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Submitted via IRC for AnonymousLuser
Google will give 100,000 Home Minis to people with paralysis
Smart speakers aren't just cool gadgets to play with for some differently abled people, such as those dealing with mobility issues or vision loss. For them, a smart speaker could be an important tool that can help them become more independent in their day-to-day lives. According to Google's Nest team, they receive a lot of emails from people with disabilities, telling them how the Home speakers are giving them more independence. That's why the tech giant has teamed up with the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation to give away 100,000 Home Minis to people living with paralysis and their caregivers.
[...] Redd said the Home Mini gives him a way to control his lights and thermostat easily, and it can make sure he can call family and friends if he needs help. The speaker's ability to set alarms, play music and trivia and make lists could be especially useful to people with quadriplegia, as well. Those interested can check out the official partnership page to find out if they're eligible and to sign up for a free Home Mini.
(Score: 2) by Rosco P. Coltrane on Monday July 29 2019, @02:00AM
These surveillance devices in disguise are easily avoidable when you're able-bodied and midly privacy-conscious. But they're REALLY useful to the disabled. Meaning these people are easy prey to Big Data, because the lure of free useful shit that truly improves life is almost irresistible.
What's tragic here is that disabled people are essentially presented with the following choice: give up your privacy or live less well.
I would have been more impressed if Google had publicly said they would turn off data collection on these particular devices, to show they genuinely care about improving the lives of the disabled - or at least pretend they do. Instead, they get to put the disabled community under heavy surveillance *and* get good publicity out of it for very cheap. Kind of sickening if you ask me...