🌎 Listen around the world: Radiooooo.com (that’s five o’s, if you’re counting) lets you pick any decade from the past 100-plus years, then click a country to see what they were probably listening to on the radio. Like the Rolling Stones? Check out Zambian radio in the 1970s — it rocks! Btw, just click on Basic Mode. You don’t need to join.
A deleted blog post proves it: Advertisers are listening to you
Nope, you’re not paranoid. If you feel like your smartphone and speakers are listening to your private chats, it’s because they are.
In a now-deleted blog post, Cox Media Group revealed it can (and does) gather information from conversations and use it for targeted ads. They thought they were slick by removing the evidence, but we caught all the details. Don’t they know the internet is forever?
Guilty as charged
To clear up any confusion from the get-go, this is not the Cox that provides internet. This is a media company based in Atlanta.
In a blog post titled, “It’s True. Your Devices Are Listening to You,” CMG spilled the tea on the tech it uses with advertisers. It was loud and proud — admitting to using voice data to target the exact customer its advertisers were looking for.
CMG’s “Active Listening” technology picks up conversations to give local advertisers a weekly list of consumers who might be shopping for a specific product or service. Let’s say it hears you talking about needing a bigger car or home. Yep, that’s gold for advertisers.
CMG’s services are available in a 10- or 20-mile radius, and advertising clients can “claim” a specific territory.
Wait, really? How?
AI gathers conversations through smartphones, smart TVs and other devices, like smart speakers. Once a target audience is created, CMG delivers ads through “streaming TV, streaming audio, display ads, YouTube, and Google and Bing search.”
Stop and think about that reach for a second.
The blog post and related content on CMG’s website have been removed, but an archived version still exists. When reached for comment, CMG representatives didn’t respond. Shocker.
A listening ear
It's come to this - a charger that keeps your phone from listening
If you’re not sure if your devices are always listening, we’ll help you out. They are. Your smartphone, smart assistants/speakers, smart home devices and smart TVs listen for wake words or other vocal cues. Big Tech companies also listen to you through your devices.
The broken promise of 'ad-free' TV
Streaming was supposed to be ad-free, but now ads are sneaking into paid plans, and free ones are packed with them. What happened? Plus, is Facebook listening through your phone? I’ll cover that, how tech is making us lonelier, and the latest AI threat.
📚 Parenting win: Swap videos for audiobooks. Audiobooks encourage kids to visualize stories, in effect training their voluntary imagination, improving their problem-solving skills, boosting their attention spans and listening skills, and enhancing their vocabularies.
This smart assistant built into your phone could be secretly recording you - How to stop it
Google is no stranger to questionable privacy procedures, with numerous concerns raised over its data-collection methods over the past few years.
While Facebook and Amazon’s virtual assistant, Alexa, have faced similar accusations, new technology for Google Assistant makes it entirely possible for the devices to listen in on conversations without your knowledge.
The best way to listen to podcasts on iPhone and Android
Podcasts are exploding in popularity, and it’s not hard to see why. They’re a fun way to gobble down the content you love, and they don’t require too much attention. While you fold laundry, do the dishes or drive to work, you can listen to engaging audio stories that uplift, educate and inspire you.
The hidden list that tells you what apps are listening
Are your apps listening to everything you say? I show you how to check, in one minute.
The AI warnings are there - no one is listening
Does AI pose an existential threat to humanity? I have the details in this one-minute podcast.
These words trigger Siri, Alexa and Google Home
Did you know your voice assistant is always listening in? Here’s how you can wake them up on accident, in 60 seconds.
Yes, Google is actually always listening to you
Millions of homes have at least one smart speaker, and it’s not hard to see why. Not only are they great for listening to music and getting weather and news updates, but you can also control all the smart devices in your home with your voice. Super convenient!