I use Siri to send texts, put my phone on Do Not Disturb before I record, set meetings and lots more. One time I don’t use it? In an emergency. Luckily, emergencies are few and far between in my life (knock on wood), but I wouldn’t risk it.

Researchers asked voice assistants questions related to cardiac arrest emergencies. Yep, it was a complete disaster. You might think a quick “Hey, Siri” would pull up the instructions quickly and clearly, but that’s absolutely the worst thing to do. 

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Remember screaming, “Dinner’s ready!” Or maybe you had a fancy built-in intercom system in your house? Those clunky old systems feel outdated today, but man, were they handy.

Good news: You have access to the future world version if you own any smart speakers. It’s super easy to set up. Let me show you how.

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When we have friends and family with kids over, voice assistants can become a favorite attraction. At best, someone will start another “Baby Shark” round and you’ll sing it for a week.

But what if one of those curious kiddos buys toys with your Amazon Echo? Or maybe your niece, Alexis, will have the Echo going haywire.

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Think of everything you do online and in real life that says something about who you are. Your likes, clicks, hobbies and activities all add to the wealth of data points companies already have on you.

What about your conversations with Alexa or Siri? How is that data used? Let’s take a deep look at how they use your conversations to create profiles.

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I want to get an Amazon Echo Show, but can’t decide between the 8 or 10 or which version. Can you provide your recommendation?

— Rodney in Nevada

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]]> 895510 https://www.komando.com/lifestyle/smart-assistant-medical-advice/893074/ Wed, 30 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000 https://www.komando.com/?p=893074

You’re suddenly thrown into a situation where you must perform CPR to save a life. Oh no. You don’t remember anything from that course 15 years ago.

You might think a quick “Hey Siri” would pull up the instructions quickly and clearly, but that’s absolutely the worst thing to do. In a recent study, researchers asked voice assistants questions related to cardiac arrest emergencies. Yep. It was a complete disaster.

Click here to read full story.

]]> 893074 https://www.komando.com/kims-column/5-new-echo-alexa-uses/840579/ Sun, 02 Jul 2023 21:00:00 +0000 https://www.komando.com/?p=840579&preview=true&preview_id=840579

When cooking, it’s easy to say, “Alexa, remind me the cauliflower pizza is done in 15 minutes.” That’s one of the most useful and basic ways to use the Amazon-owned smart assistant.

The downside is that it can pick up conversations we’d rather it didn’t. Tap or click for steps to listen to and erase any errant recordings. I do this regularly. That’s not the only vital privacy step if you have an Echo or more at home. Tap or click here to ensure your smart speakers are locked down correctly.

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]]> 840579 https://www.komando.com/kims-column/stop-big-tech-listening-2/874613/ Fri, 12 May 2023 10:30:00 +0000 https://www.komando.com/?p=874613&preview=true&preview_id=874613

Most of what you type, say, search and buy is being tracked in one way or another. Big Tech gives us great free products, and the price is our privacy. Even your TV habits are packaged up and sold to advertisers. Here’s how to stop your TV from spying on you.

Some snooping is even more invasive. Worried someone is spying on your phone? Check this list of red flags.

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]]> 874613 https://www.komando.com/kims-column/must-change-alexa-settings/886057/ Sat, 06 May 2023 11:00:00 +0000 https://www.komando.com/?p=886057

Amazon’s Echo speakers, and the Alexa assistant, are incredibly useful and pretty darn invasive.

On the practical side, it can function as a security alarm with a device you already own. Neat. Here’s how Alexa Guard works.

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]]> 886057 https://www.komando.com/technology/amazon-multiroom-sound/878211/ Thu, 02 Mar 2023 08:30:00 +0000 https://www.komando.com/?p=878211

Amazon recently unleashed Multi-room audio for compatible Echo devices to the public. It makes everything from chores to party time that much more awesome.

Read on to find out how this handy feature works and how to use it.

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]]> 878211 https://www.komando.com/technology/how-to-tell-alexa-to-delete-what-you-say/569443/ Fri, 17 Feb 2023 10:30:00 +0000 https://www.komando.com/?post_type=happening_now&p=569443

There’s no denying it: Alexa is listening to you all the time. Every day, thousands of Amazon employees around the world analyze audio clips from users like you. Sometimes, they pick up private and personal audio.

Tap or click here to find out what your Amazon Echo can discover about your life by listening in. (Hint: It’s a lot.) Luckily, we know a trick you can use to wipe the slate clean every day.

