Scary Know How Your Phone Is Quietly Recording You Learn How To Stop It

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Hey Everyone!,

Scary Know 

How Your  Phone 

Is Quietly Recording You 

Learn How To Stop It

Photo:Sameer/auracompletsolutions.blogspot.com/ AdobeStock

But, your phone? It’s your biggest confidant. Always by your side — between dating apps and panicked disease searches. So what’s all this talk that your phone is spying on you? Is it a conspiracy? Can you turn it off?



There is no shortage of Google searches asking the question, “Is my phone spying on me?” But the answer is not so cut and dry. The usual suspects like Facebook and Google claim they’re not recording your calls. Yet, there are games in the app store that access your microphone, despite not having an audio element included in the gameplay.

Here’s what you need to know before you start speaking in hushed whispers — phone stored in a separate area.

Why people are suddenly paranoid

There are countless videos online where someone will mention a keyword under their breath, “paper towels,” “dog food,” “engagement rings.”

And then, magically, some on-point, targeted ads (hours, days later) that item — something they’ve never mentioned before, starts following them around the web as though they had shopping carts full of the stuff across various websites.

That’s not how it works. According to Dr. Peter Henway, a security consultant from Asterix, your phone is technically listening — in the sense that, it is prepared to answer when you say the magic word: “Okay, Google,” “Hey Siri.” The point is, your phone is listening for those keywords, but it doesn’t start recording until the trigger words cross your lips.

To process your requests, the phone does need to be ready, just in case you talk to it. But, researchers say, that your phone is not actively listening in on your conversations, then using that information to sell you more stuff.

Henway also says that while phones are designed to wait for these trigger words, there may be thousands of unknown triggers that can prompt devices to mine for advertising data.

Are Google, Amazon, and Facebook recording your voice?

Facebook is adamant that the company does not listen to your real life conversations in order to load your browser with relevant ads. Your browsing data and Facebook activity has you covered there. 

FB only listens in when you give the app permission to access the microphone. And, beyond that, the platform only accesses the microphone when you use a feature that requires audio.

And Google, it’s worth pointing out, does record what you say to your Google home. But again, it is supposed to record only what you say after the “okay, Google” trigger. That said, there is the chance that you may inadvertently trigger a recording.

Just when we thought Google couldn't get any creepier.

Chances are, you’ve probably used Google Assistant if you have an Android phone—basically the same as iPhones’ Siri—to set an alarm or ask what the weather is. You can access voice control by holding down the phone button or saying “OK Google.” But it turns out hackers spying on you through your laptop camera and a cell phone virus shouldn’t be your only tech fears. Google Assistant might be recording your voice, even when you don’t ask.

Just saying “OK” in a normal conversation can trigger Google Assistant to start recording your voice for about 10 to 20 seconds, according to The Sun. It won’t turn on every time, but something like “OK, go for it” apparently sounds close enough to confuse Assistant. Now think about how many times you say “OK” in a normal day. Yowza.

The alarming thing is, those little sound bytes don’t just disappear—Google keeps them. “For each voice query made to Voice Search, we store the language, the country, the utterance and our system’s guess of what was said,” Google states in its policy for Voice Search, which Assistant uses. “We keep utterances to improve our services, including to train the system to better recognize the correct search query.”

Afraid Google picked up some dirty secrets from your latest gossip session? Thankfully, there’s actually an easy way to find out—and get rid of the evidence.

Head to myactivity.google.com and hit “Activity controls” on the left side of the screen. Scroll down past all these other creepy things Google knows about you (those are creepy enough) and find “Voice & Audio Activity.” Click “manage activity” to find a list of all the recordings Google has of you.

Once you’re done cringing at all the awkward small talk your phone picked up, you can delete a single recording, or even all of them. To get rid of just one, hit “Details” under the item, and select “More” to find the delete option. Want to clear it all? On the top left, click “Delete activity by.” Under the “Delete by date” option, choose “All time” to erase everything.

The thing is, Google doesn’t specify whether it keeps the recordings for itself after you wipe them out of your activity feed, so there’s no guarantee they’re gone for good.

Unfortunately, there’s no way to stop Google from keeping your conversations if you want to use voice control, even if you turn voice and audio activity off. Turning the option off just means voice clips “may only be saved using anonymous identifiers,” according to its site. So Google still knows what you said, even if it doesn’t know it’s you, according to its site. If that creeps you out, the safest thing might be to skip voice control altogether. 

