I have the Echo and am quite happy with it. I'm not overly concerned with it being hacked - my network is behind a firewall and I test the router using ShieldsUp! on the Gibson Research site (http://www.grc.com) whenever there's some change to my network. It's a neat free service that essentially probes your router to see if there is any exposure to the outside world.
It's true that the Echo microphone is on and listening for the Alexa prompt, but it's really just listening for the word Alexa - it's not recording anything. If you have an iPhone or an Android phone with whatever Google calls its assistant, your phone is doing the same thing - you can't use an app that is activated by voice unless the phone's microphone is on and listening for your command. |
