Cellphones

[cwbyfn88]

I read an article about cellphone companies being able to access your mic even when you are not using the phone and listen to your conversations. Then offer advertisements according to what they hear. Well in the past month I have experienced that first hand. No Google searches for any of the stuff were ever made. But just the simple words "I need to buy ( insert item here) were spoken to someone next to me and now I'm getting adds for those things. First time it happened I thought just a coincidence. Now too many coincidences added up. Any one else experience something like that?

 

[Runwildboys]

I just mentioned that a week or two ago. Talk about Pringles within earshot of your phone, and next time you pick it up, you just might have an ad for Pringles.

 

[G2]

"I need to get a bunch of hookers."

I'll let ya know what happens.

 

[kskboys]

I just mentioned that a week or two ago. Talk about Pringles within earshot of your phone, and next time you pick it up, you just might have an ad for Pringles.

Will they bring me some pringles??!!!!!

 

[Runwildboys]

Will they bring me some pringles??!!!!!

Maybe, if you promise not to answer the door nekkid..........again.

 

[waldoputty]

I read an article about cellphone companies being able to access your mic even when you are not using the phone and listen to your conversations. Then offer advertisements according to what they hear. Well in the past month I have experienced that first hand. No Google searches for any of the stuff were ever made. But just the simple words "I need to buy ( insert item here) were spoken to someone next to me and now I'm getting adds for those things. First time it happened I thought just a coincidence. Now too many coincidences added up. Any one else experience something like that?

a small number of words can probably be monitored for for marketing purposes without burning up battery power too much. legally is tricky though so it would depend on how it is done.

 

[kskboys]

Maybe, if you promise not to answer the door nekkid..........again.

Done!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(He didn't say nuthin' bout a g-string!!!)

 

[Runwildboys]

Done!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(He didn't say nuthin' bout a g-string!!!)

But I did say, "maybe".

 

[Juggernaut]

Maybe, if you promise not to answer the door nekkid..........again.

Done!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(He didn't say nuthin' bout a g-string!!!)

 

[Bigdog]

"I need to get a bunch of hookers."

I'll let ya know what happens.

Gabriel Inglesia comment to his stepson when he asked what's a hooker and his girlfriend told him to tell him. His reply, your mothers' friends.

 

[The Fonz]

Not everything in life should be instant.You can use only home phone with an answering machine no need for a cell.Might be hard at first but you will get used to it.

 

[nobody]

I read an article about cellphone companies being able to access your mic even when you are not using the phone and listen to your conversations. Then offer advertisements according to what they hear. Well in the past month I have experienced that first hand. No Google searches for any of the stuff were ever made. But just the simple words "I need to buy ( insert item here) were spoken to someone next to me and now I'm getting adds for those things. First time it happened I thought just a coincidence. Now too many coincidences added up. Any one else experience something like that?

Hey man! Nice profile pic! I don't think it's just cell phone companies that do this. I think a lot of apps do it as well, which is why you really have to pay attention to the permissions they ask for when installing.

Not everything in life should be instant.You can use only home phone with an answering machine no need for a cell.Might be hard at first but you will get used to it.

I was just thinking yesterday about doing an experiment where I tell all my contacts that for two months my cell will be turned off and unplugged and to use my home phone to talk to me. I'd just want to see if going back to life before a cell phone was 1) not too bad, 2) actually enjoyable, and 3) See if any friends actually call to chat rather than just try to text.

I already had my Facebook account deleted after using it twice in 2 years. That was actually very nice.

 

[The Fonz]

@DeathMonkey

I agree with you and it is so liberating not to be attached to phones.I myself use a simple phone to call and answer nothing more.I don't text and i am not obsessed with taking picture of everything I see.

As for social media I have tried my space back in the days but that is about it.waste of my time if you ask me (at least for me) maybe for others it is important.
Technology is a tool not a goal.

 

[bornafan1981]

Also for the camera


I heard a story early this week about Instagram activating someones camera and mic without their knowledge and was recording. I dont remember the victim, but they were some sort of celeb.

 

[nobody]

@DeathMonkey

I agree with you and it is so liberating not to be attached to phones.I myself use a simple phone to call and answer nothing more.I don't text and i am not obsessed with taking picture of everything I see.

As for social media I have tried my space back in the days but that is about it.waste of my time if you ask me (at least for me) maybe for others it is important.
Technology is a tool not a goal.

I joined Facebook under protest because all of my friends had switched to that for party and get together invites, etc. I gleefully left it. I believe that my cell service lets me completely disable certain features, like texting if I just want it as a phone. But I think it might be more rewarding as an experiment to act as if I have no cell at all for a couple of months.

 

[cwbyfn88]

Life was def simpler before I had a smart phone. I regret the day my wife got me to buy one. Having quick access to the Internet whenever wherever isn't always a good thing.

 

[Reverend Conehead]

I read an article about cellphone companies being able to access your mic even when you are not using the phone and listen to your conversations. Then offer advertisements according to what they hear. Well in the past month I have experienced that first hand. No Google searches for any of the stuff were ever made. But just the simple words "I need to buy ( insert item here) were spoken to someone next to me and now I'm getting adds for those things. First time it happened I thought just a coincidence. Now too many coincidences added up. Any one else experience something like that?

Thanks for the tip. I'm going to try that.

 

[Leadbelly]

I ran across something today that made me think of this thread. It was from an ex-Google employee talking about a project he worked on ten years back...

I know from working at Google that at least back in 2008 some of the advertising folks were trying to figure out if they put a microphone in a store and pick up the same voice print of someone who had asked for directions to that store using the Goog-411 service. The goal being to create the equivalent of a ‘click’ in the online world that they could bill the company for sending that customer their way. I worked for about a month using some 20% time to sketch out what would have to be true for something like that to work, for example a microphone near the entrance to the store and a greeter who would say hello to people, encouraging them to say hello back so that a voice sample could be collected. ​

The use of a greeter to get you to speak at the store entrance is pretty dastardly.

The blog also referenced a recent NYT article on some of the patents Google and Amazon have for using a customer voice print, acquired from mics in a phone, ebook reader, or smart speaker, and tying it to their various advertising programs. This is even though they're both saying they would never do such a thing and they just listen for "OK Google" or "Alexa".

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/31/business/media/amazon-google-privacy-digital-assistants.html

It's one thing when we're talking about getting free web services in exchange for data but even when it's a product people pay for, the data rats can't help themselves. If caught, they'd get a slap on the wrist but still have data that's invaluable.

 

[Reverend Conehead]

I just spoke something I have no intention of buying: A bow and arrow. We'll see if google starts pestering me for archery supplies.

I run a Cricket account on a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 that I bought on my own. We'll see.

 

[Rockport]

A cell phone can save you and/or your families lives.