Hope you enjoy reading  this;)

What Do You Think?,Do let me Know or Do you agree or Disagree or Have any other ideas?Please Share your thoughts in the comments below as I learn just as much from you as you do from me!”

Bye for Know,

Sameer 

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• Smart Phone, Android Phone, Recording, Scary , Google , Quietly , Optimize

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How to Cope With Your Stress , Fear , Uncertainty And Coronavirus Anxiety Pandemic

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Hey Everyone!,

How to Cope With  Your 

Stress, Fear, Uncertainty 

And 

Coronavirus Anxiety Pandemic 

Photo:Sameer/auracompletsolutions.blogspot.com/ AdobeStock

Photo:Sameer/auracompletsolutions.blogspot.com/ AdobeStock

Photo:Sameer/auracompletsolutions.blogspot.com/ AdobeStock

Fear of the virus may be more infectious than the virus itself

It can harm people’s health and weaken entire societies. Thanks to modern technology, it can spread rapidly around the world. And there is no effective vaccine.

I’m not referring to COVID-19, although the coronavirus can serve as its catalyst. Rather, an infectious agent that is as old as civilization itself and is rapidly reaching epidemic proportions: fear.

Fear can take both a physical and psychological toll. It thrives in an atmosphere of distrust and confusion. As Franklin Roosevelt famously remarked, as he began his Depression-era presidency, fear needs to be identified and confronted.

“The fear of the virus may spread faster than the virus itself,” says Norbert Schwarz, a provost professor of psychology and marketing at the University of Southern California. “Unfortunately, that fear will also spread to totally unrelated domains of life. A decade ago, the threat of swine flu not only increased Americans’ concern about getting the flu — it also increased the perceived risk of getting a heart attack, dying in an accident, or being the victim of crime.”

“Once the world feels like a dangerous place, where bad things can happen any moment, fear knows few limits.”

Fear of new phenomena — such as this previously unknown virus — is especially potent, according to E. Scott Geller, a behavioral psychologist and alumni distinguished professor at Virginia Tech. “Everywhere you go, people are talking about it,” he says. “As we communicate about it, we’re sharing our uncertainty — and uncertainty is scary.”

“Statistically, we lose more lives on the highway than in most epidemics, but on the highway, we’re in control,” says Geller. “We say to ourselves, ‘That’s not going to happen to me because I know how to prevent it.’ But with this virus, we don’t know that. So the more we hear about it, the scarier it feels.”

James Dillard of Penn State, an expert in communication, describes a similar dynamic: “Every time somebody mentions the coronavirus to you, you recall everything you read about it and the feelings you experienced at the time.” He says, “So your fear is triggered again.”

“Once the world feels like a dangerous place, where bad things can happen any moment, fear knows few limits.”

That’s problematic for several reasons. Chronic stress not only results in long-term health consequences, but it can prompt people to make unwise choices, such as buying up masks that health care workers need or making unnecessary visits to already-overburdened hospitals or clinics.

Traditionally, fear spreads primarily through person-to-person contact — including in nonverbal ways. As a 2015 study reported, research has demonstrated that exposure to body odors from frightened individuals elicits fear in others. The smell of fear is a real phenomenon.

Today we have a much more efficient means of transmitting anxiety: social media. Jiyoung Lee, an assistant professor in the University of Alabama’s College of Communication and Information Sciences, has studied online emotional contagion. She argues virtual discussions with friends can be positive if accurate information is shared and people are reassured.

But research also shows that if a piece of news frightens or angers us, we’re more likely to retweet it, even if we haven’t checked its accuracy. That’s a huge problem. A study Lee conducted found that when social media posts about a spreading virus contain “fear-arousing disinformation,” subsequent corrections or “flags” had little or no impact.

“In order for misinformation to be corrected, people have to evaluate it in a logical manner,” she says. “Emotions can paralyze logical thought.” She argues social media platforms need to do a better job of keeping such material off in the first place — and users need to get in the habit of checking with reliable news sources before sending stories to their friends.

