Virginia Gun Owners Forum - VGOF

All these gadgets, devices, and appliances with cameras, microphones, and sensors... I do not like them. This linked article talks about these things helping to solve murders. But, all I see is people buying the equipment to bug their own houses.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2017 ... der-plots/

I don't trust this stuff. Not at all.

Now where did I put that foil hat....

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Just don't buy a GPS-equipped shovel.

why I keep a wi-fi net at home called deadair, for all the devices that demand a network... but the joke's on them, there is no gateway of the net.

Let's not cover "Smart TVs", or Amazon "Echo".

At this point? My next home? All the Wi-Fi, inturwebz, and stuff will be in a soundproof central locations with warnings to "BE CAREFUL!".

I'm starting to view the fact that internet is virtually unavailable at my house (both actual house, and vacation spot) as a positive.

I have no idea what Amazon Echo is, but I have seen it referenced a few times, lately. I suppose that I could look it up, but I just don't care. I can tell by the context of the references that it's not something that I have any use for.

This is getting positively Orwellian. I've long held that modern conveniences would prove to be our downfall; I still maintain that stance, but the reasoning has changed.

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About 2 yrs. ago, we bought a Sleep-Number bed that had all the bells and whistles. When the installation team came to put it together, they wanted to know the address for our wifi network so they could connect the bed to the internet. When I questioned this, they said that the company could monitor our sleeping habits and tell us the best settings for our maximum comfort. I told them I was perfectly capable of determining my own comfort and was NOT giving anyone access to my home network. I later discovered that allowing them to monitor the bed would have resulted in a $300 annual charge.

What terrifies me besides the TV's, Beds, Appliances, Phones, and such? Wireless Security Systems.

You can hack/whack those puppies, gain entry, and never even realize it till you start noticing things missing.

Watched one of the people in my circle hack a Wi-fi security camera, and start viewing it on his phone... his response. "If I can hack the alarm system, I can literally digital loop everything, and they'll never know I was there."

(shakes head)

SHMIV wrote:I have no idea what Amazon Echo is, but I have seen it referenced a few times, lately.

its a $40 computer you talk to. you can yell "hey Alexa whats tomorrows weather" from across the room, and it will look up the info for you. Downside, is a continuously 'hot' microphone in the house, and an exceptionally crappy user agreement that all but gives amazon the right to do anything with the information heard, and change the agreement in the future at any time for any reason.

I'm betting that the lawyers for the state argue, that you've got a right to privacy in your home, but once you've invited a 3rd party into the home, there is no longer an expectation of privacy, so the right has terminated. And the echo is that 3rd party.

^^^ Shmiv -- it is the equivalent of a voice-activated Google search. It does require a key word for activation but even in a simple discussion that uses the key word it will begin to do something -- never know what...but something.

http://fortune.com/2016/12/27/amazon-echo-murder/

also note in this case the 'smart water meter' recorded an abnormal amount of water being used during the time of the possible crime, that they are using as circumstantial evidence of a incomplete cleanup of the crime scene.

Yes, its ALL watching you.

Wasn't all that long ago, that spying on schoolkids via their laptop's webcam, was all over the news. People have such short memories.

I have an Echo. I love it. I have the full model with speaker and all. It is cool. If you live in a tin foil hat world you'll never have any fun. Life is too short for that. I am not saying I live with my guard up, but certain things you just have to get over and enjoy being.

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Just had a conversation with some people on FB about this issue. Apparently Alexa is being used in a murder investigation somewhere. They were all freaked out about it. I told them they're tracked by car gps, satellite radio, credit/debit card use, and on and on. My suggestion to them if they don't want to be tracked as much - throw it all away, use cash and get a horse.

Swampman wrote:I told them they're tracked by car gps, satellite radio, credit/debit card use, and on and on.

I'm gonna guess that they were freakin' out all over FaceBook and via text... on their phones!! They voluntarily carry around a tracking device.

Just glad this is my line of work, so I can determine just how invasive - or not - things should be.

Side note, don't install the Facebook app.

@Ironbear - yeah they were freakin' out on the FB app on their phone. Isn't that what everyone does these days? Don't we all carry around a tracking device? Anyone who drives a car that's only a few years old drives a tracking device.

@Mindflayer - please elaborate on your last suggestion.

curious what MF has to say as well, but my views on it:

The facebook app on mobile devices is known to harvest quite a bit of data even when in the background. Location, browsing, shopping, messaging, etc...

Not only does this have negative effects on battery usage, it also has a bad behavior regarding data sharing/privacy. Because of the ULA, you're basically given the take-it/leave-it option. There is no way to limit what the app can do. Therefore most IT/Security people will tell you take the leave-it option, and don't install the app.

Not only facebook.
One day, people around me talked about a certain subject, and 2 minutes later when I took the phone to search something on google, before I get to type anything, the suggestions were for the things discussed earlier.

All of these Internet connected devices have poor security implementations as well. Your Internet-connected lightbulb manufacturer is just concerned with the light turning on and off when you tap on the app button from your phone. They're not concerned about who else could have control of your lights.

After working with this stuff all day, I can't get to an off-grid homestead fast enough. Technology was supposed to be a convenience; instead it will be the means of our modern-day enslavement.

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a shotgun, a rifle, and a 4 wheel drive...