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]]> 569443 https://www.komando.com/gadgets/alexa-tips-and-tricks/873110/ Sat, 14 Jan 2023 03:00:00 +0000 https://www.komando.com/?p=873110

Who says Alexa is only helpful on your kitchen counter? She’s a smart cookie, and chances are, there’s more you could be doing with her.

Did you know that Alexa can improve home security and check in on elderly relatives? Tap or click here for five clever ways to use your Echo and Alexa.

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]]> 873110 https://www.komando.com/security-privacy/amazon-alexa-stalkers/867893/ Sun, 04 Dec 2022 03:00:00 +0000 https://www.komando.com/?p=867893

According to Amazon, Alexa can follow more than 50,000 unique tasks and commands. Obviously, we can’t list them all, but we’ll give you a starting point. Tap or click here for 15 Alexa commands to try out right now.

Smart speakers are supposed to make our lives easier, but at what cost? Keeping one of these devices around is a privacy risk, but it can worsen.

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]]> 867893 https://www.komando.com/kims-column/get-smart-assistants-to-understand-better/795027/ Wed, 22 Jun 2022 10:30:00 +0000 https://www.komando.com/?p=795027&preview=true&preview_id=795027

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Voice assistants changed the way we interact with technology. Why set an alarm manually when Alexa can do it for you? Siri can type up your emails.

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]]> 795027 https://www.komando.com/tech-tips/amazon-alexa-life-alert-alternative/841253/ Sat, 11 Jun 2022 09:30:00 +0000 https://www.komando.com/?p=841253

Your smart speaker can remind you of appointments, give you a heads up on the weather, give you a wake-up call, tell a joke, set the mood for movie night, get the news and much more.

Add a video screen and you get access to many more cool features. Let’s start with a simple one. Did you know that you can turn your Amazon Echo Show into a digital photo frame? Tap or click here to find out how.

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]]> 841253 https://www.komando.com/security-privacy/use-alexa-to-protect-your-home/841328/ Fri, 10 Jun 2022 08:30:00 +0000 https://www.komando.com/?p=841328&preview=true&preview_id=841328

Alexa Guard is a free home security feature for your Alexa-enabled devices. You can use it as a virtual watchdog when you’re away from home. Once enabled, Guard will listen for breaking glass, smoke detectors and CO2 alarms. If it detects something, you will get a push notification on your phone, including an audio replay of the event. 

You can combine this feature with other Alexa commands too. Let’s say you get notified that Alexa picked up the sound of a window breaking. If you have an Echo Show, you can use the Drop In feature to see right inside the room.

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]]> 841328 https://www.komando.com/tech-tips/make-digital-assistants-quieter/840448/ Sat, 04 Jun 2022 09:30:00 +0000 https://www.komando.com/?p=840448

Digital assistants are helpful gadgets to have around the house and on the go. They can help you with the weather, the traffic on the road, daily reminders, music suggestions, morning routines and more.

More vehicles are equipped with technology to better sync your phone to your cars, such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. This also makes it easier to use your voice assistant on the road. While this can be useful, what’s the legality of talking to your phone’s smart assistant while driving? Tap or click here to find out.

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]]> 840448 https://www.komando.com/amazon/alexa-together-features/838159/ Fri, 13 May 2022 08:30:00 +0000 https://www.komando.com/?p=838159

It can be challenging when caring for an aging loved one. There aren’t many tools to make the job more accessible, and with COVID-19 around, face-to-face meetings are difficult.

But when you can’t physically be with your loved ones, companies like Amazon attempt to make the world a smaller place. Through initiatives such as Alexa Together, the service can send you daily check-in alerts or dispatch emergency services if a fall is detected.

Click here to read full story.

]]> 838159 https://www.komando.com/security-privacy/alexa-targeted-ads/836536/ Sat, 30 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0000 https://www.komando.com/?p=836536

Have you ever wondered why Amazon often offers such great deals on its Echo smart speakers and displays? It’s easy — those gadgets are cheap because your data is far more valuable.

It’s no secret that devices powered by Alexa and other smart assistants have been known to listen in, even when they’re not supposed to be. And Amazon knows so much about you, it’s scary. Tap or click here to see what we mean.

Click here to read full story.

]]> 836536 https://www.komando.com/kims-column/6-tech-myths-debunked/746353/ Thu, 28 Apr 2022 10:30:00 +0000 https://www.komando.com/?p=746353

We once believed that Macs would never get a virus, closing apps would save battery life, and private mode was really private.

For the record, switching to incognito in your browser probably doesn’t do what you think. Tap or click for six practical reasons to use it, from keeping your search autofill clean to shopping without spoiling the surprise.

Click here to read full story.

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