WATCH: Administrator post-splashdown news conference at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
More information: https://bit.ly/3glajLa
Companies like Google and Facebook don’t have to charge you for their product, because you are the product they’re selling—or at least your data is. One individual’s internet habits, shopping tendencies, and interests aren’t that valuable, but when Google owns that data for the majority of internet users the value is enormous. Like Google and Facebook, Amazon understands how profitable data can be and their Alexa service on Echo devices is one avenue to gather it. MSCHF’s Alexagate is a device you can attach to your Amazon Echo to prevent it from listening to your conversations until you’re ready.
Amazon, like Google and Apple, denies that they use Alexa to spy on customers’ conversations. But there is quite a lot of evidence to the contrary. Even in the unlikely event that they’re telling the truth, Amazon is absolutely tracking your Alexa usage data. The Alexagate device physically prevents an Echo device from hearing anything you’re saying until you deactivate the audio blocking capability in order to intentionally issue a command. This is very similar to Bjørn Karmann’s Project Alias device that we covered a couple of years ago. Project Alias was just a concept prototype, but Alexagate is a real product that you can order right now.
Alexagate is an attractive yellow device that sits on top of your Amazon Echo (first generation through third generation). When you don’t want Amazon listening to you through the Alexa service, the device emits ultrasound pulses through transducers directed towards the Echo’s microphone. Those can’t be heard by the human ear, but they are picked up by the Echo and drown out whatever conversation is happening in the area. When you do want Alexa to listen to you, you just clap three times or tap Alexagate three times to temporarily deactivate the ultrasound transducers. The limited edition Alexagate device costs $99 — possibly more than you spent on the Echo itself, but that’s a small price to pay if you value both your privacy and the convenience that Alexa offers.
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WATCH: WKRG News 5 is covering the historical SpaceX Return in the Gulf Coast.
Crews are in position to capture this memorable event near Pensacola. The splashdown is scheduled around 1:40 PM.
Sao Paulo State Governor Joao Doria displays a box of the COVID-19 vaccine produced by the Chinese company Sinovac Biotech at the Hospital das Clinicas (HC) in Sao Paulo State, during its trial stage, during a press conference in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on July 21, 2020 amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. — The vaccine trial will be carried out in Brazil in partnership with the Brazilian Research Institute Butanta. (Photo by Nelson ALMEIDA / AFP) (Photo by NELSON ALMEIDA/AFP via Getty Images)
Jeep is known for its capable and impressive SUVs with the Wrangler being its most-popular off-roader, hands down. But today’s SUVs need to be more capable than ever as more and more brands move to fuel efficiency and electrified powertrains. With the highly-anticipated Ford Bronco set to steal customers away from the reigning Wrangler king, Jeep isn’t going to allow that to happen. Enter, the newly electrified Wrangler.
Jeep recently teased a new addition to the Wrangler lineup by way of an electrified powertrain. According to MotorTrend, FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) shared at its 2020 annual shareholder meeting earlier in the year that Jeep was on track to launch a hybrid powertrain project for its off-roading SUVs, starting with the Wrangler.
Continue reading “Is the Jeep Wrangler 4xe EV Here Just to Keep You Away From the Ford Bronco?” »
A SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft will make its first splashdown with NASA astronauts today in the Gulf of Mexico. Watch it live.
Just a few years ago, low cost natural gas was the main force pushing coal out of the power generation market, and now low cost solar power is sneaking up on low cost natural gas. So far the competition is a trickle, not a flood. However, natural gas stakeholders don’t have much breathing room left, as indicated by the latest perovskite solar cell research.
Confidential computing is the solution that allows both people and entities to keep data confidential and still put it to use.
