from the random-acts-of-predictable-randomness dept.
From a Business Insider Article
A couple in Portland, Oregon, say that speakers in their home powered by Amazon's Alexa smart voice assistant recorded a private conversation and sent the recording to a person in their contacts.
A woman named Danielle says she and her husband got a call two weeks ago from the contact, who told them to immediately unplug all their devices because he had heard their conversation in his home 176 miles away in Seattle, KIRO-TV first reported. She said he proved it by providing details about the conversation.
Amazon told the news station: "Amazon takes privacy very seriously. We investigated what happened and determined this was an extremely rare occurrence. We are taking steps to avoid this from happening in the future."
[...] Here's what happened, according to Amazon:
"Echo woke up due to a word in background conversation sounding like 'Alexa.' Then, the subsequent conversation was heard as a 'send message' request. At which point, Alexa said out loud 'To whom?' At which point, the background conversation was interpreted as a name in the customers contact list. Alexa then asked out loud, '[contact name], right?' Alexa then interpreted background conversation as 'right'. As unlikely as this string of events is, we are evaluating options to make this case even less likely."
If we're going to be unable to resist having devices in our private spaces which can record our private conversations, then Amazon needs to step up and seriously upgrade the security and privacy to the level we've come to expect from IoT devices.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 26 2018, @04:58AM (2 children)
This IS the level of security and privacy we’ve come to expect from IoT devices, i.e. none at all.
(Score: 5, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 26 2018, @05:39AM (1 child)
As our own Azuma Hazuki once said, "the S in IoT stands for security and the P is for privacy."
(Score: 5, Funny) by DannyB on Saturday May 26 2018, @01:51PM
IoT is the suffix for ID.
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 0, Offtopic) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Saturday May 26 2018, @05:27AM (9 children)
I was in the ER a few months ago for Hyponatremia: low blood sodium
They didn't bill my insurance. They kept sending me bills but I already knew that Molina is slow to pay
When the collector rang me up at an all-you-can-eat sushi bar I pointed out that it was unlawful for him to call me at work then powered off my iPhone.
I prayed that night: "Sweet Jesus please forgive me for telling that righteous man I was at work."
I was at lunch that's between you me and The Baby Jesus.
When I got home I used the USPS website to change my address to an Oldtown Portland homeless day center.
I'm going to buy an Android phone soon. I'll keep my iPhone powered off when I'm not checking my voicemail.
Nobody I might later owe money to will ever know my Android's number.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 26 2018, @05:36AM (2 children)
Put this shit into your blog, please.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 26 2018, @05:44AM (1 child)
No, keep it off the internet. Pollution is a bad thing, especially when its author admits to a federal crime. It's like a 10 year old saying "I'm not sure how to use a credit card, I'm only 10" when he tries to buy porn.
Plus he fucks lying mothers. We may have articles about porn, but this one isn't. No need to bring fetishes into the conversation.
(Score: 4, Touché) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Saturday May 26 2018, @06:09AM
Our customer service personnel will respond to your request in the order that it was received.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 3, Insightful) by DannyB on Saturday May 26 2018, @02:29PM (4 children)
A comma can make all the difference . . .
Let him who stole, steal no more, let him labor with his hands working for food . . .
Let him who stole, steal, no more let him labor with his hands working for food . . .
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 27 2018, @12:32AM (3 children)
“Pardon impossible, to be sent to Siberia."
"Pardon, impossible to be sent to Siberia."
Thus it was that a Tsarina of Russia (thought to be Maria Feodorovna (1847-1928), wife of Tsar Alexander III) managed to stay the execution of someone she believed innocent, by moving the comma that way.
(Score: 2) by Bobs on Sunday May 27 2018, @01:28AM (2 children)
In Putin's Russia, the Tsars were the good guys.
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 27 2018, @02:53PM (1 child)
I helped uncle J/jack off his horse.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Monday May 28 2018, @01:56AM
Commas are probably more important here than capitalization.
If you are trying to help your uncle Jack, off a horse.
So always keep plenty of commas in stock. Especially when Amazon has them on sale.
