with live CC. We use it at work and it's 95% there.
 
heada said:
You might want to explore Google Translate for mobile devices (Android phones/tablets). It's designed to translate verbal language in real time. For example, translate spoken Spanish to written (display) English in near real time. Spoken English to written (display) English should be fairly easy. I believe there is integration into the Google Home display devices but I'm not sure.

You can also test Google Meet (video conf tool) with live CC. We use it at work and it's 95% there.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I'll have to look at that.
 
Put a "Siri", "Alexa" "Google Assistant", and a "Furby" in the same room, near each other, and watch the "festivities" . . . They can all "go format themselves", as far as I'm concerned !

Dave F.
 

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