Is my phone listening to me or is this paranoia?

ttf_timothy42b · Post by **ttf_timothy42b** » Fri Jan 27, 2017 5:00 am

You know how if you google something like trombone mouthpieces, you see ads appear for trombone mouthpieces on unrelated programs like facebook, yahoo, CNN, eBay, etc.?

My daughter says that happens on her smart phone with things she has only spoken about, not typed in anywhere. She points out that many apps have access to the microphone and this is technically possible.

I'm skeptical but it wouldn't be the first time technology has leapt past me unaware.

ttf_harrison.t.reed · Post by **ttf_harrison.t.reed** » Fri Jan 27, 2017 5:10 am

If you use gmail or a similar email server, it reads all of your email and uses it to generate ads. You don't have to type in stuff, your friends can too.

I guess a phone could easily listen to you and send that info to search engines but that seems pretty illegal. You would have to download an app that grants access to the microphone AND assumes you agree to some ridiculous user agreement.

ttf_Geezerhorn · Post by **ttf_Geezerhorn** » Fri Jan 27, 2017 5:15 am

Do you have an Amazon Echo in your house? We have three and friends tell me that Amazon could potentially monitor every spoken word in our house. We don't care, though. It's not like we shout SS numbers and bank account numbers to each other across the room, or speak of treasonous conspiracies or anything.

But yeah. Everything is connected now-a-days and I see people in the news all the time in a dither at how both authorities and bad people know seemingly intimate details about them. If you don't want personal information getting around, then I suggest you concoct an alias or two for all places on the Internet where you have to reveal anything at all about yourself to sign up.

There appears to be so many hackers lurking about, it is totally conceivable to me that your phone may have been hacked and an app installed to monitor you. Oh, and watch out for all your smart devices. Your refrigerator knows your darkest secrets now.

...Geezer

ttf_Matt K · Post by **ttf_Matt K** » Fri Jan 27, 2017 5:17 am

What phone? Do you ask the phone questions? Anything you put in a Gmail or search on Google, like on Facebook, follow on Twitter etc. Is "fair game" to use ad based targeting. Windows 10 also has similar function ality but I do the know the extent to which it uses that data for ad based targeting.

ttf_MrPillow · Post by **ttf_MrPillow** » Sat Jan 28, 2017 6:30 pm

I had a similar experience a few nights ago - I was talking to a friend about a subject that I know is not part of my emails/search history/etc. The next day, Facebook showed me an advertisement directly related to the subject we had discussed. Is technology monitoring what we say in every day conversation? Probably.

ttf_BGuttman · Post by **ttf_BGuttman** » Sat Jan 28, 2017 6:52 pm

Remember, the boys in the Puzzle Palace (NSA) are snooping on all telephone conversations all over the world. No doubt the technology is available to the cell phone providers.

ttf_robcat2075 · Post by **ttf_robcat2075** » Sat Jan 28, 2017 6:57 pm

A search on "phone conversation ad targeting Google" turns up numerous denials but not everyone is convinced...

Facebook doesn't listen through your phone's mic -- except when it does

ttf_BillO · Post by **ttf_BillO** » Sat Jan 28, 2017 9:18 pm

When I was a working stiff in upper management I used to keep my cell phone on much of the time, but I did turn the f'n thing off occasionally. Y'all know you can do that, right? Now that I'm retired and no longer vice-president of squat, I no longer own a cell phone.

You don't really need those things at all. However, if you feel naked without one, you can just keep it in your pocket but turn it off until you need to 'reach out'. Every service out there includes the ability to record messages.

The mind boggles.

ttf_MrPillow · Post by **ttf_MrPillow** » Sat Jan 28, 2017 10:02 pm

Quote from: BillO on Jan 28, 2017, 09:18PM
You don't really need those things at all.

Not all of us are stuck in the '50s and have landlines

Quote from: MrPillow on Jan 28, 2017, 06:30PMI had a similar experience a few nights ago - I was talking to a friend about a subject that I know is not part of my emails/search history/etc. The next day, Facebook showed me an advertisement directly related to the subject we had discussed. Is technology monitoring what we say in every day conversation? Probably.

Thought I should clarify. I was not talking to my friend on the phone, the phone simply happened to be in the room. Perhaps it was all coincidence. I don't much care either way, still a bit odd though.

ttf_BillO · Post by **ttf_BillO** » Sun Jan 29, 2017 7:07 am

Quote from: MrPillow on Jan 28, 2017, 10:02PMNot all of us are stuck in the '50s and have landlines

Neither am I, at least not in the '50s sense. I have fiber and use VOIP.

ttf_JohnL · Post by **ttf_JohnL** » Sun Jan 29, 2017 7:28 am

No, you phone is not listening to you. That's a complete urban legend.

