HOW TO KEEP AMAZON ECHO AND GOOGLE HOME FROM RESPONDING TO YOUR TV

Voice assistants such as the Amazon Echo and Google Home are pretty smart, but they’re not yet sharp enough to understand the difference between TV and reality. A Google commercial during yesterday’s Super Bowl prompted Home to play whale noises, flip the hallway lights on, and recite a substitute for cardamom. As a series of actors barked “OK Google” commands on TV, the devices started doing what they were asked to do. Android phones with Google Assistant may have done the same thing. Google Home wasn’t haunted. It was just doing its job.

Any owner of a Google Home or Amazon Echo knows that certain TV commercials prompt unwanted activity. Representatives from both Google and Amazon told us that their television advertisements use altered audio to minimize the chances of a Home or an Echo responding to an ad. Google noted the company is working on a way to make its devices ignore commercials altogether. However, some speakers are still springing awake in some homes when the ads play on the television. Thankfully, there are some ways to keep your smart speaker from listening.

There’s a Switch for That

The best way to ensure your TV doesn’t hijack your helper is to use the physical switch on the back of each assistant that turns off the microphone. This is something you need to do manually every time you’re sitting down to watch a sporting event, or some other live TV show bound to include commercials you can’t skip. It’s not a perfect solution, because you have to remember to turn the assistant’s microphone back on when the event is over.

Change Alexa’s Wake Word

For the time being, that microphone-off switch is the only way to stop Google Home from responding to your TV’s whims. Home responds to two “wake phrases,” and both of them are always active: “OK Google,” and “Hey Google.” Whenever it hears either of those phrases, it starts recording a query and processing a response.

With Alexa, you can use an alternative wake word to lessen the chance of accidental assistance. You can’t set the wake word to anything you want, but you can limit it to a non-Alexa option.

1. Go to the Settings menu in your Amazon Alexa app.
2. Pick the device you want to manage.
3. In the “General” section, tap the “Wake Word” entry.
4. Choose between “Alexa,” “Amazon,” “Echo,” or “Computer.”

Unfortunately, of the four options Amazon allows as a wake word, “Alexa” is probably the least likely to trigger accidental wake-ups. “Computer” is cool, but it’s a word you’ll likely say a lot in normal conversation, and it will likely disrupt your next Star Trek binge session. “Echo” and “Amazon” are also commonly used words in everyday chatter. But if you change it to one of those, at least those Amazon ads won’t commandeer your Echo.

There are third-party Alexa devices coming to market soon, such as LG’s Hub robot, which will purportedly let you customize wake words and even respond to the voices of different individual humans.

Google’s Super Bowl ad accidentally set off a lot of Google Homes

Early during tonight’s game, Google’s ad for the Google Home aired on millions of TVs. We’ve actually seen the ad before: loving families at home meeting, hugging, and being welcomed by the Google Assistant. Someone says “Okay, Google,” and those familiar, colorful lights pop up.

But then my Google Home perked up, confused. “Sorry,” it said. “Something went wrong.” I laughed, because that wasn’t supposed to happen. I wasn’t the only one.

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Jared Feldman @jfeldman452

That @Google home trailer made my google home have a meltdown.

3:48 PM - 5 Feb 2017

 
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Bill Radjewski @BillRadjewski

Google Home commercial kept setting mine off! They need to chill it with the "okay Google"-ing.

3:48 PM - 5 Feb 2017

 
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Tricia Milford @tmilfordhoyt

Coolest aspect of @Google #SuperBowl ad is when our Google Home talked back  #SuperBowlCommercials

3:48 PM - 5 Feb 2017 · Tulsa, OK

 
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Dave Matter 

✔@Dave_Matter

The Google Home commercial turned on my Google Home. She's the only person in my house who listens to me.

3:48 PM - 5 Feb 2017

 
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This isn’t the first time television has set off people’s home assistants. A month ago, a TV broadcast accidentally triggered a whole bunch of Amazon Echos.

