A Curious Thing

[+joc]

Today I was driving down the Tollway service road in McKinney, TX.

Out of nowhere...Google's Alexa said, in a somewhat distressed voice:  Speed trap ahead!

I looked up...and there was a Texas State Trooper!  

Has this ever happened to anyone else?  First for me!  I don't even have Alexa or Google assistant.  How can Google know where a speed trap is?  And why warn me? I wasn't even speeding.   Very curious. My first thought was GPS tracking on Department of Public Safety vehicles...but they are everywhere...how does Google know they were using Radar?  And is this something we want happening?  What if Google warns someone that needed to be pulled over...like an intoxicated driver?  A bit concerning I think.

This on the heals of a report by a local commentator on talk radio, just yesterday,  that while talking at a restaurant, in passing, his wife and kids and he were talking about when they played a game of chess on an open field using Giant Chess Pieces, that you actually pick up and then move... and how they might want to do that again at some point...about 30 minutes later...his wife got an an email...advertising the exact Giant Chess Pieces they were talking about.  This is all getting a bit uncanny.  Thoughts?

[XenoFish]

We're being spied on. Through our phones, through our computers, etc. 

[+and-then]

19 minutes ago, joc said:

Today I was driving down the Tollway service road in McKinney, TX.

Out of nowhere...Google's Alexa said, in a somewhat distressed voice:  Speed trap ahead!

I looked up...and there was a Texas State Trooper!  

Has this ever happened to anyone else?  First for me!  I don't even have Alexa or Google assistant.  How can Google know where a speed trap is?  And why warn me? I wasn't even speeding.   Very curious. My first thought was GPS tracking on Department of Public Safety vehicles...but they are everywhere...how does Google know they were using Radar?  And is this something we want happening?  What if Google warns someone that needed to be pulled over...like an intoxicated driver?  A bit concerning I think.

This on the heals of a report by a local commentator on talk radio, just yesterday,  that while talking at a restaurant, in passing, his wife and kids and he were talking about when they played a game of chess on an open field using Giant Chess Pieces, that you actually pick up and then move... and how they might want to do that again at some point...about 30 minutes later...his wife got an an email...advertising the exact Giant Chess Pieces they were talking about.  This is all getting a bit uncanny.  Thoughts?

I mentioned something similar a few days ago.  My niece told me about a new app that she used called WAZE.  I downloaded it and used it on a trip to Gatlinburg.  We were warned about cops on the route AND about nonmoving vehicles ahead on the shoulder.  Those vehicles had obviously been left for hours or more.  HOW does an app get such info unless every vehicle has some kind of identifier?  It's damned creepy, IMO.

[TheOracle]

Have had it happen to me even in the last couple of days. I was talking to a guy at work on Monday about a Youtube vaping celebrity for about 30 minutes. I then went back to my computer in the office and quickly checked Facebook and on my feed were two adds for this guys Facebook group.

I also notice that every so often my phone will light up showing activity when I am just having a chat at smoko which tells me the device is constantly listening.

[SecretSanta]

50 minutes ago, and then said:

I mentioned something similar a few days ago.  My niece told me about a new app that she used called WAZE.  I downloaded it and used it on a trip to Gatlinburg.  We were warned about cops on the route AND about nonmoving vehicles ahead on the shoulder.  Those vehicles had obviously been left for hours or more.  HOW does an app get such info unless every vehicle has some kind of identifier?  It's damned creepy, IMO.

Waze knows about disabled cars, wrecks and police by other users reporting those things. 

[Big Jim]

I have similar things happen but I don't have a cell phone.  I swear, sometimes I'll just think of something, like a movie or what to have for dinner, and the next time I check You Tube there's a video about it in my recommendations.   I do have a Roku stick and I've also noticed a direct connection between what I watch and online offerings on various sites.  We are probably under surveillance more than we realize.  Whenever something newsworthy happens there seems to be video of it from 5 different angles.  They have facial recognition and license plate readers and security and surveillance devices the public doesn't even know about.  In the movie Blue Thunder, made 36 years ago, they show devices that can see and listen through walls.  A disclaimer at the beginning says that all the technology shown in this film is real and in use in the United States.  If they could do that then, there's no limit to what they can do now.

