Eliana Willis

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    in Information Technology

    All your Alexa recordings will go to the cloud soon, as Amazon sunsets Echo privacy

    Amazon/ZDNETAmazon is curtailing a privacy-minded feature that will affect owners of certain Echo devices.In an email sent last Friday to a number of customers, Amazon revealed that as of March 28, it will remove an opt-in setting that prevented audio of your Alexa requests from being shared with the company. Available to users with certain Echo devices, this option processes your Alexa requests locally instead of sending their recordings to the cloud.Also: Echo Pop vs Echo Dot: Which Alexa speaker should you choose?Though this option sounds like it should have been available to all Alexa users, it was limited to those with the Echo Dot 4th generation, Echo Show 10, and Echo Show 15 devices and only to people in the US with English set as their language. To enable this in the Alexa app, at least until March 28, select the supported Echo device and tap Settings. From there, turn on the switch for “Do Not Send Voice Recordings.”With this option soon to be disabled, does that open up Alexa users to privacy risks?To address such concerns, Amazon will automatically update the privacy settings for affected users to not save voice recordings, a company spokesperson told ZDNET. In this case, the recordings are still shared with Amazon. But those recordings will then be deleted after the request has been answered. Amazon will also remove any previous recordings still accessible. More

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    in Information Technology

    5 clever ways to use Chromecast on your TV (including one for smart home enthusiasts)

    ZDNETSince 2014, Google’s Chromecast has been an affordable means for helping viewers turn their older model TVs into smart TVs, allowing them to stream content from their phones, tablets, and computers to a bigger screen. Alas, the era of the Chromecast has come to an end. Google is replacing it with the Google TV Streamer, promising a faster processor, Thread and Matter integration, and the ability to summarize TV episodes or whole seasons, among other new tricks.Also: ‘Untrusted device’ errors on Chromecast? Google is rolling out a fixBut that doesn’t mean the Chromecast is obsolete yet; in fact, Google has promised to continue providing software and security updates for now. I found a number of cool things anyone can do with their trusty Chromecast that most users are unaware of. More

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    in Robotics

    These Sony earbuds fit comfortably while working out – and they’re on sale

    <!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways On sale for $179, Sony’s new LinkBuds Fit are shaping up to be a gym-goer’s new workout buddy. These earbuds boast a solid ANC feature and a comfortable design that is second to none. Their audio output, however, isn’t very powerful. more buying choices What is the most important aspect of […] More

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    in Robotics

    I used Netflix’s secret codes to quintuple my viewing options – here’s how it works

    Kerry Wan/ZDNETNetflix wasn’t the first streaming platform, but it was the first to make video-on-demand mainstream. Fourteen years ago, as it phased out its mailing service, it took a massive bite out of the global market.Also: I replaced my TV with a 4K UST projector – and the visual upgrade was massiveRemember that? Physical DVDs showing up in your actual mailbox — the one at the end of your driveway (or your hallway)? To my surprise, that was still actually a thing up until late 2023. Whaaat?Streaming introduced a slew of new entertainment options and, most importantly, unparalleled convenience. These days, Netflix is one of many platforms that offer a staggering amount of titles to choose from — and yet, there is more there than meets the eye.Did you know Netflix has secret cheat codes?As it turns out, Netflix has a plethora of shows and movies available that you don’t normally see when booting up the app. Our personalized, algorithm-based menus confine us to viewing only a fraction of the entire Netflix library.Also: I tried Netflix on Vision Pro again, and now it’s awesome – here’s what changedYou can find special cheat codes to unlock more content on resources like Netflix-Codes and the website What’s On Netflix. Either is a good place to start massively multiplying your viewing options. The categories associated with these codes range everywhere from “Deep Sea Horror Movies” (code 45028) to very specific subgenres like “Feel-good Sports Movies for Ages 8 to 10” (code 855).  More

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    in Robotics

    Qualtrics bets its new ’empathetic’ AI agents can fix customer service

    Getty Images / Bloomberg / Contributor AI agents are the next frontier of AI assistants, going beyond answering questions to performing tasks. Qualtrics is implementing agents so its technology can interact directly with customers to improve their experiences.  On Monday, ahead of Qualtrics’ X4 2025 Experience Management Summit, which kicks off on Tuesday, the company […] More