# Big Brother



## Matchlock (Jun 26, 2010)

Just booked a holiday in Madeira for next March, we like one year abroad each year away from the motorhome.
Found an online deal that was acceptable so started filling out the application, after a couple of pages I had given all my personal and payment details, the last one before completing was my mobile phone number.
Within 5 seconds of typing my number my phone rang, it was the travel company I was booking online with.
She took all my details again and gave me an extra discount equal to a bottle of Aldi's finest 8 year old whiskey so how could I refuse.
These people are getting very clever knowing that as you complete online forms you get to a point where you abandon it as you have second thoughts, I have done that many a time.
Very astute of them to think of this, looking forward to Madeira now as I have never been before.


----------



## shingi (Apr 18, 2008)

Madeira is lovely and we are also going in March to a hotel just west of Funchal.This will be our third time (always in March for my birthday) and it’s unusual for us to revisit places but the island is so nice and there is a lovely coastal path in front of the hotel which is great for walking. The weather has always been warm and the airport is fun to land at, being partly built on stilts out to sea. I hope you have a great trip.
Linda


----------



## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

Everything you do online is recorded unless you take the time and jump through the hoops to prevent it.


----------



## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

A pal of mine was chatting the other day. He was given an Alexa a few months ago. Having heard a few tales about how it picks up bits of info without you knowing he tried an experiment........

Having no interest in, and having not looked at anything car related on the internet he said to his wife (within earshot of the Alexa) something along the lines of "I am thinking of changing my car to a BMW, shall we go and look at one at the weekend"

Within a few minutes he started getting "pop ups" on his laptop for??? The BMW car range !!. Quite a coincidence eh??

Personally I refuse to have one in the house. People say it only does something when you say the magic word which it recognises BUT, to recognise that word it has to be "listening" all the time doesn't it?? And we all know that these days ANY information is valuable to *someone* (Like your local BMW garage perhaps??)

I am far from paranoid but it is becoming clearer and clearer that data harvesting is happening more and more. I changed mobile phones a few weeks ago. 
When loading all of the "apps" I find useful I was continually asked to allow the app to access my location (which I sort of understand the reason for) but much more worryingly, my contacts AND call history ??? Why would an app for aligning a satellite dish (useful when touring on the continent) have any use whatsoever for my contact list OR call history???

Needless to say I routinely deny ALL such requests (whether that stops the app accessing that data is another question of course)

Andy

P.s. We also like Madeira and are thinking of "doing" some of the Lavada walks which, for the unaware are footpaths which are alongside the hundreds of small irrigation channels that are all over the mountains, the views are stunning yet the paths are as good as level!


----------



## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Mrplodd said:


> A pal of mine was chatting the other day. He was given an Alexa a few months ago. Having heard a few tales about how it picks up bits of info without you knowing he tried an experiment........
> 
> Having no interest in, and having not looked at anything car related on the internet he said to his wife (within earshot of the Alexa) something along the lines of "I am thinking of changing my car to a BMW, shall we go and look at one at the weekend"
> 
> ...


I dont see the point of those Alexa devices. Chances are if I want to google something I want to read, view or watch something. Takes two seconds on a mobile or laptop.

However I dont necessarily think "some" of this targeted advertising or data harvesting is bad if you set your preferences correctly. I get the odd email or popup in facebook or ebay for example and they generally are relevant to stuff I am maybe currently interested in from politics to what I am currently interesting in purchasing. My devices and phones etc are pretty bolted down so they are limited but can be useful. Mind you on youtube the other day I got a pop up ad telling me to vote conservative so its not all good.


----------



## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

You don't even have to have an Alexa!

My SIL was talking to a friend who lives away from the sewage grid so they have a cess-pit (or whatever they're called!) His friend was discussing some problems with the system.

SIL's iPhone started showing him adverts for cess-pit related kit. 

Now, if you knew SIL you'd know he has zero interest in that sort of thing and had certainly not been googling about it. So it was all down to the iPhone listening in to their conversation. 