Besides - why listen when they already know what you will say thanks to those mind-reading and -controlling nanobots they've been putting in the food and water supply?

ttf_Ellrod · Post by **ttf_Ellrod** » Sun Jan 29, 2017 8:10 am

My phone was listening to me, got bored, and shut itself off.

ttf_davdud101 · Post by **ttf_davdud101** » Sun Jan 29, 2017 4:01 pm

Quote from: timothy42b on Jan 27, 2017, 05:00AMYou know how if you google something like trombone mouthpieces, you see ads appear for trombone mouthpieces on unrelated programs like facebook, yahoo, CNN, eBay, etc.?

My daughter says that happens on her smart phone with things she has only spoken about, not typed in anywhere. She points out that many apps have access to the microphone and this is technically possible.

I'm skeptical but it wouldn't be the first time technology has leapt past me unaware.

I've theorized this for a couple of years now. It's quite creepy how it can do that... I'm not sure it listens to you, but have thought that it could be the case. Seeing those ads makes me jittery sometimes..

ttf_Geezerhorn · Post by **ttf_Geezerhorn** » Sun Jan 29, 2017 4:10 pm

Quote from: timothy42b on Jan 27, 2017, 05:00AMYou know how if you google something like trombone mouthpieces, you see ads appear for trombone mouthpieces on unrelated programs like facebook, yahoo, CNN, eBay, etc.?

My daughter says that happens on her smart phone with things she has only spoken about, not typed in anywhere. She points out that many apps have access to the microphone and this is technically possible.

I'm skeptical but it wouldn't be the first time technology has leapt past me unaware.

I could be that your daughter has a special relationship with her phone. I was convinced at one time that I was somehow unconsciously able to turn off street lamps b/c it happened with uncanny regularity when I went for walks after dark. I also was convinced that I could not wear a battery-powered wrist watch for longer than about a couple weeks without sucking the battery dry. But that was a long time ago in a universe far, far away.

...Geezer

ttf_Todd Jonz · Post by **ttf_Todd Jonz** » Fri Feb 03, 2017 9:37 pm

Is your smartphone technically capable of eavesdropping on you without your knowledge? Yes, especially (but not exclusively) if you use an Android phone. Is it likely that this is actually happening? Only if you are sufficiently badass to have attracted the attention of the NSA or some other nation state's security apparatus, Yes, Google wants to collect as much information as possible about you, but it doesn't want it badly enough that it would commit numerous federal felonies in order to obtain it.

ttf_Matt K · Post by **ttf_Matt K** » Sat Feb 18, 2017 4:06 pm

Just found this:

https://myactivity.google.com/myactivity

Google gives you access to what it has stored and at least pretends to give you the option to delete it. You can also manage "Activity Controls" and turn certain logging off.

ttf_timothy42b · Post by **ttf_timothy42b** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 5:33 am

I ran into a couple of variations on this theme this past week.

I was listening to ATW online. (I go up and stay Friday night, but I take off from work before that and listen online. I really like the streaming option.)

I run my laptop into a home stereo and out a set of speakers. Windows 10 always has the mike live, apparently, because periodically the music would trigger Cortana, who would helpfully offer to assist me - but that sometimes paused the stream, and always blocked the screen. There's no good way to shut down Cortana.

Second thing that happened is I used Audacity to capture a youtube sound track. So I had Audacity set to pick up the bus rather than the mike. However, I didn't realize the mike was still live, and any time I made a noise too close to it, it mixed in all the room noise, including my daughter playing with the dog in the next room.

ttf_harrison.t.reed · Post by **ttf_harrison.t.reed** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 6:53 am

Tim, you can just use a free "youtube to mp3" website to rip audio from youtube vids. It usually takes one minute, even for 30 minute videos.

ttf_timothy42b · Post by **ttf_timothy42b** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 6:59 am

Quote from: harrison.t.reed on Mar 13, 2017, 06:53AMTim, you can just use a free "youtube to mp3" website to rip audio from youtube vids. It usually takes one minute, even for 30 minute videos.

Thanks, I didn't know that. I'll try it tonight.

ttf_Geezerhorn · Post by **ttf_Geezerhorn** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 6:59 am

Quote from: harrison.t.reed on Mar 13, 2017, 06:53AMTim, you can just use a free "youtube to mp3" website to rip audio from youtube vids. It usually takes one minute, even for 30 minute videos.