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 26 2018, @05:35PM
Your statement could be interpreted as meaning "I was working ... on a Spring roll". Or, if you used your phone for any web searches that could be related to work, even tangentially, you could have been working at your remote office.
On a side note, sacrificing a California roll as an offering to the ghost of Steve Jobs never hurts.
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 26 2018, @05:29AM (15 children)
Slashdot ran this story around 36 hours ago. [slashdot.org] How long do your editors sleep for?
(Score: 5, Touché) by maxwell demon on Saturday May 26 2018, @05:36AM (1 child)
Who cares when Slashdot ran the story?
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 28 2018, @12:48PM
Who?
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 26 2018, @05:37AM
Do you want drama and gossip, or do you want news? The Slashdot story was only gossip. Now that we've waited a day, there's more information to the story: Amazon's explanation. So our article has more and higher quality information. If you want fast stories that fuel your emotions for no point except to click on nearby ads so you'll feel better, then stay on Twitter or Facebook. In other words, fuck off.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 26 2018, @05:45AM
Although douches are a necessary item, douches should sit on a shelf silently until they are needed. Don't worry, you'll be needed soon enough, be patient!
(Score: 5, Funny) by unauthorized on Saturday May 26 2018, @06:18AM
Ah, I remember that site. I used to read it.
(Score: 5, Informative) by janrinok on Saturday May 26 2018, @07:03AM (7 children)
The other site also pays editors to work there, and fund their site with advertising and other promotional information. Additionally, they give no assurance that any data that you hand over will not be used. We are manned entirely by volunteers, we do not show any advertising or other promotional material, and we give you our assurance that no personal information other than the email that you use to create your account (and which need not be maintained) is kept or provided to third parties. In fact, we don't hold any information other than the email address.
Of course, if these benefits are not to your liking you already seem to have identified a site that more closely meets your needs. Don't slam the door on the way out please.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 26 2018, @07:08PM (1 child)
> they give no assurance that any data that you hand over will not be used.
They disclose the fact that it will be used in their Privacy Statement [slashdotmedia.com], which is linked from every page on their site. Finding it is as simple as searching for the word "privacy" in the page. Other than the comment I'm replying to, where, if anywhere, is SoylentNews' privacy policy written? It's much less discoverable.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by realDonaldTrump on Saturday May 26 2018, @08:51PM
That website looks very fake. Because they call it Slashdot Media. But they also call it Sourceforge Media. And they call it a Privacy Policy. But it says you have VERY LITTLE privacy!!!!
(Score: 0) by fakefuck39 on Saturday May 26 2018, @11:46PM (4 children)
Strangely, what you describe is not an issue at slashdot. I quit about two years ago. Since 1997, I've had an account there with a fake email address - I signed up with a real one, then changed it to a fake one - no issues. The reason I quit is it became a reddit-wannabe. They started deleting comments, deleting users, shadowbanning one of my 10 accounts. If I wanted reddit I would go to reddit.
This site is what slashdot used to be - the problem is extremely low number of users, and you guys don't really care to attract more. I don't click a story here that I read on hacker news a week ago when on this site it has 20 comments - what's the point. You have about 20 people responsible for 90% of the comments, and 18 of those, while being over 18, are complete idiots - and they just keep talking to each other. half of those 20 are your staff - and they are mostly idiots who couldn't hold a real job or live in the real world. I pointed a few coworkers this way over the last year. People with physics degrees, professionals making a quarter of a mil who know their IT subject-matter very well and could contribute a lot of smart things to the conversation. They laughed.
I of course use this site not for the comments. It's really nice to shit all over the idiots on here while I'm on the toilet. My two favorites were when one of your guys started up on how he doesn't have to work and careers are for losers - because he can retire on a fishing boat. Forget traveling the world and living in a nice house - he's got the little boat. Then there was the guy who couldn't tell the difference between an atom and a molecule - tachyon or runaway or something like that. Boy was that fun with him trying to prove to me that quartz was transparent aluminum. When I pointed out that he's putting Bleach into his coffee by using Splenda, he kept on about us already living on Star Trek.
