Tag Archive for: privacy

Domestic Robots – Do YOU trust them?

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7 in 10 Americans would totally trust a domestic robot to do their chores, according to Yahoo.

Yet, what about Brits? How do we feel about domestic robots?  

(A domestic Robot is an autonomous Robot that is primarily used for household chores)

Specops Software wanted to find out how we Brits felt about robots doing chores so surveyed 2,424 British consumers. They found out something quite the opposite to our American counterparts.

The survey consisted of the questions based on the characteristics of domestic robots. Specops wanted to identify the elements British people believe would make “ideal” robot for the home.

Some of their findings included:

  • 61% of people do not want domestic robots to read emotion
  • 88% of Brits would like the ability to modify their domestic robot
  • 39% of Brits would be likely to purchase a domestic robot, if available now
  • 82% of people would prefer a domestic robot with gender neutral characteristics
  • 82% of people do not want domestic robots to have access to personal, private data

So it looked like us Brits don’t like the idea of Robots doing our chores for us! With many of the statistics being based around privacy based concerns such as reading emotion and access to private personal data.

So, 77% of Brits do not want human-like robots in the home and: 

  • 61% of people do not want domestic robots to read emotion
  • 88% of Brits would like the ability to modify their domestic robot
  • 39% of Brits would be likely to purchase a domestic robot, if available now
  • 82% of people would prefer a domestic robot with gender neutral characteristics
  • 82% of people do not want domestic robots to have access to personal, private data

Domestic Robots Emotion

The most interesting statistic that Specops found was that 39% of Brits agree that it would be an asset for domestic robots to be able to read emotion. With the most favourable emotions ranking as most favourable to be read:

  1. Stress (60%)
  2. Fear (40%)
  3. Happiness (40%)

Functionality wise, 59% of Brits would like domestic robots to memorise what they see and do. While 41% would prefer robots forgot what they see and did instantly.

Aesthetics

But how do we want our robots to look? Well us Brits want domestic robots to look:

  1. Mechanical (65%)
  2. Be neutral in colour (53%)
  3. Have round, soft edges (29%)
  4. Be small and compact (53%)

While, a whopping 82% of people surveyed would like a domestic robot to have gender neutral characteristics (male 6% / female 12%)

We would also like to be able to modify the domestic robot if it were to exist (88%) most favourable modifications:

  • Ability to change its voice or noises (100%)
  •  Wipe its memory instantly (87%)
  • Download apps to increase its knowledge and performance (80%)
  • Extend or add different parts (60%)
  • Change its “skin” / outer casing (27%)
  • Zap or radiate when touched by something unknown (7%)

82% of us believe that the most effective use for a Robot is for security and surveillance.

Cleaning and use as a personal assistant came in a close second at 76%. Entertainment ranked 3rd at 65%, Cooking 53% in at 4th, companionship ranked 5th at 35%, furthermore guidance and advice 6th at  24%, healthcare  7th at 18% and Childcare came last at 6%


(Specops Software)

 

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Amazon Tracking Employees

Are Amazon Tracking Employees?

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Amazon Tracking Employees?

In what seems something horrific, Amazon tracking employees is not so positive and positive. Hear us out. Amazon have patented designs for smart wristbands to put on their warehouse employees. The intent is to help their warehouse employees locate products that their computers tell them to locate. To them put them into boxes to then send products to your homes. As an employee wanders around a warehouse full of thousands of products the wristbands will then vibrate to inform them whether to go left or right for example.

Privacy

While this sounds like a fairly harmless piece of tech, there is a glaring worry that this will affect an Amazon warehouse employee’s privacy. As it can detect your location within a warehouse, it could detect when your taking a quick cigarette break when you shouldn’t. It would also be able to detect how long your taking when collecting a customer’s order. Amazon as a company have a right to sack an employee who takes too long collecting orders and takes regular breaks when they shouldn’t. Afterall time is money.

As Amazon have access to all this data, they could get a whole lot of information based around you as a worker. Rather than you as a person. Which has to be taken into regard in regards to whether or not you’re hired. We as humans aren’t just numbers. You may not be the greatest worker, but your work ethic and ability to get on well with others would trump your ability. Unless your terrible. Yet, by just looking at people as just a number and a bunch of data. That is what people are in danger of becoming. A number. Also you’d become almost robotic.

The idea behind the Amazon wristband for employees seems like it would make an employees life easier. However with all of the data available from simple location data, it’s very dangerous what could be done with it.

What are Amazon going to do with it? Who knows. But as time goes on and robots are taking over people’s jobs, are we becoming closer to robots than we would like to think?

To listen to the guys discussing this on the podcast please click here!

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iOS 11 Making It Difficult For Law To Unlock Your Phone?!

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The next iOS is even more secure than we first thought!

According to security developer ElcomSoft, iOS 11 will require your passcode on the device itself when plugged into a new computer or laptop for the first time, to establish a new trusted computer, regardless if you click ‘trust this computer’

This is especially important for user privacy as constitutional laws try to catch up with technology, over in the US the Fifth Amendment does not protect fingerprints but can apply to passcodes in some instances.

The FBI even paid $900,000 to unlock the San Bernadino terrorists iPhone after Apple refused, claiming privacy violations and apparently the police have even tried to unlock a dead victims device with a 3D printed fingerprint!

Google Maps KNOWS where you are!

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Turns out Google knows everywhere you’ve been and has a log of it.

Google has a program that uses red dots on a map to mark where a user is and has been which of course makes it easier to identify them if anyone wishes to do so.

To see exactly what Google has been up to, just click here  and log in with the same Google account that you use on your phone and you will be able to see exactly where Google has a record of you from the day one of the current month that you’re in.

Even if you turn off all the privacy settings the folks over at Google still collect your info.

But you can reduce that by a following a few simple steps:

Go to the Google Maps Location History page and click the gear logo to access History settings.

Here you can disable or enable the service. (Disabling still doesn’t remove past history)

To erase the information Google Maps has on you over the past 30 days go to the Location History Page and use the pull down menu to highlight the history of up to 30 days. Below the Calendar you’ll see an option to delete your history from the time period you have chosen or to delete ALL history.

To listen to the guys chatting about this please click here!