I was a toddler when Star Trek first aired, and I’m told that I was a fan from the beginning. (My sister eventually learned to fake-faint…
Tag: alexa
OPLIN 4Cast #601: The (very) dark side of smart home devices
Posted in 4cast, and Internet of Things
New technologies have always had pros and cons. After all, technology of any sort is only a tool, and it is how it is used…
OPLIN 4Cast #595: The sound of another security headache for smart speakers
Posted in 4cast, and Voice-activated assistants
Audio viruses are not a new thing, although they certainly haven’t gotten the attention that other kinds of hacks and malware have. As early as…
I have long held that I won’t be buying any kind of home AI assistant (e.g., Alexa and her ilk). I have some serious concerns…
OPLIN 4Cast #577: They’re all over the news: are they in your home?
Posted in 4cast, and Smart assistants
My son has been after me to buy an Alexa or a Google Home, after he saw one in action at a friend’s house. “They’re…
Amazon.com is certainly known as a large internet-based company, but just how massive it’s become may have flown under most people’s radar. For instance, 7.5%…
OPLIN 4cast #546: Voice searching
Posted in 4cast
Two weeks ago, Mary Meeker presented her annual, highly anticipated internet trends report, complete with a deck of 355 slides. We have posted about the…
The tech giants are at it again, in a brand-new arena. This time, the competition isn’t websites, tablets or phones; it’s personal assistants. With the success…