Alexagate is the name of a curious device intended for some models of Amazon smart speakers weighing to improve user privacy. How do they do it? Well, avoiding that you are listening 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Of course without losing the functionality and advantages of not having to physically interact with the device. Because if it were so, it would lose grace. We will tell you more details below.
Alexagate, increase the privacy of Alexa
One of the main criticisms of Alexa and practically the rest of the voice assistants is the issue related to user privacy. These devices already know that they are 24 hours a day and seven days a week actively listening. They do this to be able to respond to your requests when you need it.
That is, they are on alert all the time waiting for that word that activates them. Or what is the same, the classic “Alexa”, “Hey Siri” or “Ok, Google”. The problem is that on some occasions there have been controversies because those previous records have been stored instead of having been deleted. Therefore, the users most concerned about their privacy reject the use of any smart speaker inside the home.
Alexagate wants to turn the situation around and in the case that you use the Amazon Echo (some models, because it is not compatible for all) do it with total confidence and without losing the possibility of interacting with it without having to touch it physically. Because you already know that the Amazon Echo include a button to mute (mute) the microphone, but when you want to use its functions you would have to press it to activate it and then again to deactivate it.
With this device developed by MSCHF what you do is put the Amazon Echo up to the third generation and the Echo Plus a kind of hat that cancels out any external sound by using ultrasound. Thus, the only way to activate Alexa is by using three claps or the physical press of a button.
This means that you can stop worrying about the assistant’s eavesdropping, because until you clap three times or touch Alexa, it’s like she’s deaf. Therefore, if you want to turn on the lights in the room, you would have to touch the palms three times and then say “Alexa, turn on the lights in the room” and voila.
Alexagate, a security bonus for $ 99
Alexagate, as you have seen in the images, is a kind of hat made in yellow that is placed on top of the speaker. A design that does not completely ugly the product, but that does take away a certain level of attractiveness.
Here you have to assess what interests you the most, whether to lose part of the aesthetic for greater privacy or keep it at the risk of such eavesdropping. However, there are ways to ensure the deletion of everything that Alexa listens and sends to your servers to improve actions such as voice recognition or the proactive and natural conversation that is still sought as a great goal.
The price of Alexagate is $ 99 , so you will also have to consider how much it is worth it. Because seeing the prices of the Amazon Echo, sometimes it costs more to pay for the collar than for the dog. Or put another way, how could an accessory cost more than the device for which it is intended?
