I don't understand how it doesn't turn Amazon Echo owners into ISP against their will, nor how a company can decide to use a customer's resources without consent (data usage/quota/cap, etc., electronic fog, etc.).
Amazon Sidewalk
211–220 of 687 posts
Re: Amazon Sidewalk
#212Earlier quoted context omitted.
> consumers are imposing it on themselves willingly Without reasonable alternative and without consent is like a LEO version of 'willing'.
You can buy commercial displays (ie. the ones used for signs). It's worse and more expensive, but it's still an alternative.
TVs without smart features used to be priced like TVs still are now; the one I'm still using cost me something like $300 several years ago.
Those commercial displays are priced for businesses to afford. It's not something the average consumer is going to reasonably buy - especially not lower-income people.
(As an aside, it's fucked that the cheaper devices that low-income people can afford are always the ones with the most surveillance.)
Re: Amazon Sidewalk
#213Earlier quoted context omitted.
> It's hard to market something that costs more and has what most people would perceive to be fewer features. I'd pay for privacy and control. The other option like I've said is to recycle and mod smart tvs and rewrite their logic so that the user can do wathever he wants. Maybe marketing the modding kits. That would be more akin to those people who install custom open source bios on IBM Thinkpads.
Recycling and modding would be great, but I'd also like to be able to buy a new high-end TV without smart features.
You can, sceptre makes a number of models, all of which have no smart features at all. Aimed for the home market
Re: Amazon Sidewalk
#214This is a blatant attempt at using their market power to gain a dominant position in IoT connectivity by creating a parallel Network where Net Neutrality does not apply. If this succeeds, only Amazon approved devices will be allowed on this global Network connecting only to aws provided services thereby establishing a monopoly on non-cellular IoT connectivity. After Apples recent move in the same direction with their…
These are private LANs. They don't own a public network. It will piggyback on your home ISP. I'm pretty sure this is just to simplify IoT network discovery
Re: Amazon Sidewalk
#215Earlier quoted context omitted.
Our only recourse at this point are very strict laws that require all devices that do this to periodically and very explicitly state they are doing so, also providing the option to turn the 'feature' off. The important part then is that failure to comply needs to result in personal liability for retailers, distributors and manufacturers. That second part is the one that will probably never come true but it is the onl…
I disagree... can you honestly tell me that you absolutely require to have an Amazon device? Or a smart TV? I can understand if they were putting microphones into the electrical sockets when your house was being built... you need to have electricity. The solution is don't fucking buy the items... when they see a drop in sales, even a few percent, they'll take notice. Or, god forbid, get your old TV repaired! Mandatin…
This is definitely one of the more naive free market takes I’ve seen recently…
Re: Amazon Sidewalk
#216I am sure they will build that sidewalk stack into every possible device they can. It’s going to be a terrible thing given how Amazon has no scruples about surveillance and tracking. It will happily build back doors into this to sell to law enforcement too.
Re: Amazon Sidewalk
#217Earlier quoted context omitted.
Our only recourse at this point are very strict laws that require all devices that do this to periodically and very explicitly state they are doing so, also providing the option to turn the 'feature' off. The important part then is that failure to comply needs to result in personal liability for retailers, distributors and manufacturers. That second part is the one that will probably never come true but it is the onl…
I disagree... can you honestly tell me that you absolutely require to have an Amazon device? Or a smart TV? I can understand if they were putting microphones into the electrical sockets when your house was being built... you need to have electricity. The solution is don't fucking buy the items... when they see a drop in sales, even a few percent, they'll take notice. Or, god forbid, get your old TV repaired! Mandatin…
Repair is not always possible.. Consider a TV with a shattered panel. You'll have to depend on the manufacturer to make this party available, which usually they won't because they'd much rather sell you a new one.
I don't think there's anything wrong with government regulations. Yes they listen to lobbies too much but it's a different issue that should also be addressed.
Re: Amazon Sidewalk
#218Is there anyway to opt out of this?
Re: Amazon Sidewalk
#219Earlier quoted context omitted.
"Dumb TVs" would cost more. It's hard to market something that costs more and has what most people would perceive to be fewer features. They would cost more because post-sale content sales and advertising generate revenue for TV manufacturers, which they use to subsidise the device sale price, because it's such a competitive, low-margin, market.
I may be living in my own small little bubble but I don't know anybody shopping for anything because their smart TV showed an ad. Everything ads seem to do is just piss some people off. Then again I remember that if commercials weren't successful, TV as we know it would not exist. People gobbling up ads and buying stuff because of that is why ads are still being used after all. After all... https://www.nytimes.com/19…
There's also the factor that whoever owns the platform showing the ads doesn't care whether the ads are effective. So long as your eyeballs are tracking it, they'll get paid anyway.
Re: Amazon Sidewalk
#220Earlier quoted context omitted.
"Dumb TVs" would cost more. It's hard to market something that costs more and has what most people would perceive to be fewer features. They would cost more because post-sale content sales and advertising generate revenue for TV manufacturers, which they use to subsidise the device sale price, because it's such a competitive, low-margin, market.
> It's hard to market something that costs more and has what most people would perceive to be fewer features. I'd pay for privacy and control. The other option like I've said is to recycle and mod smart tvs and rewrite their logic so that the user can do wathever he wants. Maybe marketing the modding kits. That would be more akin to those people who install custom open source bios on IBM Thinkpads.
> I'd pay for privacy and control.
Then buy a monitor. They have HDMI ports so they can get whatever video feed you need. Some even have speakers.