Chapter 1
The rise of the listening house
Chapter 2
Where does your voice go
Chapter 3
Hackers and smart locks
Chapter 4
Reclaiming your digital walls
Ch 1 · The rise of the listening house
strawbr1br1 ECHO IV Home Computer
In sixty-six, what could your home tech do? / ECHO IV, recipes for you! Oh-oh!
Quiz
What is the term for processing data directly on a smart device rather than sending it to a remote cloud server?
futura The concept of home automation dates back much further than modern internet giants.
Quiz
What physical component allows a smart device to detect sound vibrations and convert them into electrical signals?
Quiz
What first-generation home automation system was built by a Westinghouse engineer in 1966?
futura Smart home privacy
My smart home's always keen, To listen in, Your data's sent unseen.
futura Microphones are quietly being built into appliances that do not obviously need them.
Quiz
In 2017, what unexpected event caused numerous smart speakers in San Diego to accidentally order dollhouses?
Fun Fact
Wake word triggers: In 2017, a San Diego news broadcast accidentally triggered hundreds of smart speakers to order dollhouses by repeating a child's voice command on air.
Quiz
How does a standard smart speaker detect its wake word without using internet bandwidth?
Quiz
Which smart security device made headlines in 2019 for containing an unlisted microphone?
Glossary
smart home (noun)
A home equipped with lighting, heating, and electronic devices that can be controlled remotely by phone or computer. In May 2018, a Portland, Oregon family unplugged their devices after their conversations were secretly recorded.
A home equipped with lighting, heating, and electronic devices that can be controlled remotely by phone or computer. In May 2018, a Portland, Oregon family unplugged their devices after their conversations were secretly recorded.