Daily Review 18/05/2018

8 comments on “Daily Review 18/05/2018 ”

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1. Cinny 1

   18 May 2018 at 5:39 pm

   Big up’s to any and all who were rocking a pink shirt today 🙂

   https://www.pinkshirtday.org.nz/
2. mickysavage 2

   18 May 2018 at 6:12 pm

   If you live in the Waitakere Ranges Local Board area or have whanau who live there don’t forget to vote for Tiaria Fletcher, the progressive candidate, pictured above …

   https://www.facebook.com/tiariaforwaitakererangeslocalboard/
3. Rosemary McDonald 3

   18 May 2018 at 10:38 pm

   Hmmm…so, weird ad popped up on my laptop about half an hour after I held a conversation on the other side of the room while watching a short video on another, off line laptop. A key word in that conversation was the focus of the very weird pop up ad on this laptop which is on line most of the time.

   Third time this has happened…and this time it is definitive. Some device is scooping up conversations and generating targeted ads.

   This makes me really, really uncomfortable.

   A google search tells me this is an actual ‘thing’, so, how do I stop this happening?

   Now, where did I stash that tin foil???
   • greywarshark 3.1

     19 May 2018 at 11:28 am

     Rosemary, that is unpleasant to know. Snooping and sneaking and sly and other words that will come to me in time. I will follow what comes up from your enquiry.

     Thanks DB Brown. I use google but have a search engine Duck Duck Go which says that it won’t keep records and follow me. Google is useful but maybe I should spread my use over more than the few I now use. I will look at using DuckDuckGo.
     • Rosemary McDonald 3.1.1

       19 May 2018 at 11:46 am

       I’m more than a touch rattled, and am uncharacteristically silent around the house as I’m not entirely sure which device is doing the spying.

       There was another example of ‘whoa, weird, you just mentioned that and this ad came up using the same word…’ later last night.

       Quite spooky. I am pretty sure it has something to do with gmail being accessed by me on two devices. I suspect it is my Nokia2 mics eavesdropping and communicating with this lap top which also is logged into gmail. Offspring said log out of gmail….but I can’t figure out how to do that on the phone.

       In the meantime I have zinc oxide tape covering the mics. A low tech solution to a high tech problem.

       The Nokia 2 is google dependent….and its really hard cancelling apps permanently.

       It has been really handy having this phone that’s capable of accessing the internet, especially when we are on the road….but I will flick it and go back to a ‘talk and text’ only phone if I can’t sort this.
   • Draco T Bastard 3.2

     19 May 2018 at 11:58 am

     http://www.iflscience.com/technology/it-s-not-just-your-tv-listening-your-conversation/

     Google also has the “OK Google” feature for both their Android smartphones and its Google Glass headset (if ever Google Glass makes a comeback).

     With both these features, the smartphone begins to act just like the computer in Star Trek, listening all the time for a certain phrase and then responding back when it hears you address it.

     Try it for yourself. On your iPhone, find “Hey Siri” in the settings and turn it on, then shout “Hey Siri” from across the room to ask a question; it’s amazing to set a timer or check the weather hands free! Similarly, on your Android device open the Google search and say “Ok Google” and then speak your request.

     So, given that these features have existed for a while, why are people now becoming concerned about technology listening in to what they say?

     It’s all about privacy and the cloud.

     If the device that came up with the keyword search has Windows with Cortana turned on then it may be that.
   • The Chairman 3.3

     19 May 2018 at 12:28 pm
4. DB Brown 4

   19 May 2018 at 6:55 am

   Hi Rosemary

   I’m not sure how I’ve achieved it, but google has no record of my activity. I have been absent from social media for two years, I always use adblock and never allow apps. Also my cell phone was never connected to the web (old, txt and call only model). I actively block any websites that ever pop up and am vigilant about removing apps – as they can just arrive courtesy of corporate scumbags.

   The rule is, if it’s free – bend over.

   I don’t know that cellphones by default listen to you, but plenty of apps might. Using Siri or any other voice identification software also leaves you wide open for eavesdropping. I also noted when admin on a website many years ago that I could tell what sites visitors came from and where they went when they left. Somehow, even 20 years ago, web-hosts were tracking users.

   Apple actively work on software to protect user privacy and ‘should’ warn you if an app is trying to access your microphone. (I am not an apple customer). Unfortunately the apple products are not cheap.

   That’s right, they’ll sell you your privacy back, no guarantees.

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