Not fake news

[TrojanHorse]

I'm sure many have seen this. But I haven't seen it posted here. Hoping I can post this link in the coffee shop. This recent story has been in the news and you can find it anywhere.

 

https://www.engadget.com/2016/12/27/amazon-echo-audio-data-murder-case/

 

Thoughts / comments? This could be discussed from many angles.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[kohai]

Interesting.  If they looked at my voice command history they would see about 2 hours of my young boys asking Alexa how heavy the universe is (and the weight of every planet they can come up with).  Those are some really long numbers that Alexa returns with.

 

(You know you're now going to ask her how much Jupiter weighs.)

[jtara92101]

Yea, I saw that.

 

Same day as the story about the first light bulb that works with Apple HomeKit without using a "hub". And so, HomeKit finally "makes progress". (I HATE those Goldman Sachs "makes progress" commercials.  Talk about low expectations!)

 

I wonder if Alexa even keeps the raw audio, once it is processed? Still, whatever they have would be of interest in a murder case.

 

The story you linked was updated with a statement from Amazon that they only release data with a warrant.

 

Seems the cops are up on home automation. They claim to have "retrieve some audio from the device". (Buffered data? And they knew how to get at it?) They also checked the suspect's smart water meter, which showed 140 gallons used between 1AM and 3AM the night of the murder, and speculate it was used to clean away the blood.

[kohai]

Maybe you could program your echo to have a 'call 911' feature.  If you're being attacked, you just yell for Alexa to call 911.

[larryllix]

Might be a good enough fake for that frequent attack anyway, despite Alexa not understanding it.

[apostolakisl]

I have programmed my Amazon echo to trigger the alarm system using IFTTT.

 

IFTTT sends a REST command that runs an ISY program that turns an Elk output on that triggers a relay that is connected to a zone that is a 24 hour instant alarm zone.  Amazing how these things work.

 

Now to the article.  I don't understand the issue with privacy.  We expect privacy in our homes and property . .. of course.  But we have a court system and search warrants that judges issue when probable cause exists.  It has been this way since the constitution was written.  Why a search warrant to look at your Amazon data is any different, I don't know.  The 4th amendment speaks of "papers", because that is how data was stored at the time, but I can't imagine that this would not extend to electronically stored info.

[oberkc]

Wow. I would be very interested in jumping in here, but afraid I would be violating some forum rule about religion and politics.

 

I suppose a broader quote of the Fourth amendment of our constitution cannot be too harmful, can it?

 

"....Upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized..."

[TrojanHorse]

I sort of felt like I was throwing a grenade into a room and seeing what would happen and who would jump on it

 

Seems like most technology is a double edged sword these days (or has it always been like this?). Certainly a homeowners cameras have been used against them previously. I'm recalling the Aaron Hernandez story. He is a low life murderous idiot who I think tried to smash his own cameras to destroy evidence, without realization by he had an NVR.

 

http://abcnews.go.com/US/home-surveillance-video-shows-aaron-hernandez-carrying-gun/story?id=28590598

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Scottmichaelj]

Scott Peterson case they used his trucks gps o track where he was to find his wife Laci.

 

Source:

 

https://www.google.com/amp/www.foxnews.com/story/2004/09/14/gps-expert-testifies-in-peterson-trial.amp.html

 

This is not new though. Insurance companies will soon be denying claims for accidents if your speeding, following too close, etc all based on GPS and data from your car.

[stusviews]

Being at fault cannot be used as a reason for denying insurance. But the insurer can refuse to renew or significantly increase your renewal cost.

[larryllix]

In Canada, 30 days written notice must be given before cancelling insurance coverage. I would assume most of N.Am would be the same to protect people from the evils of insurance money making attempts.

[Scottmichaelj]

Being at fault cannot be used as a reason for denying insurance. But the insurer can refuse to renew or significantly increase your renewal cost.

My point was possibly in the future as this stuff becomes the norm.

 

Edit: IE where I said "will soon"

[stusviews]

The very purpose of automobile insurance is for protection when you are at fault, so denying payment in that situation is not an option that the insurer has.

[MWareman]

In other not fake news (not home automation related, but I assume most of us are coffee aficionados... And this is the 'coffee ship's after all....) - a guy in California is fighting a DUI charge due to caffeine... https://www.yahoo.com/news/man-california-fighting-caffeine-dui-192312988.html

 

So, UDI staff.... Watch how much coffee you drink while toiling on 5.x... [/sarc]

[stusviews]

Here's the latest on the DUI.. http://www.kcra.com/article/da-drops-dui-charge-after-fairfield-man-tests-positive-for-caffeine/8543519

[MWareman]

Here's the latest on the DUI.. http://www.kcra.com/article/da-drops-dui-charge-after-fairfield-man-tests-positive-for-caffeine/8543519

Caved under pressure I'd say...

[stusviews]

Legal pressure...

[TrojanHorse]

Interesting comments. I wanted to see where this would go, not necessarily steer it.  

I like the idea of "the truth shall set ye free" but not "nothing to hide nothing to fear"

 

Thinking less philosophically for the moment, there was talk about insurance, although not about DUIC (*caffeine) offenses specifically   

The talk of car insurance got me thinking about my home insurance - I don't try to claim the premium deduction for my fire / CO / burglar alarm.  I'm confident I installed a solid system (that we use!), but my view is the savings (for me anyway) wasn't enough to fund a battle I don't want to fight in the event of a loss.  

 

sorry so OT (if there is one), but there was nearly a serious electrical fire near my house on Christmas.  High winds and rain here in MN knocked what i'm told by my electrical engineer neighbor was a 17,000 volt split phase (8,500 to ground per line) wire down (possible? scary)  Pre-transformer, these lines are near our houses.  It started the pavement on fire.  They fixed it, then the 2nd of 3 lines broke near the same pole 3 hours later.  I took videos if anyone wants to see.  

 

Could this be caused by an "All On"? 

I'm told it's fixed now   

[larryllix]

Interesting comments. I wanted to see where this would go, not necessarily steer it.  

I like the idea of "the truth shall set ye free" but not "nothing to hide nothing to fear"

 

Thinking less philosophically for the moment, there was talk about insurance, although not about DUIC (*caffeine) offenses specifically   

The talk of car insurance got me thinking about my home insurance - I don't try to claim the premium deduction for my fire / CO / burglar alarm.  I'm confident I installed a solid system (that we use!), but my view is the savings (for me anyway) wasn't enough to fund a battle I don't want to fight in the event of a loss.  

 

sorry so OT (if there is one), but there was nearly a serious electrical fire near my house on Christmas.  High winds and rain here in MN knocked what i'm told by my electrical engineer neighbor was a 17,000 volt split phase (8,500 to ground per line) wire down (possible? scary)  Pre-transformer, these lines are near our houses.  It started the pavement on fire.  They fixed it, then the 2nd of 3 lines broke near the same pole 3 hours later.  I took videos if anyone wants to see.  

 

Could this be caused by an "All On"? 

I'm told it's fixed now   

It would be a three phase system. Every area varies but we have 8200/14,200 or 8000/13,800 volt systems here, commonly in the cities.

When their lines get knocked down they can burn for along time until a sufficient return current is conducted through the earth to trip out the overcurrent devices back at the station.

 

Lots of soils aren't  that good of a conductor to blow a fuse etc.. and I'm sure nobody wanted to push the sparking end down into the mud with their foot,

 

Yeah you keep your legs together and you hop away to avoid frying tender parts.