[+joc]

1 hour ago, TheOracle said:

Have had it happen to me even in the last couple of days. I was talking to a guy at work on Monday about a Youtube vaping celebrity for about 30 minutes. I then went back to my computer in the office and quickly checked Facebook and on my feed were two adds for this guys Facebook group.

I also notice that every so often my phone will light up showing activity when I am just having a chat at smoko which tells me the device is constantly listening.

When I ask Google a question...it answers back.  One night we were just talking.  My wife's phone was charging.  Suddenly her phone says, Sorry I didn't catch that.   I think Xenofish is right...we are being spied on!

[+joc]

1 hour ago, XenoFish said:

We're being spied on. Through our phones, through our computers, etc. 

It seems that way.  Is there an app to block other devices such as google from listening?  If they are listening through our phones...and they obviously are...are they watching us through our video cams?  

[Big Jim]

2 minutes ago, joc said:

It seems that way.  Is there an app to block other devices such as google from listening?  If they are listening through our phones...and they obviously are...are they watching us through our video cams?  

Would turning them off help, or do they listen even when the phone is off?  Since all cell phone transmissions go through local towers I have to wonder how much is being made available to local authorities.  

[+joc]

6 minutes ago, Big Jim said:

Would turning them off help, or do they listen even when the phone is off?  Since all cell phone transmissions go through local towers I have to wonder how much is being made available to local authorities.  

Good question...I asked google that just now...lol.  What came up was an interesting read:

You're not paranoid, your phone really IS listening to EVERYTHING you say

 

[Big Jim]

So they give people a 4 step process for turning (it) off.  How many are aware of it or actually do it?  I may not have a cell phone but I'm suddenly getting suspicious of the chip in my cat.  History has shown that any technology will be used to the maximum of its capabilities, both for good or evil.  Maybe especially evil, in the form of control.  

[Imaginarynumber1]

2 hours ago, joc said:

When I ask Google a question...it answers back.  One night we were just talking.  My wife's phone was charging.  Suddenly her phone says, Sorry I didn't catch that.   I think Xenofish is right...we are being spied on!

Is it really spying when they tell you that they're doing it and you can opt out?

[XenoFish]

6 hours ago, joc said:

are they watching us through our video cams?  

I've got duct tap over my laptops built in web cam.

[Farmer77]

4 minutes ago, XenoFish said:

I've got duct tap over my laptops built in web cam.

We can still see you.....er i mean they, they can still see you

[+joc]

6 hours ago, Imaginarynumber1 said:

Is it really spying when they tell you that they're doing it and you can opt out?

Really...opt out of Google?

That might be an option if you don't ever use GPS.  Did you know that you cannot delete the Facebook app from your phone?  You can disable it...but how does one know if it is disabled?

[+joc]

8 hours ago, Big Jim said:

So they give people a 4 step process for turning (it) off.  How many are aware of it or actually do it?  I may not have a cell phone but I'm suddenly getting suspicious of the chip in my cat.  History has shown that any technology will be used to the maximum of its capabilities, both for good or evil.  Maybe especially evil, in the form of control.  

I'm just paranoid of cats in general.

[Imaginarynumber1]

11 minutes ago, joc said:

Really...opt out of Google?

That might be an option if you don't ever use GPS.  Did you know that you cannot delete the Facebook app from your phone?  You can disable it...but how does one know if it is disabled?

I absolutely can delete facebooks app. And I can turn of location services, google assistant, etc. I don't, though, because I want them to see all the depraved porn i watch and exactly where I watch it. 

Edited May 3, 2019 by Imaginarynumber1

[aztek]

anyone installed an app from your insurance company on your phone?  they track you, watch where you going, how fast, how many miles you drive, whether you use your car for pleasure or a commute, but there is a bright side, you can use  it to your advantage

Edited May 3, 2019 by aztek

[+joc]

8 hours ago, Imaginarynumber1 said:

I absolutely can delete facebooks app. And I can turn of location services, google assistant, etc. I don't, though, because I want them to see all the depraved porn i watch and exactly where I watch it. 