...Aaaaand..Deuce dropped. bye.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 27 2018, @07:16AM (1 child)
https://soylentnews.org/~calzone/journal/2148 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by fakefuck39 on Sunday May 27 2018, @10:44AM
That's hilarious. That buzzard guy mentioned in the journal is the one most entertaining to me, and the one who wins at life because he's on a boat. The phoenix thing looks familiar too - must have said some stupid shit I read sometime.
So this buzztard says something like their twitter or facebook account broke and they questioned the people on the site, and the people said they don't read the headlines on twitter. So he decides to just not debug his twitter-posting code since those several hundred followers they have on there are clearly just getting their news from the homepage instead. I point out that their user count here is low, and that the twits who get their soylent feed from twitter didn't get to read his "are you using twitter" question, which he didn't post on twitter.
They guy responds that he owns a boat on a lake and wins at life, so I shouldn't talk because I don't know shit. I let him know that I have traveled the world, speak a bunch of languages, am 40 not 14, own houses and rent apartments, and have a 20 year professional career, having had as clients half the companies on the fortune500. I don't own a boat though - but I definitely know shit. This turns into a multi-user shitstorm of "you 9-5 office loser working for big corporate, why do you feel you need to defend yourself, why are you so insecure..." How could I be insecure with such huge balls? I shave mine for pre-fuck's sake.
Well, I guess I enjoy being a real adult with a career, looking attractive, being successful. Some, and definitely only some, who have low self esteem And are butt ugly can rejected society before it rejects them, never get over it, and redefine success so they are successful on a boat instead of being successful in an actual enjoyable life. If they didn't convince themselves of their awesome virtual little world - they'd blow their brains out while crying alone in the basement. Although I do only come in to the office a couple of times a week - I guess I should buy a boat and spend the other workdays on it so I also could win at life while washing my huge dick and balls.
The journal guy left soylent because of phoenix buzztart. I'm here because of these guys. Intelligent conversation - there are other places. What I like about this one is they don't delete comments, and there are many of these idiots to entertain me - the same way a comedy does. Ever watch a retard midget fight it out in the park? How could you not enjoy that. If you come here for an argument, you're in the wrong place. This is abuse of the obtuse.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 28 2018, @12:51PM (1 child)
So.. You only come here for the articles. Right. Me too.
(Score: 0) by fakefuck39 on Monday May 28 2018, @08:22PM
No, I'm on hacker new for the articles, and I don't post there nor read many comments. I'm here to see stupid things stupid people say and take a little shit on them while I'm taking a big shit on the toilet. I thought that was pretty clear.
(Score: 2) by hemocyanin on Saturday May 26 2018, @02:44PM
The green site still exists? Who woulda thunk it?
(Score: 2, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 26 2018, @05:37PM
Fuck Beta.
(Score: 3, Funny) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Saturday May 26 2018, @06:07AM (11 children)
I learned this from a USAF Cyber Command Recruiting video that depicted two officers locking their phones in a padlocked box just outside the door of a secure area.
The narrator explained that cell phones have a maintenance mode that enables the carriers to remotely and silently activate every cell phone's microphone.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 26 2018, @06:31AM (3 children)
I am assuming this is true only as long as the phone is powered up.
My basis for this assumption is idle power consumption. Powered up, my phone lasts about two weeks before it will drain the battery, and one of the apps on my phone will chart battery drain over time.
I note the power draw is nil over the periods I have the phone completely powered down. By powered down, I mean that is the state in which I have to hold the power-on button down for several seconds, then the phone boots. This is the only state I can either charge the phone or carry it in my trousers without butt-dialing random people. I have several pages of logs where I have sent the most cryptic texts to all sorts of random people.
If you were one of them, I apologize. I have discovered the error of my ways and have taken measures to stop it.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 26 2018, @03:15PM
I wouldn't assume any such thing. Remember when someone found a way to activate your laptop camera, without activating the blinken light at the same time? I suspect that there might be some secret way to do that with firmware. Activate the microphone and/or the camera, as well as the radio, but prevent the desktop or screen from loading or turning on. All background activity, which you will never notice. And, if you do happen to activate your screen while this surveillance is happening, everything will still look normal to you.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 26 2018, @05:02PM (1 child)
So long as the phone is connected to a power source, be it external (charger) or internal (battery), the receiver circuitry in the cellular modem is energized. There's no way to "turn it off" except for removing all sources of power, both internal and external.