Scary!


----------



## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

jiwawa said:


> You don't even have to have an Alexa!
> 
> My SIL was talking to a friend who lives away from the sewage grid so they have a cess-pit (or whatever they're called!) His friend was discussing some problems with the system.
> 
> ...


EXACTLY !!!

Many phones have the Alexa type thing built in (Cortana rings some sort of bell in my grey cells)

"They" are watching us all 0

Andy


----------



## Matchlock (Jun 26, 2010)

Mrplodd said:


> EXACTLY !!!
> 
> "They" are watching us all 0
> 
> Andy


EXACTLY!!!
But some of us need watching more than others>


----------



## Matchlock (Jun 26, 2010)

Matchlock said:


> EXACTLY!!!
> But some of us need watching more than others>


 I have a Googlehome and a chromecast connected to my TV.
It may be watching me or maybe not but I really don't care, just watching BarryD singing "If I was a Carpenter" on my large screen TV via Chromecast, good or bad I am not sure but this is the way we are going, so we had better get used to it!!


----------



## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Although two of our TVs are so called 'smart' they are not connected to the net. I tried once and it was such a faff I gave up.

Ray.


----------



## peribro (Sep 6, 2009)

barryd said:


> I dont see the point of those Alexa devices.


It's whatever suits one I have no doubt and I admit to being something of a fan but I have:

6 x Echo Dots
2 x Echo inputs
3 x Echos
3 x Fire Sticks
7 x Alexa compatible lights
6 x Alexa compatible light switches
6 x Alexa compatible 13A plugs
3 x room thermostats

I don't think I've missed any but basically I can be anywhere in the house and instruct Alexa (by voice) to do any number of tasks. When I walk in to my study it's often, "Alexa, turn on the study light" followed buy "Alexa turn on Sky TV". I can change channel by voice instructions, turn the heating up or down, turn lights on or off throughout the house or outside, dictate shopping lists (for Mrs P), buy things from Amazon, play music wherever I want etc etc. You can have it unlock your door, lock your door, integrate with your CCTV and so on. There are apparently now 70,000 "skills" that connect with Alexa. I can't imagine what they all do but in a few years time it will be commonplace. I can start my car remotely now, turn the heating in it up or down before I get in.....

It really is just the beginning!


----------



## barryd (May 9, 2008)

peribro said:


> It's whatever suits one I have no doubt and I admit to being something of a fan but I have:
> 
> 6 x Echo Dots
> 2 x Echo inputs
> ...


Yeah wake me up when she can drive me to the pub and back. Otherwise its just gimmicks. The remote heating control is a good idea but you can just do that from an app with the right heatmaster installed. Its a bit like those remote blue tooth headsets everyone bought (not me) years ago that you stuck in your ear with a blue flashing light. People wandering around looking like they are talking to themselves. You just look like a total tit.


----------



## peribro (Sep 6, 2009)

barryd said:


> Yeah wake me up when she can drive me to the pub and back. Otherwise its just gimmicks. The remote heating control is a good idea but you can just do that from an app with the right heatmaster installed. Its a bit like those remote blue tooth headsets everyone bought (not me) years ago that you stuck in your ear with a blue flashing light. People wandering around looking like they are talking to themselves. You just look like a total tit.


You're right - there's a lot (probably everything) that you can do from an app on your phone but there are many times when it's easier not to. If I want to go out into our back garden and put on the lights around the pool (yes, sorry I have one) then I have to go in to an out building and switch them on. However I've changed the switch into a wifi smart enabled one so that before I go outside, I say "Alexa turn on the patio lights".

As for cars driving to the pub it's not far away. Only trouble is that they'll presumably try to breathalyse the "passenger" rather than the car if they stop it!


----------



## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

peribro said:


> It really is just the beginning!


Of the end.!

Ray.


----------



## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Then theres these minor problems...………………….











Ray.


----------



## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

Couldn't see 1st video but lovin' the 2nd!!


----------

