Earlier this week The Information reported that Apple is making a smart hub to compete with the very cool Amazon Echo and recently announced Google Home. This is not shocking. Consumer technology companies’ new favourite thing is to get their remarkably well-designed talons into every aspect of our lives. If we want the convenience they promise then we have to sell a little bit of our digital soul.
I’m OK with this.
To an extent.
Google Home worries me because Google already has my emails, search habits and TV preferences, and with Google Home it wants to sit on my mantle and listen to my every fart.
But at least it isn’t rumoured to have cameras with facial recognition like Apple’s skunkworks home helper.
The device would be “self aware” and detect who is in the room using facial recognition technology. That would let the device automatically pull up a person’s preferences, such as the music and lighting they like, the sources said.
It’s great that Apple wants to effortlessly acknowledge my love of mood lighting and a little Sleater-Kinney. It is also the stuff of ol’ George Orwell’s nightmares.
[CNET]