The cellular modem itself contains a System on Chip computer which you have absolutely no access to, even if the phone is rooted/jailbroken. This computer interfaces with the main processor such that it can control all aspects of the phone. Even if your phone is powered off, it's possible for the cellular company to send a signal which will fully energize the cellular transceiver and the GPS receiver. It's possible, and has been for over a decade, to get a GPS lock on a phone that is "powered off." It's possible, as has been over over two decades, to covertly listen in on conversations through a cell phone that is "powered off" or energize the transceiver to force the phone to "ping" towers in order to triangulate its location.
The only way to be absolutely sure various terrorist organizations (such as the NSA, CIA, and your local pigs) aren't spying on you through your cell phone is to remove the battery. If the battery is in it, it's powered on.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 28 2018, @02:48PM
Good luck turning off newer phones with a built in non removable battery
(Score: 3, Informative) by Ethanol-fueled on Saturday May 26 2018, @07:15AM
Bezos is CIA. Washington Post has always been CIA. They're not even trying to hide it anymore.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 26 2018, @09:57AM (5 children)
Remember the TV show "Cheaters", where they were constantly giving us ideas on how to catch unfaithful spouses?
Through their Phones! [cheatersapps.com]
People just cannot stay off the Phone!
(Score: 2, Informative) by anubi on Saturday May 26 2018, @10:16AM (3 children)
Flexispy [flexispy.com]
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
(Score: 2) by realDonaldTrump on Saturday May 26 2018, @09:12PM (2 children)
SoylentNews has so many stories that are really ads. I love it. And just a few days ago there was one for a wiretapp app, it's called Teensafe. And it has a free trial. So nice!!!
(Score: 1) by anubi on Sunday May 27 2018, @07:24AM (1 child)
I posted that because there are still quite a few people out there who trust their stuff a lot more than they should, and they may not know stuff like what I linked to exist, especially outside the realm of governmental TLA's. (Three Letter Agencies )
Personally, I find that kind of stuff quite helpful, provided I am the one doing it. But if I can do it, I know good and well someone else can do it to me too.
I do not think most people are aware of how much mess one can make using cyber. It sure is easier to mess things up than it is to build it. Its the main reason I have got so "paranoid" that I started building my own microcontrollers. I mean, I can't even trust a sprinkler controller anymore.... someone is always trying to "put it in the cloud" so he can enforce a monthly fee, then once in the cloud some prankster messes up millions of customers just for shits and giggles. A variant of those pranksters that used to go through housing developments with a spoofed garage door opener and open everyone's garage door... for bragging rights.
I know the day is coming when America wakes up one day to find some unauthorized Windows Update got out in the middle of the night, and no-one's machine is working right.
Monoculture is really risky, whether its monogenomic corn and a blight gets out, or a monotype computer operating systems, who can be infected in milliseconds with the correct internet packets. Its an "all your eggs in one basket" kind of thing.
I love standardization. But I hate having single points of failure.
To make things worse, many people practice terrible computer hygiene. Visiting dodgy websites with javascript enabled, no less. And they are gonna get nailed just as one visiting anonymous "ladies of the night" in the raw.
I am curious, Donald, as to how you found out about us? We are just a tiny offshoot of technical computer nerds who got pissed off because Slashdot ( the site we splintered from ) was ramming down a bunch of changes we did not like.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
(Score: 3, Funny) by realDonaldTrump on Sunday May 27 2018, @02:33PM
I don't talk to Alexa. Because Amazon is a no-tax monopoly. Not good for our Country. But I talk to the microphone, to OK Google. I asked it about my Social Media, were people seeing my tweets. Because I heard one of my tweets, maybe more, didn't get through. And there was a story here about Twitter blocking @realDonaldTrump. They called it censorship. And I said, beautiful story. Even if it's on a Dem website. And maybe they'll let me tweet here when the biggies block me.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Saturday May 26 2018, @02:39PM
I thought they were giving us ideas how NOT to get caught.
