Amazon Key

[Boyd]

I guess I'm just getting old, but this really is "Electronics Insanity". You give Amazon access to your home and car via internet connected smart locks (not to mention the ability to snoop with video and audio)... what could possibly go wrong with that? Sounds like a hacker's holy grail.

https://www.amazon.com/b?node=17735409011

 

[46er]

This option sounds interesting.

Plus, if you are a Prime member in an eligible location, you have the option of secure package delivery inside your home or vehicle.

 

[bobpbx]

I have not joined Prime yet. I was shocked to see they have 100,000,000 people who give them $100 per year for faster shipping, movies etc. That is $10 Billion Dollars per year. Astounding. I won't say I'll never get Prime, but something makes me avoid it.

 

[Boyd]

This option sounds interesting.

Yes, that's what I was talking about, letting Amazon into your home and car to make deliveries when you aren't there.

I don't have Amazon Prime either. I probably order 3 or 4 times a year from Amazon, and only when it's something I can't find elsewhere or an expensive item they sell at a significant discount. But my daughter and son in law say they couldn't live without Amazon Prime.

 

[enormiss]

I thought the car idea was very interesting. I dont keep anything valuable in my vehicles I'd be worried about.
It would be great if the UPS guy could put a delivery in my unlocked car and lock it afterwards instead of leaving it on step...

 

[Boyd]

My point was that a data breach could not only give a hacker access to your personal information, but also physical access to your home and car. Is the added convenience worth that risk?

 

[46er]

I feel sorry for the poor delivery guy. If Momma doesn't tell Poppa about an up coming in-home delivery, Sturm may be working overtime. Talk about a stressful job....

 

[46er]

It would be great if the UPS guy could put a delivery in my unlocked car and lock it afterwards instead of leaving it on step...

The way I read it, it is Amazon doing the delivering, not UPS, FedEx, etc. Some of their delivery folks work part time in their Amazon Flex system; it's like an UBER delivery service. Definitely not like Brown.

 

[Boyd]

If Momma doesn't tell Poppa about an up coming in-home delivery, Sturm may be working overtime.

Well that won't happen because Amazon can use the video camera and microphone to see and hear Papa's extracurricular activities (even in the dark!)

Amazon Cloud Cam (Key Edition) indoor security camera features 1080p Full HD, night vision, and two-way audio.

 

[Sue Gremlin]

This is as preposterous as the idea that people would pay a lot of money to install a listening device in their house.


...Oh, wait.

 

[Boyd]

The whole thing boggles my mind. One of the of cable companies is running ads for an Alexa-based remote, touting the advantage of not having to get up off the couch to pick up a remote control a few feet away.

Your right to privacy is an open question in this brave new world because of unresolved legal questions. Remember this story from last year? https://techcrunch.com/2017/03/12/alexa-privacy/

“Notable in the litigation of the Bates case is the fact that there was no Fourth Amendment argument,” explains Ferguson. “In part because that reasonable expectation of privacy has been given up to the third party of Amazon and with a lawful subpoena, it makes it difficult for the individual defendant to claim their Fourth Amendment rights were violated. I think that is a statement of where are terms of how our current constitutional protections are not adequate to protect us from these new smart devices that collect information from us in a whole host of ways.”

 

[bobpbx]

This morning I researched how to turn Cortana assistant off in Windows 10, and then did so. It would start up and use a lot of memory. I had to edit the registry key, something I hate fooling with.

 

[bobpbx]

I have a strong feeling that customer service is going to degrade seriously in the years to come. I bought a laptop from Best Buy last week for someone, and waited patiently for it to come to the door today. Nobody came, so I checked my emails. They canceled the order because they ran out of them. They didn't even tell me why in the email, or suggest a replacement! I had ordered it in the Manahawkin store, so called them. They said "I don't know, can't help you, call corporate people".

 

[46er]

Well that won't happen because Amazon can use the video camera and microphone to see and hear Papa's extracurricular activities (even in the dark!)

And there is also the potential of Amazon changing your lock code and locking you OUT of your house or car, by accident of course The possibilities are almost endless. It could take a version of the ransom virus to new heights.

 

[Jon Holcombe]

IYou give Amazon access to your home and car via internet connected smart locks (not to mention the ability to snoop with video and audio)... what could possibly go wrong with that?

I've been a prime member since 2006. I bought a Mac CPU early on and paid $5 for overnight delivery. That one purchase alone almost paid for the $70 Prime fee (at the time). I buy Sawyer Permethrin, but saw a much cheaper gallon spray JT Eaton alternative on Amazon, now I buy that. I buy underwear, cabling for my computer, headlamp for the woods, chainsaw plus bar oil, vacuum cleaner, on and on. The reviews alone are invaluable, and reviewers often mention better alternative products in a review. I work out of my house, so I save hours, days and weeks of shopping and driving by clicking an order button. Prime also has a streaming channel with tons of free movies and tv shows. Jeff Bezos is a genius and visionary, not unlike Steve Jobs (whose desktop publishing vision allowed me to spend the second half of my career working out of my house). He is the wealthiest man in the world and I think he is underpaid. 37 thousand people die in cars every year, so I guess we should start riding horses again? New technology always prevails.

 

[imkms]

I’ve been a prime member for about 4 years. I discontinued cable TV at the same time so the Prime TV provides some useful viewing. Not attempting to give Amazon a plug, but I’ve found that I can find almost anything on Amazon (in seconds) and save the time and expense shopping at stores, and I usually get it cheaper and at my door step in a day or 2.
You can also,get the Amazon Visa card (free) which then gets you a 5% credit on purchases (and at WholeFoods). You also get a $70 credit when approved. These more than pay for the yearly subscription charge.

 

[bobpbx]

Like I said, I won't completely rule Prime out. But anything I buy from them is not urgent, so I let things pile up in my cart (usually) until I have free shipping, or I wait the extra 3 days for the shipment. Many times I take the longer delivery (5-8 days) for free, and it still shows up 2 or 3 days after I order.

But, he'll figure out a way to make all of us get prime. That's the way he is. I'd like to see a competitor come in now.

 

[46er]

New technology always prevails.

Not always.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...mare-the-driverless-world-feared-but-expected

 

[Jon Holcombe]

Not always.

Maybe, but here's a quote: ""People are going to be aware of this tragedy and this death, even if they are unaware of the hundreds of other people who died in motor crashes today," said Smith."

All technology has risks, but the cost benefit always prevails. You probably drive a car that is already controlled by computers in multiple ways.

 

[46er]

All technology has risks, but the cost benefit always prevails.

I'll go with sometimes; definitely not always.

http://time.com/4704250/most-successful-technology-tech-failures-gadgets-flops-bombs-fails/