Alexa in your hotel room?

[Lamb]

https://money.cnn.com/2018/06/19/technology/amazon-alexa-marriott/index.html

Guests can use the Alexa-enabled device to order room service, turn on the lights, set alarms, notify housekeeping, ask for hotel information, call the front desk, play music and other typical Alexa functions.

In a promo video posted to Amazon.com, a hotel guest is seen using various Echo models, such as the tall silo-shaped signature speaker and the hockey puck-sized Amazon Echo Dot.

This trial will be at the Marriott hotels. Would you use Alexa while staying at a hotel or would you unplug it?

 

[psalms 91]

unplug it

 

[tango]

Why would I want something listening to everything I do and say in a hotel room?

 

[Lamb]

You two must get crazy in the hotel rooms LOL

It wouldn't bother me to have it on since when we travel we pretty much crash once we get into the room and then check out the next day to move onto somewhere else or we're out with family all day. Alexa wouldn't learn too much about us from that limited time.

 

[NewCreation435]

I wouldn't know what to do with it and probably unplug it

 

[tango]

You two must get crazy in the hotel rooms LOL

It wouldn't bother me to have it on since when we travel we pretty much crash once we get into the room and then check out the next day to move onto somewhere else or we're out with family all day. Alexa wouldn't learn too much about us from that limited time.

No need to be crazy to value your privacy.

 

[Krissy Cakes]

Unplug it! Creepy!

 

[Lamb]

Haven't any of you heard about Google already spying on you through your phone? Haven't you had some weird experience where you talk about something and then see an ad for it on Facebook?

I always doubted until it happened to me this week. I bought Swedish Fish candy for my daughter and my husband saw the bag and said, "Mmm Swedish Fish". I told him to not open it. I went on Facebook the next day and there was an ad for Swedish Fish which is weird because the ads are usually clothing ads on there for me!

 

[tango]

Haven't any of you heard about Google already spying on you through your phone? Haven't you had some weird experience where you talk about something and then see an ad for it on Facebook?

I always doubted until it happened to me this week. I bought Swedish Fish candy for my daughter and my husband saw the bag and said, "Mmm Swedish Fish". I told him to not open it. I went on Facebook the next day and there was an ad for Swedish Fish which is weird because the ads are usually clothing ads on there for me!

I think a lot of these advertising things are little more than chance. To one person it's remarkable but in the big scheme of things what it probably means is that someone paid money to send advertising to people who might be interested in that sort of thing, and you just happened to see it right after buying some. I've seen similar reports of people who did nothing more than think of something and within minutes there were adverts for it on Faceache.

Google might be spying via my phone but that doesn't mean I want anything else that might be listening in. I can always turn my phone off, or put it in a box or something. Anything that has a functionality fundamentally based on listening to me gets turned off as a matter of routine. Clicking the remote control isn't that much more work than saying "Hey Alexa, switch this garbage off" or some such.

 

[Lamb]

Maybe later I'll search around to see if anyone has tested to see if it's just coincidence That will be fun research I think. I remember it happening to a friend earlier this year too but it turned out to be national donut day so there went her theory LOL

 

[psalms 91]

They do target you but I think it is more by what you search and buy than mind type things happening. I know if I look at a website then I am bombarded with ads for that site or products I looked at in there