Poor Dave... At some point, some enterprising TV writer or ad jerk is gonna plant an “Okay, Google” into some on TV with intent and force everyone to listen to Nickelback. Mark my words. This is a massive troll waiting to happen.

US Judge Breaks Precedent, Orders Google To Give Foreign Emails To FBI

Google was betting on a January 24 ruling by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals that it would not rehear the Justice Department's arguments for why it needed access to user data from Microsoft's servers located in Ireland. Many believed that decision might create some legal guidance for cases like this one in which the laws on the books are considered outdated and insufficient.

The legal language of "possessory interest", for example, is often used to define temporary ownership over real estate. Attempting to determine ownership over abstract property in the form of data isn't easy with the current legal system.

In the ruling against Google, Judge Rueter is arguing that even though "the retrieval of the electronic data by Google from its multiple data centres abroad has the potential for an invasion of privacy, the actual infringement of privacy occurs at the time of disclosure in the United States." It's unclear if that decision means that evidence from a foreign server would be a violation of privacy if disclosed in a US court of law.

Clarity is what tech companies and privacy advocates have been pushing for over the years. Both the Microsoft and Google cases relied on warrants issued under the Stored Communications Act from 1986. A lot has changed about the flow of information since then and in a globalized world, tech giants have to work with competing international privacy laws. If Judge Rueter's opinion stands, it could put the US in violation of international treaties.

Google argued that because it stores pieces of emails on different servers in order to streamline its network performance, it might not even know where the information that's being requested is actually stored. The search giant released a statement today saying, "The magistrate in this case departed from precedent, and we plan to appeal the decision. We will continue to push back on overbroad warrants."

These types of cases will either have to make their way to the Supreme Court or Congress will have to act. With the chaotic state of the US government at the moment, it's impossible to say how either of those options might work out.

How Snap stacks up against Facebook and Twitter

The initial-public-offering filing by Snap Inc. has generated a lot of attention, as one of the largest technology IPOs in years and an offering that could value the company at up to $25 billion.

Because of its social messaging app, Snapchat, and large valuation, the companySNAP, +0.00% has drawn comparisons to the IPOs of Facebook and Twitter. And during its road show, Snap reportedly said it was the next Facebook, not Twitter, according to the Wall Street Journal, but after it revealed large net losses, investors and analysts are not so sure.

“It is concerning, because people got burned with Twitter,” said Santosh Rao, head of research at Manhattan Venture Partners.

Since going the first day of trading, May 18, 2012, shares of Facebook Inc.FB, +0.11% have more than tripled, gaining 243%. Shares of Twitter Inc.TWTR, -0.96% have fallen 61% since the company’s first day of trading on Nov. 7, 2013.

At the time it went public, Facebook was about 8 years old. Twitter was 7 years old on its IPO date. Snap is 5.

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For what it’s worth, Snap in its prospectus appears to be trying to avoid comparisons by declaring that it is a camera company and not another social-media network. That may be merited. The company is centered on image-based communication, said Chi-Hua Chien, founder of Goodwater Capital, but that still invites comparisons to Facebook’s Instagram.

Given the different metrics preferred by each company, different earnings schedules and the difference in their ages, it’s hard to make an apples-to-apples comparison. We used the latest data available for each company, as well as numbers from Twitter and Facebook just before they went public, to show a rough comparison.

Here's how they stack up:

Daily active users

• For the three months ended Dec. 31, 2016, Snap reported 158 million daily active users, a 3% increase from the previous quarter, whose comparable DAU figure was 153 million. Investors are concerned that user growth could be slowing as the company had a 7% increase from the second to third quarter.

• For its fourth quarter, ended in December 2016, Facebook reported 1.23 billion DAUs, up from 1.18 billion in the previous quarter, marking an increase of 4.2%. In the last quarter before it went public, ended March 31, 2012, Facebook had 526 million DAUs, up from 483 million in the previous quarter, an 8.9% increase.