The last time an infectious disease got this much attention was 2016, when mosquitoes spread the Zika virus, which was discovered to cause the birth defect microcephaly in infants if a woman was infected when she was pregnant. Shortly after the alarm was sounded, Dillard and his colleagues collected data on 581 pregnant women living in the southern United States, asking about their level of fear and their emotional coping strategies. They then re-interviewed the women two weeks later.

The bad news: None of the strategies, including avoiding news of the virus or minimizing its importance, lowered their anxiety levels. And one technique — suppressing their negative thoughts and feelings — resulted in higher levels of fear two weeks later. Dillard compares this to the “Don’t think about a pink elephant” conundrum. Telling yourself not to feel fear is similarly counterproductive.

So what can we do to cope with these uncomfortable feelings, and avoid passing them to others? Schwarz reports fear is often attenuated when people are fully aware of why they’re feeling it. You’re scared of the coronavirus? Perfectly understandable. But if that fear permeates into other unrelated areas, remind yourself of its source.

Dillard advises people to “turn off the politicians and go to the CDC website. Pay attention to the scientists. Don’t listen to people who believe it’s their job to amplify the threat.”

Geller suggests doing whatever you can to feel in control of the situation. Take the precautions that the health authorities suggest, such as frequent hand-washing. Boost your immune system with healthy habits and activities, such as regular exercise. Stock up on food and water, just in case the authorities order you to stay indoors for a while.

Actions can be empowering, and thus counteract fear, at least for a time. So can deciding against taking certain steps, such as posting unverified information. By now, we all know about the importance of not touching our eyes, nose, or mouth. We might also want to keep our fingers away from the “post” button.

The coronavirus outbreak is rapidly evolving. To stay informed, check the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as your local health department for updates. If you’re feeling emotionally overwhelmed, reach out to the Crisis Text Line.

Hope you enjoy reading  this;)

What Do You Think?,Do let me Know or Do you agree or Disagree or Have any other ideas?Please Share your thoughts in the comments below as I learn just as much from you as you do from me!”

Bye for Know,

Sameer 

There’s more to that

If you’re looking for more,Please subscribe to my blog by clicking on Subscribe in a reader the icon or Subscribe via Email by submitting your email id on the side bar ;)

• Coronavirus , Fear , Health ,  World , Society , Life , Human ,  Optimize

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Know About The Need To Stop Making Burnout A Lifestyle And Become Human

This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon.com(and affiliate Sites/Stores.)Any One Can Shop from this blog.Using links to these sites means I may earn a small percentage from  purchases made at no extra cost to you.

Hey Everyone!,

Know About The 

Need To Stop Making 

Burnout A Lifestyle 

And 

Become Human

Photo  :  ADOBE STOCK 

Platform capitalism makes us less human.Challenges of the future by fathoming out the present.

A decade ago a ride-hailing service called UberCab launched in Silicon Valley. Since then the rebranded Uber has burned through $10bn. It has never made a profit.

The business model relies on shareholders to subsidise cheap rides so that the company can squeeze out rivals and establish a monopoly. Uber’s success is that 90 million people now use it in 700 cities around the world. After it floated on the stock market, its two founders became billionaires. While the owners of Uber have become immensely wealthy, the people who drive its cars have paid a heavy price. Unions say that Uber drivers in the UK earn an average of £5 an hour, well below the legal minimum wage of £8.21 for employees aged over 25. They can work up to 30 hours a week before breaking even. Hundreds went on strike in May to protest against poor pay and conditions.

Across Britain, gig work – part of a casualised, precarious and on-call jobs market – is growing at a giddy rate. The sector has more than doubled in size since 2016 and now accounts for 4.7 million workers. In part this is due to new technology: people are using apps on their mobile phones to sell their labour. The core business model relies on near-instant recourse to a large pool of on-demand workers looking for their next gig. Uncertain work is becoming the norm, with the result that unemployment statistics look better than the way Britons feel. It is an environment of overwork, marked by intense bursts of exhaustion. One gig-economy firm even tried to market burnout as a lifestyle by claiming its workers were “doers” for whom “sleep deprivation is [their] drug of choice”. Nothing can disguise the fact that the gig economy’s rise has been accompanied by a fall in the fortunes of working households – which now comprise 58% of those below the official poverty line; the figure was 37% in 1995. In a seminal paper, Alex Wood and other researchers at Oxford University found that half of the gig work in the UK is in our streets, supplying food or couriering parcels or offering taxi rides.