Sort of how YouTube has many videos showing how NOT to drive.
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 3, Touché) by anubi on Saturday May 26 2018, @06:24AM (2 children)
I consider myself reasonably intelligent, average, or somewhere around that.
If I leave my TV or radio on, some ad-men will invariably put the sound of a doorbell or phone in the audio.
Guess who runs off on a fool's errand to the door?
Or answer the phone?
How can I blame Alexa if even I am just as gullible for false positives?
Do I want to trust the same mindset that puts doorbells and sirens in ads not to say the word "Alexa"?
These are ad-men. They will do anything for number of hits - regardless of the collateral effects. This is the same mindset that will annoy millions of people with asinine ads because some businessman will pay them to do it.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 26 2018, @05:44PM
You? You're human, or at the very least some measure of bipedal meatbag. Alexa is an AI powered piece of technolocial marvel that has been created solely for the purpose of enriching our lives.
So let's see: meatbag, marvel, meatbag, marvel ... sorry meatbag, we choose Alexa.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 28 2018, @02:52PM
Have to love phones ringing on tv shows
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 26 2018, @07:17AM (2 children)
Exhibit A: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autorun [wikipedia.org] -- with us since Windows 95
(Score: 5, Insightful) by choose another one on Saturday May 26 2018, @10:21AM (1 child)
Oh it's been with us _much_ _much_ longer than that, the fatal consequences of interpreting words in conversation as commands, without confirmation:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_no_one_rid_me_of_this_turbulent_priest%3F [wikipedia.org]
There are probably earlier documented examples too, I just can't think of them right now.
(Score: 2) by realDonaldTrump on Sunday May 27 2018, @02:57PM
Obama fixed that one. And John Brennan -- who is PANICKING right now -- fixed that one. They call it the Disposition Matrix, I call it my kill list.
The King could just say, go kill so-and-so. And it happened. Not many folks to kill in those days, they could keep all the names in their heads. And they had to because they couldn't read or write.
Much more complicated now. I say, put so-and-so on the kill list. Then a guy types it in, there's a special cyber for that. And he prints it, there's a document. And they bring me the document to sign. And the guy, usually, doesn't get killed unless I sign. Sometimes a lot of bad dudes get together, some are on the list. And some should be on it, I didn't sign for them yet. But they all get droned together!!!
(Score: 5, Insightful) by stretch611 on Saturday May 26 2018, @08:52AM
The woman knows about this only because the recording was sent to an employee of her husband that told them. Seriously, you need to realize that anything you say can be recorded by these privacy stealing devices.
These devices have a single purpose... that purpose has nothing to do with making your life easier. Their only purpose is to sell you shit.
Once you realize the true purpose, you realize that your privacy is not as important as Amazon (or Google, or Apple, etc...) making more money. They will record and analyze anything you say or do in order to figure out how to sell you more crap. (and I am positive that they give you a EULA to force you to allow them to use recordings to "enhance" their service.)
I am more shocked that people think they have privacy with these devices than I am to hear about the lack thereof.
Now with 5 covid vaccine shots/boosters altering my DNA :P
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 26 2018, @09:09AM (1 child)
Yeah, I know I ought not have been porking your husband, even though I am only your step-mom, and not a real mom, but damn the dude has some fine white jeans, and a rocking beard grooming regime! https://thinkprogress.org/matthew-heimbach-is-going-to-prison-ff5d873f4368/ [thinkprogress.org] But now Alexa has betrayed me, betrayed my husband, whom I was betraying, betrayed my daughter in law to hom she sent the messages, and betrayed the entire Traditionalist Workers White Incest Party and Movement. I hope you can live with yourself, Alexa! Thanks to you, we'll never have white supremacy!!!
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Saturday May 26 2018, @11:14AM
+1 Infunnyful
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 26 2018, @10:12AM (3 children)
> We investigated what happened and determined this was an extremely rare occurrence. We are taking steps to avoid this from happening in the future."
>
> [...] Here's what happened, according to Amazon:
None of these seem like "rare occurrences" to me. In fact, the device is probably working through a decision tree and is "listening" for each of the next steps in sequence.