• Twitter does not break out DAU numbers, but a Bloomberg report calculated 136 million daily active users as of June 2016. In the third quarter, which ended in September, the most recent quarter for which Twitter has reported earnings, the company said DAUs were up 7% on a year-over-year basis, compared with an increase of 5% in the second quarter.

Net income

• Facebook reported net income of $4.57 billion in the fourth quarter, up from $3.12 billion in the third quarter. In the quarter before it went public, Facebook was profitable and recorded net income of $205 million, down from $302 million in the previous quarter.

• Snap reported a net loss of $169.9 million in the fourth quarter, wider than its loss of $124.2 million in the previous quarter.

• Twitter reported a net loss of $103 million in the third quarter, narrower than its loss of $107 million in the second quarter. Twitter was operating at a loss before going public, recording a net loss of $64.6 million in the quarter ended Sept. 30, 2013, wider than its loss of $42.2 million in the prior quarter.

Revenue

• Facebook is king in terms of social-media revenue, with $8.8 billion in the fourth quarter of 2016, up from $7.01 billion in the third quarter. Facebook reported worldwide average revenue per user of $4.83 for the fourth quarter of 2016. In the quarter before it went public, Facebook recorded total revenue of $1.06 billion and revenue per user of $1.21.

• Snap recorded revenue of $165.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2016, up from $128.2 million a year before. It reported revenue per user of $1.05 for the fourth quarter of 2016.

• Twitter reported third-quarter revenue of $616 million in 2016, up from $602 million in the previous quarter. It does not break out average revenue per user. In the last quarter before it went public, ended Sept. 30, 2013, Twitter recorded revenue of $168.6 million.

Google is reportedly removing Google Now Launcher from the Play Store

Google has offered the option to install its own Google Now-based app launcher on any Android device since August 2014, but it appears that’s about to change. According to a leaked email sent to Android Police, Google is planning on removing the Google Now Launcher from the Play Store by the end of Q1 2017, and will stop approving new devices that try to ship with the Google Now Launcher on March 1st.

Google Now Launcher was primarily designed for Google Nexus line of reference devices, but was best known for being a quick and trusted way to cover up ugly Android skins from manufacturers and replace them with Google’s clean, consistent Material Design language. While the leaked email notes that Google will still be supporting the app through updates, it will no longer be offered through the Play Store.

It’s possible that with Google killing the Now Launcher, the company could be expanding the new Pixel Launcher that it also develops for other devices — currently, it’s exclusive only to Google’s recent Pixel and Pixel XL. As of now though, users will have to turn to other third-party solutions like Nova Launcher to re-skin their Android devices going forward.

Most Facebook hacks are done by friends, finds UBC survey

Want to keep your privacy protected? Keep your eyes on your friends.

A study conducted by Wali Ahmed Usmani, a master’s student at University of British Columbia found that those who you trust the most are the most likely to hack their way into your Facebook account.

The study, which was conducted between from February and March of 2016, looked to find out how common attacks on privacy are, who is most likely to be victimized, who is most likely to attack, why these attacks happen, what the damage is, and how one could possibly protect themselves.

1,308 adult Facebook users, 59% male and 41% female from the United States filled out surveys that included questions asking if they had someone use a device of theirs to access their own Facebook account without their permission, and if they had ever used someone else’s device to access that person’s Facebook account without permission.

“It’s clearly a widespread practice. Facebook private messages, pictures or videos are easy targets when the account owner is already logged on and has left their computer or mobile open for viewing,” said Usmani to ubc.ca.

The survey found that 24% of the group had accessed someone’s personal Facebook account without that person’s permission, and 21% had their Facebook’s violated. Reasons for the insider attacks ranged from practical jokes to invading privacy and reading a person’s messages, or in some circumstances malicious attacks on peoples’ friends using that person’s identity, or even deleting everything off their accounts. A lot of those who told their stores reported a lasting feeling of mistrust, ruined relationships, and embarrassment.

