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Alexa Keeps Text Trancripts of Deleted Recordings

Charlotte Henry ·

Users can delete voice recordings stored by Alexa. However, Amazon still keeps the text transcript, CNet reported, raising a host of privacy concerns.

When you check your Alexa dialogue history, you can see text next to the recordings like “How’s the Weather” and “Set an Alarm.”Amazon lets you delete those voice recordings, giving you a false sense of privacy. But the company still has that data, just not as a sound bite. It keeps the text logs of the transcribed audio on its cloud servers, with no option for you to delete them. Amazon said it erases the text transcripts from Alexa’s “main system,” but is working on removing them from other areas where the data can travel.

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BMW Owners Suffer ConnectedDrive Outage, Affects CarPlay

Andrew Orr ·

Some BMW owners have suffered a ConnectedDrive outage, and it affects CarPlay.

What seems to be happening is that because of the ConnectedDrive outage, cars are unable to confirm that users have paid for the CarPlay option in their vehicle. Because the car can’t make that authentication, BMW owners have no access to CarPlay, nor the other ConnectedDrive features.

BMW has purportedly acknowledged the ConnectedDrive outage to customers, but has yet to comment publicly or offer any sort of timetable on when the issue might be resolved.

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Privacy is a Luxury Item? Think Again

John Martellaro ·

Google CEO Sundar Pichai says privacy shouldn’t be a luxury item.  Responding at Computerworld, Jonny Evans writes:

The crux of Google CEO Sundar Pichai’s argument against firms such as (obviously including but never named) Apple is that his company offers convenience in exchange for personal secrets, makes its services available for free, and has a “profound commitment” to protecting user privacy.

Author Evans lays bare the reality of how Google operates and the shallowness of Pichai’s whines.

TMO Deals

iRingg Ringtone Creator for Mac: $9.95

Bryan Chaffin ·

We have a deal on iRingg Ringtone Creator for Mac, an app that let’s you create ringtones for your iPhone on your Mac. It also offers direct to iPhone transfer, so that in one-click, you can wirelessly transfer your new ringtone into iPhone’s default ringtones section. Plus, it lets you create ringtones from audio you find on the Internet. This Mac app is $9.95 through our deal, half off retail.

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In its Current Business, Google Can Never Beat Apple’s Privacy

Andrew Orr ·

Google is in the center of the news lately. It recently had its annual developer conference, and CEO Sundar Pichai wrote as dumb of an editorial as Mark Zuckerberg. Karissa Bell writes how Google is “borrowing from Apple’s privacy playbook.”

Google is trying to beat Apple at its own game, and with much, much, cheaper hardware.

I commend Google for making its data collecting practices relatively transparent. But as long as it earns the majority of its revenue from advertising, it will never meet Apple’s privacy standards.

Nike Training Club Gets a Premium Subscription With Master Training
Cool Stuff Found

Nike Training Club Gets a Premium Subscription With Master Training

Andrew Orr ·

I’ve been using Nike Training Club for a year now, and it’s a great fitness app. Version 6.0.0 brings a premium training subscription. You’ll get workouts hosted by Nike Master Trainers in 4-6 week programs, with expert nutrition advice, wellness guidance including mindset, recovery, and sleep. The app brings new workout formats like on-demand classes and whiteboard workouts for gym-style training. Apple Watch support for the premium program is coming in the future. Finally, workout reminders help you says motivated to continue your routine. App Store: Free (Offers In-App Purchases).