The only appliance in my house that I talk to is the TV, and that is only because the manual menu is limited and to access parts of it, I have to speak into the remote. It was difficult to get my TV to be smart, however.

The only other internet connected devices (besides computers, printers, etc) are the thermostat and the porch light/security camera. We turn the thermostat off when we are on vacation, and then we usually turn it back on a few hours before we get back. But even without heating or cooling, our house does not reach extreme temperatures. With no heat, the house will still be in the mid 60s, and without cooling on the hottest days, it will not go above 80°.

Happy to do things manually.

I kind of wonder what info Alexa is sending to Amazon about me. It's obvious she is listening all the time. I was watching tv this morning and suddenly I hear Alexa in the next room announce that she (it) was going to play some kind of music and then proceeded to do so. I had never said a word. She heard something on the tv that sounded like a command.

I forgot to add that my elliptical machine also has Bluetooth, and I bought a tablet so that I can keep track of my exercise. The machine stays turned off when not in use, and the tablet stays turned off unless I am using the elliptical machine. I also turn off my smart phone at night, to save the battery, and I turn it on in the morning when I feel like it, if I remember.

Interesting article. Thank you for sharing it. I love tech, but I admit that I have moved away from being an early adopter to being almost a phobic when it comes to the Internet of Things. When I replaced my thermostat and irrigation controller last year, I looked for the most mechanical, least connected versions. I don't want to rely on the not-always-reliable wifi to run my home and I don't want my usage to be available to view.

My daughter works in IT security and would NEVER have Google home, Echo, etc. She doesn't even like to Facetime us when we are in the room that has Echo. "Mom, I don't even want her to hear my voice!".

I had problems reading the article because of the advertising embedded in the text. All ads of items I have recently search for???

I have a Sonos One on my kitchen peninsula and I love it. The sound is amazing for its size. Mostly I play my stations on Pandora from the time I get up in the morning. Shopping lists, weather, timers, alarms--that's most of it. No other smart devices. It's so worth it to me.

I thought I'd add an Echo in another part of the house, not realizing that Sonos and Echo devices don't sync (e.g., music). Plus the new Echo made Alexa on my Sonos a bit contrary. So I sent the Echo back for a refund.

My info is already out there, but I think "they" have bigger fish to fry. I don't lose any sleep over it.

You have a smart daughter, d_gw. I have a nephew in IT and he says the same.

D-gw, dh works in open source intelligence so he says the exact same thing! NO ECHO! He doesn't even use social media. I actually just won an Echo Dot at a charity function. I have another charity function later this month to which I have to donate a basket so I'm making a basket of tech stuff and that will go in it. I admit that this kind of stuff intrigues me as much as it kind of freaks me out so I'm willing to go along with dh and not rock the boat trying to convince him otherwise.

We had an Echo but it would just start talking at weird times like in the middle of a movie. We never really used it except for a speaker. It's been in a closet in our bedroom for a while now. Probably not the best place if it's a spy.

If someone says "Alexa" on tv, my Sonos will come to attention. Sometimes words that have an ex sound will do the same. It's infrequent and more silly than annoying.

So, are some of you afraid that Alexa is surreptitiously listening to you and passing that info along to the wrong people?

So, are some of you afraid that Alexa is surreptitiously listening to you and passing that info along to the wrong people?

Of course everything you say in the presence of Alexa is sent to amazon. Google has already gotten called on this for their devices, and why would amazon be any different? Because they say they don't? So did alphabet, until people proved they did.

everything you say in the presence of Alexa is sent to amazon

Oh goody, time to have some fun.

I plan to avoid turning my home into a smart home. Although I did just buy a vacuum robot.

Edit, I don't need to Wi-Fi connect to operate the robot. Option is there; I simply don't have the need.

Not sure why I'd want Echo or Alexa. I'm not impressed with any of the music streaming services, and that would potentially be the prime use. My current TV is old and dumb.

I'll be interested in a smart coffee maker once it is smart enough to clean out it's own used grounds and add fresh ones.

We have Alexa. I like her for an alarm clock, reminders, calculator, weather and timer, dictionary. I'm not worried but then I am just not a worrier. I am not the kind of person who would ever buy a shredder or wonders who has my credit card number either. I think some people just are and some are not.

I'm with you Mtn. No shredder, no worries, at least not about anything evil Alexa could do to me.

I love being able to add things to my shopping list as I stand at the kitchen cabinet and realize I'm about out of brown sugar. I don't have to stop and find pencil/paper and then get sidetracked. Or leave the shopping list on the counter when I go shopping.

I'm not an audiophile, but I think the sound is fantastic on my Sonos One, considering it's originating on my kitchen counter. I mostly listen to music from the early period through Baroque, and my free Pandora account is pretty darn good for that. Anything I don't like I can just tell Alexa to "skip."

My Alexa will die from boredom.

eta: until recently (12 years ago or so) my SS # was printed on my driver's license. Often when I wrote a check a copy of my license was made. Maybe that's why I don't worry too much about Amazon tracking me.

I figure that in today's world, everyone's pretty much got all your information anyway. The NSA, Google, Facebook, Experian, the hackers who got into Experian and Target, etc.

IMO it's pretty much impossible to avoid unless you want to live like the Amish. Sad that we all voluntarily gave up all of our privacy in the name of convenience and security, but there you go. That ship sailed when people didn't riot in the streets after finding out about mass government data collection, and if the governments going to have all my info, what does it matter really if Amazon has it too? At least Amazon gives me music and weather reports in exchange for my privacy, rather than just the illusion of security.

I'm not concerned or paranoid but that's just me. Until I see something happen that alarms me, I'm not even going to think about it.

As I advance in years, I'm all for every single thing that makes my life easier. I have Echo and Google Home, Hue lighting, a roomba, a smart TV, a Nest cam, a Galaxy S8+ among other gadgets and enjoy using them as much as possible.

I have a few wi-fi enabled devices including a Ring doorbell, some thermostats and a garage door opener. I have very securely configured routers. As long as I don’t get hacked through these devices I’m not too concerned about what intel they may be sending to their motherships.

Having ability to do things from my smartphone is sufficient for me. I don’t need to speak to a device that’s always listening.