Cherrypicking workers

The other half of gig work is remote – providing digital services, such as data entry and programming, on platforms such as Upwork, Freelancer and Fiverr, which act as auction houses for human labour, where people place a bid to do the work on offer. Those in richer nations can find themselves undercut by those in poorer places. In 2017 US freelancers using Upwork netted $27m – only a little more than those in India. Many of the world’s biggest firms use these apps to outsource work to lower costs. Microwork, where tasks are broken down, is dominated by Amazon’s Mechanical Turk division. Two-thirds of its US workers earn less than the federal minimum wage.

The office faces a future like that of the factory floor in the 1980s, when work was shipped abroad to save money and boost profits. In his book Humans as a Service, the Oxford academic Jeremias Prassl says the gig economy’s problems – for workers and markets – are driven by firms “presenting themselves as mere intermediaries rather than powerful service providers … [to] shift nearly all of their business risk and cost onto others”. The simplest illustration of this is Uber’s claim that its drivers are not employees – at a stroke this potentially avoids VAT liabilities of £1.5bn. That sort of cash could have been used to pay towards a health service dealing with the fallout from insecure jobs with unpredictable shifts. A landmark study tracking people who lost their jobs in the recession of 2010 found that those who ended up with poor-quality work – with low pay, low autonomy, and high insecurity – had higher chronic stress levels than those who had remained unemployed.

Consumer rights are being rewritten – often to the customer’s detriment. People using popular takeaway apps such as Uber Eats and Deliveroo can order from thousands of restaurants without being aware of their poor hygiene ratings. Such practices undermine the trust needed for the market economy to function smoothly. Hidden beneath the claims of autonomy is the fact that the platforms exercise firm control over most aspects of how, and to what standard, work is done. The technology can monitor whether a freelancer is working for the whole time billed. It can detect whether a gig-economy driver brakes too hard. Too many low rankings might see a worker kicked off a platform. Productivity becomes the way to measure human value. Firms can cherrypick workers – usually those without children or in good health. What happens to those who have lives that don’t match the gig economy’s demands?

Commercialising spare time

In the gig economy, employees are no longer protected by a legal system that was designed for a different age. At present there are three categories of employment status in the UK: employee, worker and self-employed. Only the first category is entitled to full employment rights, including redundancy payments, parental leave, and protection against unfair dismissal. The second category ought to have their minimum wage and trade union rights protected, as well as paid holiday entitlement. However, gig-economy firms assume their workers to be self-employed, and fight trade unions such as the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) who claim otherwise. In almost every case workers in the gig economy have proved that they are in fact employees. It is absurd that judges must protect workers from forced self-employment. Britain does have labour laws, but they are not fully applied. This allows gig firms to fight claims individually and then just pay off the worker who wins in court without applying the ruling to the wider workforce. The Conservative government offers only cosmetic changes to the rules governing the gig economy. It would be better to regulate platforms properly. For example, the IWGB suggests that Uber’s licence to operate in London could be made conditional on respecting drivers’ employment rights.

It ought to be possible for workers to have flexible work without denying them basic rights. Businesses can only compete fairly if employment rules are equally applied and consistently enforced. On a deeper level, the gig economy is erasing what was for many the traditional goal of working: to buy free time. Instead we are being seduced and coerced into thinking that it is good to commercialise our leisure time and possessions. Time to spare? Exchange it for cash by delivering pizza. Your apartment free for a week? Rent it out for extra cash. This will not make us happy. We ought to work and have careers that enable us to focus on our relationships and have soul-enriching pastimes. It cannot be socially good to consider leisure time as a lost commercial opportunity. Unless we can turn away from such thinking, we shall see ourselves acting less like humans and more like companies.

Hope you enjoy reading  this;)

What Do You Think?,Do let me Know or Do you agree or Disagree or Have any other ideas?Please Share your thoughts in the comments below as I learn just as much from you as you do from me!”

Bye for Know,

Sameer 

There’s more to that

If you’re looking for more,Please subscribe to my blog by clicking on Subscribe in a reader the icon or Subscribe via Email by submitting your email id on the side bar ;)

Platform Capitalism , Burnout , Lifestyle ,  Human , Uber , Optimize

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