This is going to mess up the voice detection. It's keyed off of the original trigger word and knows who is talking to it so you get reminders and other items specific to that person.
Project Alias hacks Amazon Echo and Google Home to protect privacy
31–40 of 301 posts
Re: Project Alias hacks Amazon Echo and Google Home to protect privacy
#32Do Alex and Google have software APIs? Can you make a hardware device (eg Raspberry Pi) that listens for a wake up then sends to the API? Seems more elegant. As a bonus, maybe your device could understand "Alexa..." and "OK Google..." and send to the relevant API. Use Alexa for shopping and Google for searches?
Google assistant has an API here [0], and Alexa has a fairly large amount of documentation here [1]. In theory, the devices already claim to do this. If you don't trust that they do, you probably shouldn't have one full stop.
[0] https://developers.google.com/assistant/sdk/overview [1] https://developer.amazon.com/alexa
Re: Project Alias hacks Amazon Echo and Google Home to protect privacy
#33You could also just not buy one of those awful things. I have never seen a legitimate use for it that wasn't misplaced adolescent tech fantasies (omg I can tell big brother to make coffee and my keurig starts up!). But maybe my line of business has made me excessively paranoid / niche I would like to make an edit: functionality for those with disabilities is a huge use-case I did not consider. Thank you for your insi…
I'm probably biased because I lived my early childhood behind the Iron Curtain but I can't for the life of me understand why someone would buy these. The cost-benefit is just not there.
Probably an overestimated cost.
Re: Project Alias hacks Amazon Echo and Google Home to protect privacy
#34Do Alex and Google have software APIs? Can you make a hardware device (eg Raspberry Pi) that listens for a wake up then sends to the API? Seems more elegant. As a bonus, maybe your device could understand "Alexa..." and "OK Google..." and send to the relevant API. Use Alexa for shopping and Google for searches?
There's this: https://developers.google.com/assistant/sdk/
Re: Project Alias hacks Amazon Echo and Google Home to protect privacy
#35This can be seen as a step towards privacy hardware. Maybe a special hardware to protect the privacy of people who uses this kinda of gadgets
Re: Project Alias hacks Amazon Echo and Google Home to protect privacy
#36So doesn't Alexa already not record until you say the trigger word? If we don't trust that that is the case, then sure this device covers that, but it doesn't change the fact that they are still collecting data on every command you issue to the device.
The microphone on the Alexa needs to be constantly active so that it can hear its name (the trigger name). The point of this device is to defeat the microphone, by playing white noise.
But yes this device does not address what data is captured after you have engaged your smart assistant (nor is trying to address that issue)
Re: Project Alias hacks Amazon Echo and Google Home to protect privacy
#37So doesn't Alexa already not record until you say the trigger word? If we don't trust that that is the case, then sure this device covers that, but it doesn't change the fact that they are still collecting data on every command you issue to the device.
That is correct! Google, Amazon, and Apple despite having vast resources don't have the ability/desire to pay for the bandwidth, storage, and processing needed to have 24/7 recording and analysis from every smart device, especially when you realize that includes cell phones.
Also it is ironic because all modern cellphones have the whole smart speaker thing built into them but people aren't freaking out about that in the same way. (Probably because they haven't realized it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)
Re: Project Alias hacks Amazon Echo and Google Home to protect privacy
#38You could also just not buy one of those awful things. I have never seen a legitimate use for it that wasn't misplaced adolescent tech fantasies (omg I can tell big brother to make coffee and my keurig starts up!). But maybe my line of business has made me excessively paranoid / niche I would like to make an edit: functionality for those with disabilities is a huge use-case I did not consider. Thank you for your insi…
Do you have kids? I have three small ones, and they are just starting to desire technology. From my perspective, letting them control music (which they want, and I want them to have) is much better using a Google Home device than giving them access to my phone or tablet.
If you don't have kids, you have no idea how loud and aggressively they will scream when they want something, and especially when these devices are visible to them (if you "need" to respond to a text message, etc).
Yes, it is a devil's bargain. Yes, I'm sure some families are able to, through sheer force of will, completely restrict access to technology. In my family, we are acknowledging we have lost the battle to prevent them from using technology and are seeking solutions that help them manage their desires and create healthy boundaries. I guess we can all argue over what is "healthy" and "normal."
Things like Google Home and Family Link (all from Google) do allow us to control access in a way that I prefer.
So, this "hack" is really exciting because I do care that my two year old already knows Google as a brand.
I'm open to hearing suggestions and have even attempted to build my own open source alternatives, but using voice is a modality that is preferable for so many reasons, and I don't see alternatives that won't be worse.
Re: Project Alias hacks Amazon Echo and Google Home to protect privacy
#39I get that this is an art project, but I think it would be more effective as a privacy device if it inserted a switch inline with the microphone, doing away with the "white noise" entirely. :)
Re: Project Alias hacks Amazon Echo and Google Home to protect privacy
#40"Project Alias offers an independent layer of protection to any privacy-minded person"
how>? that makes no sense. only because it wakes it for you? i think its good that you need to talk to google or some company, at least then you have an honest picture where your data goes :D. most useless machine in the world, apart from the damn home-AI nonsense itself :D