That's exactly what I've been trying to say to these people. All I can do is secure my own stuff. If other people don't it's not my problem. Everyone is responsible to secure their own devices and for people who don't do it properly, it's still up to the individual to protect themselves from idiots. Sorry, that's how the world works.
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Apple and Amazon Adopt Opposing Strategies as Smart Home War Heats Up
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How do you feel about them being able to lock and unlock your doors, control your perimeter security or snoop the video on the cameras inside your house?
There are many more homekit compatable devices, those are just the ones apple sells on their US website.
I was about to agree until I thought of the ramifications of getting security wrong on a platform regarding home security! Whom is responsible for a compromised system that allows someone to unlock my house for instance? It was just this sort of thinking that has led to Android being such a security mess now.
While I believe Apple is actually using this for more reasons than security (e.g. money), they simply cannot afford the black eye a security bungle would cause. Apparently Amazon and Google can get away with it.
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I agree. But wait until someone hacks it and the bitching and moaning starts!
There's no guarantee those people will continue to love Alexa 3 months from now, or that they won't trade up to HomeKit when a better alternative presents itself.
It's not about who does it first, but about who does it best.
IMHO, I feel like Apple's approach is overkill and a bit excessive, and Amazon's approach is too nonchalant. Apple Homekit's approval process needs to be simpler, while still maintaining the security.
It is no longer just your house that you are endangering. Hackers have broken into IOT devices and used them to attack companies and websites that had no direct connection to the people whose devices were hacked. Not to turn on or off lights, not to open locks, not to steal data from that house but to go after someone else. Or a LOT of someone's. The virus analogy is apt: the more people who have poor security the more the virus can spread and the more damage to the community as a whole. You having good security by yourself, isn't enough. Like a human disease, the more people who aren't adequately protecting themselves still endanger other people. A connected world means just that, for better or worse you also have to live with the consequences that other people's actions or lack of actions make.
Heck, when many of us here were kids, WE were the TV remote control unit for our Dads
With only a voice command given to change channels, we'd scramble to obey and then fine tune the horizontal and vertical controls.
We even changed channels automatically between family favorite shows, and knew to turn down the volume when the room phone rang.
It was like having intelligent assistants. For Dad, anyway.....
Yup, on the carpet in our PJs, about 3 feet in front of the 'huge' 26" Zenith floor console..... until it was bedtime.
We've been through this already. Hackers target those with weak passwords on their devices. That's the easy way they get in. They don't bother with stronger hacking methods simply because most hackers don't care enough about looking at you walking through the room naked.
This isn't a "it's not an issue so long as I am not the victim" scenario. Everyone needs good security. To think that you won't be a victim because you are not important enough is lazy and irresponsible.
Or have you forgotten the incident last week where half the internet was brought down by people hacking into IoT devices?
http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/...-east-coast-netflix-spotify-twitter/92507806/
Hmm, maybe Apple was on to something...
Amazon's lax attitude towards security is a disaster of biblical proportions waiting to happen. And I have no intention of being on the wrong side of history when that occurs.
That's quite an understatement. Virtual standstill would probably be more accurate.
I'd say Apple needs to rethink how they want to proceed with home automation because the current strategy is a failure.
...no, they aren't. Everyone has made a fuss because they are no longer developing displays and routers. And even seem to be focusing on certain Mac models rather than trying to turn around the entire lineup at one event. The iPod looks set to be discontinued.
They are not jumping on new categories like crazy. There is no stripped down fitness band to compete with FitBit, nor a chrome cast-like TV stick, no VR headset, no giant iMac with a touch screen to compete with the surface studio, no convertibles, no Siri speaker...
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That sounds like a Siri problem - is HomeKit as unreliable with the Home app?
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Blah Blah Blah. I'm glad you are self important enough to think a criminal will come after you and I'm glad you think that others must take care of something that you are personally responsible for. Enjoy your bubble.
This is NOT the case, stop posting fake news.
Both devices, ARE listening locally. When they interrupt the proper wake work (Alexa, Ok Google), they then pass the rest of the speed to the Amazon/Google servers for interruption. No data is passed along unless the device is triggered.
There is another device that does the same thing your house, the iPhone. They always listen to ever conversation. But they are only triggered by the wake word (Hey Siri).
Apple is doing the exact same thing that you are criticizing Amazon & Google for.
Unfortunately you can't control what other people do, it's always a crap shoot. So unless everyone suddenly starts to take cyber security very seriously there is no real solution for the immediate future.
I've switched my timers and geo fences over to the hue app for this very reason.
Exactly! I don't understand why some here can't see that. The Echo is only "recording" anything when the wake word is used. All other "listening" remains local in the unit itself. I challenge anyone with a data analyzer to prove this wrong.
Funny that Amazon has been able to win the war without expanding their deployment outside the US. I can't buy the Alexa here in Canada. As far as I'm concerned, Amazon hasn't even entered the game let alone won.
Apple makes you implement a basic level of security out of the box. It's why people on this thread are saying Amazon is easier, because there is a fixed password that can be easily found or hacked, but it means you are up and running in a minute or so instead of first having to set your security and access. Plus, Amazon doesn't vet the actual hardware in the devices. A backdoor could be built into the hardware itself and until found by a 3rd party Amazon wouldn't know.
Apples security isn't perfect and Tim Cook hasn't been leading Apple by pushing the limits on hardware or software lately-vast understatement- but when it comes to security Apple is the only company taking it seriously.
Until there are security problems, and Apple products just works.
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Linux has been around for 25 years, but most people still use Windows on their desktop.
Considering how long it took for us to get prime video I don't think we should hold our breath for Echo either.