Correct. But not for all videos. Some have copyright protection and some conversion sites won't get past it.

...Geezer

ttf_B0B · Post by **ttf_B0B** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 7:06 am

On iPhone, you can set it up to respond to "hey siri"... think it's "ok google" on android, and then echo responds to alexa... there are other devices out there like this as well.

Short answer: in order for your phone to respond to a voice command, it is always listening, and the voice command is just a queue to do something.

Believe part of the CIA hack release was software to make a samsung smart TV appear off, but keep the voice command part on and continuously listening and thus used to spy on folk.

As far as illegal... nope. Not if it's in the terms of use, or you grant the app rights to use different features/functions.

ttf_TomBone4 · Post by **ttf_TomBone4** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 7:18 am

On a related note, just listened to this podcast.... about how marketing targets you through technology...

On this link, scroll down the the February 13th episode, that is the podcast.

They also talk about Basie, so it is already great.

http://www.npr.org/podcasts/381444908/fresh-air

Thomas

ttf_Matt K · Post by **ttf_Matt K** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 3:26 pm

I've had recommended to me to use: https://www.onlinevideoconverter.com/video-converter to download things from youtube.

If you inspect the underlying for Youtube, the copyright info doesn't actually do anything, or at least anything that would prevent you from downloading it. You may run into issues if you download something very large though. It seems like the reasonable limit for downloading is somewhere around 4 hours. What I suspect most likely happened is whatever you were using to rip previously wasn't updated when Youtube changed their layout. It can probably download videos inconsistently depending on the URL you feed into it.

ttf_timothy42b · Post by **ttf_timothy42b** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 5:46 pm

I tried about half a dozen before I hit one that worked, youtubeinmp3.

I wanted to try a cello drone. I didn't intend to steal one, I will buy someone's product, I just wanted to test one based on recommendations by Don Lucas. I have a number of sets of drones on my PC now, but never used a cello drone because all the ones I found had vibrato, and I couldn't tell that from beats. I did buy David Schwartz's tuning CD.

Don recommended humming or singing slowly a half step away from the drone, and making the beats do a carefully steady accelerando. I tried that with a regular drone and it was hard to hear beats, but with a cello drone it is easy. I don't pretend to know why.

ttf_MrPillow · Post by **ttf_MrPillow** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 6:22 pm

Beats are the result of coincidental partials, so their prevalence is dictated by the harmonic content of the two audio signals. The cello drone likely has richer content at the frequencies that are beating against your voice/trombone.

ttf_Ellrod · Post by **ttf_Ellrod** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 6:24 pm

I think my phone and my microwave are talking about me behind my back.

ttf_robcat2075 · Post by **ttf_robcat2075** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 8:04 pm

Quote from: timothy42b on Mar 13, 2017, 05:46PMI tried about half a dozen before I hit one that worked, youtubeinmp3.

I wanted to try a cello drone. I didn't intend to steal one, I will buy someone's product, I just wanted to test one based on recommendations by Don Lucas. I have a number of sets of drones on my PC now, but never used a cello drone because all the ones I found had vibrato, and I couldn't tell that from beats. I did buy David Schwartz's tuning CD.

Don recommended humming or singing slowly a half step away from the drone, and making the beats do a carefully steady accelerando. I tried that with a regular drone and it was hard to hear beats, but with a cello drone it is easy. I don't pretend to know why.

I'll note that Chromatia Tuner can play any note in any temperament in sine, square, triangle or sawtooth waveforms for different overtone listening.

I also suggest "the Intonation Repair Tool" CD if you like playing to drones. They have rich, vibrato-free drones in every key, in tonics and open fifths.

ttf_BillO · Post by **ttf_BillO** » Tue Mar 14, 2017 9:46 pm

Quote from: MrPillow on Mar 13, 2017, 06:22PMBeats are the result of coincidental partials, so their prevalence is dictated by the harmonic content of the two audio signals. The cello drone likely has richer content at the frequencies that are beating against your voice/trombone.
The fundamental should be prevalent, no?

ttf_MrPillow · Post by **ttf_MrPillow** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 7:28 am

Surprisingly the fundamental renders relatively indiscernible beats. Two detuned sine waves are much harder to detect than signals with rich harmonic content, especially if you are looking at small degrees of mistuning.

ttf_MrPillow · Post by **ttf_MrPillow** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 7:28 am

Surprisingly the fundamental renders relatively indiscernible beats. Two detuned sine waves are much harder to detect than signals with rich harmonic content, especially if you are looking at small degrees of mistuning.