“A sizable fraction of Facebook users seem to have been involved in instances of social insider attacks. The high prevalence of attacks demonstrates a need for effective mechanisms to detect and report these attacks to account owners,” reads the report.

There are multiple ways to protect yourself from outside attacks, such as adding an authenticator, changing passwords often, and ensuring you don’t tell anyone your information. But the inside attacks are a much different animal, the only sure defense is to log out of your Facebook after every use on your devices.

Others made sure to make sure their devices were locked after use and making sure no one know the passwords for their devices.

But having to re-enter my Facebook password every time I wanted to simply scroll through my news feed for a bit (which I do very often throughout the day) or just send a few quick messages would get very tiresome. Researchers involved with the study suggested a passive log that would show how long was spent browsing personal messages and other related information. This would help to discourage people with the possibility of getting caught.

“Jealous snoops generally plan their action and focus on personal messages, accessing the account for 15 minutes or longer and the consequences are significant: in many cases, snooping effectively ended the relationship.” said computer science professor Ivan Beschastnikh, who was a co-author of the report.

Super Mario Run will be available on Android in March

Super Mario Run, Nintendo’s first real foray into mobile gaming, won’t be available on Android until March, the company announced in a tweet. In our review of the iOS version we thought the game was fun, but compromised, with surprisingly deep gameplay considering there’s only one control (tap to jump), but a bit repetitious. 

The question now is was it worth it for Nintendo? The company has been fretting about a move to mobile gaming for years, and is set to release two further titles in 2017 (Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing) with more to come in the following years. But while initial interest in Super Mario Run was high, estimates from third-parties suggest that only around three percent of users paid for the full game.

Mario hasn’t run out of steam yet, but he seems to be finding mobile gaming a bit of a slog. We’ll see how it goes on Android. You can sign up to be notified with Super Mario Run is released through the Google Play Store.

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Massive New iPhone 'Confirmed' In Apple Leak

New iPhones have no secrets. That much has been true ever since the iPhone grew so popular it became impossible to contain the all leaks from its massive global supply chain. And now a new one is promising the biggest news of the next generation really is size...

Backing up several consistent leaks is yet another today from DigiTimes which ‘confirms’ Apple will indeed supersize the iPhone in 2017.

“Apple will launch 4.7-, 5.5- and 5.8-inch new iPhone models in second-half 2017, with TFT-LCD panels to be used in the former two models and AMOLED for the 5.8-inch one...Global shipments of the AMOLED iPhone in 2017 are estimated at 60-70 million units,” the publication notes, citing its source.

It also claims Samsung will be the exclusive manufacturer of OLED panels used in the enlarged iPhone, supplying up to 20 million panels a month.

First things first, for a company which famously mocked larger phone sizes jumping to a 5.8-inch panel is somewhat surprising. Especially given rivals like Google, Samsung and LG have all downsized from 5.7 to 6-inch panels in their premium smartphones to standardise on 5.5 inches in recent years and Apple has done little to try and optimise the user experience in iOS to take advantage of the larger screen size of the iPhone Plus range compared to the standard model.

That said, I suspect the 5.8-inch measurement may include the edges considering the “all curve” display this new larger model is expected to have. 

This could then make it a similar size to the dual curved 5.5-inch Galaxy S7 Edge and short lived Galaxy Note 7 which measure 5.5-inches but don’t count the curves in their measurements. Or at least let’s hope so given Apple persists with keeping the back button in the top left corner of the user interface.

Secondly 60-70M units is a lot for a single model and would prove a record busting year should the other 2017 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch models also sell in numbers anywhere close to recent years. This would be a huge reversal in fortunes for Apple which has seen iPhone sales decline consistently in recent years and will build expectation that this premium (and higher priced) ‘iPhone 8’ (as it is being called) will be something to get hearts pounding as the line celebrates its 10th anniversary.

Of course with Apple typically only finalising iPhone designs six months before their September release a lot could still change. But after three generations of incremental design tweaks, expectations that 2017 will see the range reinvigorated are likely to hit new heights.