How hard would it be to have one button called "confirm" or "OK" that has to be physically pressed before email was sent (orders placed, etc)? I suppose lazy people would reject this...
(Score: 2) by crafoo on Saturday May 26 2018, @11:09AM (1 child)
Given the voracious need for data to train NN's, and the fabulously small storage requirements of compressed sound data .. I assume it is recording all sound at all times. For analysis later with new, developing techniques.
Also, keyword searchable databases of what you say in your home is valuable to your masters.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 26 2018, @11:38AM
> For analysis later with new, developing techniques.
For analysis later with new, developing marketing techniques.
ftfy
(Score: 2) by darkfeline on Sunday May 27 2018, @03:35AM
The point of these devices is that you can do things without touching the device, for example asking for a cooking recipe while your hands are dirty preparing the ingredients.
Requiring a physical button press undermines the utility entirely.
Join the SDF Public Access UNIX System today!
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 26 2018, @02:09PM (1 child)
Is why you do not install a spy device in your home.
The alexia, the google whatever it is, all of them, are nothing but spy devices designed to advertise to you and get you to buy crap.
Just say no.
(Score: 3, Informative) by hemocyanin on Saturday May 26 2018, @02:49PM
My thoughts too -- much blame is placed on Amazon and I have no love for Amazon, but the mistake was installing their shit in the first place and that is this couple's fault.
(Score: 2) by darkfeline on Sunday May 27 2018, @03:49AM
Look, there are lots of good reasons to avoid IoT devices, but when you keep hyping bad reasons, it undermines your own cause because to opponents it looks like you don't have any good reasons, forcing you to use bad reasons.
In this instance, the only "problem" is that Amazon's Echo device has poor command recognition, where it recognized background noise as a command. No privacy violations, no ethically questionable design, no security issues (other than someone inside your house being able to access your private contacts list, but presumably they can rifle through your drawers at that point too). You have got to build your platform on strong cases, not weak ones.
So let's talk about something interesting. Understanding that someone is talking to you is hard. Even humans get it wrong all the time: https://xkcd.com/476/ [xkcd.com] The fact that a device got it wrong is unsurprising, and it doesn't seem like this issue is common or the mass media would be blowing up instead of parroting this single incident.
Using conversation as a human-computer interface is a really cool idea, but of course there are issues. This particular issue, though rare, could be serious if we start hooking up more powerful systems to conversational interfaces. Google's newly hyped Duplex technology might be a good stepping stone for adding stronger contextual understanding to conversation UIs (e.g., if your conversation partner is talking over you like background chatter, they're probably not engaging in conversation with you). Humans have a lot of coping mechanisms and redundancy built in (like repeating yourself), so now we need to teach computers to do that too.
Join the SDF Public Access UNIX System today!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 27 2018, @04:07PM (1 child)
It was sent to a contact that was 176 miles away! I probably wouldn't be too surprised if it was sent, say, 50 miles or so, but 176??!! This is really scary! What do you think is the upper limit? 200 miles? I have some contacts that are about 500 miles away that I sure wouldn't want them to hear this kind of stuff. Do you think it could go that far?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 28 2018, @03:01PM
docsigma2000: jesus christ man
docsigma2000: my son is sooooooo dead
c8info: Why?
docsigma2000: hes been looking at internet web sites in fucking EUROPE
docsigma2000: HE IS SURFING LONG DISTANCE
docsigma2000: our fucking phone bill is gonna be nuts
c8info: Ooh, this is bad. Surfing long distance adds an extra $69.99 to your bill per hour.
docsigma2000: ...!!!!!! FUCK FUCK FUCK
docsigma2000: is there some plan we can sign up for???
docsigma2000: cuz theres some cool stuff in europe, but i dun wanna pauy that much
c8info: Sorry, no. There is no plan. you'll have to live with it.
docsigma2000: o well, i ccan live without europe intenet sites.
docsigma2000: but till i figure out how to block it hes sooooo dead
c8info: By the way, I'm from Europe, your chatting long distance.
** docsigma2000 has quit (Connection reset by peer)