In the News
Voice assistants are expanding their market. Is Amazon’s Alexa ready to leave home and become a wearable voice assistant? Tom Warren at TechCrunch discusses three new Amazon Alexa products that were recently announced and their potential for the expansion of Alexa devices outside of the home. The three products, Echo Buds, Echo Loop, and Echo Frames aim to bring Amazon into the market for daily voice assistants on the go.
Our Take
Smart devices have become a part of everyday life, often making daily activities easier or more enjoyable. From ever-advancing smartphone technologies to smart speakers and smartwatches, technology has become embedded in society. However, along with the benefits of smart technologies, comes the increased risk of exposure and lack of privacy from sharing personal information. Smart speakers have been controversial in many instances due to the devices listening to conversations without user consent and from data breaches where user information is stored. While these devices can be valuable when used safely, smart speaker integration into more portable devices can increase the risk for data exposure. It is crucial that if you choose to use one of Amazon’s new Alexa products to supplement your daily activities, be careful of the information and how much information you share with the devices and around the devices themselves.
Recommendations
How can you protect the privacy of your personal information while using smart tech?
- Understand the risks of putting your personal information into the world, and only share what you have to
- Utilize security settings on smart devices and turn them off when they are not in use
- Understand the legal rights and practices of companies that store your data
- Stay up to date on news regarding recent data breaches and news to see if you may have been affected