Maybe you can on iphone...not on my android samsung.

[Agent0range]

Navigation apps only get information reported by other users.  My phone is docked on my dashboard, I see a cop, I click the notification box, and select speed trap.  It even tells you how many people reported whatever the issue is, be it a crash, a car on the shoulder, whatever.  All apps tell you what permissions they require.  Be it, contact list, camera, microphone..all of them.  You can still install the app, even if you don't like the permissions, and deselect the permissions you don't want it to have.  For instance, a shopping app probably wants permission to your GPS.  You can install the app, and disable that permission.  Google has made it fairly easy to do so. 

[Agent0range]

20 hours ago, and then said:

I mentioned something similar a few days ago.  My niece told me about a new app that she used called WAZE.  I downloaded it and used it on a trip to Gatlinburg.  We were warned about cops on the route AND about nonmoving vehicles ahead on the shoulder.  Those vehicles had obviously been left for hours or more.  HOW does an app get such info unless every vehicle has some kind of identifier?  It's damned creepy, IMO.

Again..it is crowd sourced.  Click around in the app.  You will find the menu to report things.  Google does this now because it bought Waze to use the idea.  Now, when you pass the reported speed trap, or any other hazard, a box comes up asking you if it is still there or not.  If a few people click no, it disappears from the maps of others.  It's far more simple a concept than the crazy theories you guys are coming up with, and really, the information is readily available on how it all works.  Instead of going 0 to conspiracy in .6 seconds, why don't you do some research?

[Rolltide]

21 hours ago, joc said:

Today I was driving down the Tollway service road in McKinney, TX.

Out of nowhere...Google's Alexa said, in a somewhat distressed voice:  Speed trap ahead!

I looked up...and there was a Texas State Trooper!  

Has this ever happened to anyone else?  First for me!  I don't even have Alexa or Google assistant.  How can Google know where a speed trap is?  And why warn me? I wasn't even speeding.   Very curious. My first thought was GPS tracking on Department of Public Safety vehicles...but they are everywhere...how does Google know they were using Radar?  And is this something we want happening?  What if Google warns someone that needed to be pulled over...like an intoxicated driver?  A bit concerning I think.

This on the heals of a report by a local commentator on talk radio, just yesterday,  that while talking at a restaurant, in passing, his wife and kids and he were talking about when they played a game of chess on an open field using Giant Chess Pieces, that you actually pick up and then move... and how they might want to do that again at some point...about 30 minutes later...his wife got an an email...advertising the exact Giant Chess Pieces they were talking about.  This is all getting a bit uncanny.  Thoughts?

Users can tag the locations of parked police vehicles, accidents, congestion, traffic cameras, potholes and more, so that other drivers using Waze are warned as they approach the same location.

[Imaginarynumber1]

1 hour ago, joc said:

Maybe you can on iphone...not on my android samsung.

I have an s9 and all of that can be disabled through apps menu or in the case of Google, through your Google account. 

 

[Imaginarynumber1]

It would seem that the majority of you dont k ow or dont understand that you can disable the permissions for every single app on your phone. You could even go a step further and root your phone to have complete control over everything. 

[Will Due]

 

I have no doubt that everything we say, everything we type and everywhere we go is being recorded for prosperity. I've had all of those kinds of experiences you all mentioned. Talk about something with somebody, minutes later (or sooner) boom, something comes up in an add that's related.

Recently I really got freaked out when I was thinking about something too Jim, and WTF! Might have been a coincidence but . . . 

I could stop using my phone but that ain't gonna happen. Besides, I'll bet they'll still track me when I'm near someone with a phone.

I thought "1984" was creepy but this might be much worse. I'll betcha what's gonna happen is that the man behind the curtain is going to massively screw up someday and let the darkness of the bag. Then (perhaps) the whole mess will get heavily regulated.

Btw, you know when they ask for permission? That's a ruse. They do that to make you think your in control. At least, I take that for granted. Same thing with turning apps "off".

 

 

Edited May 3, 2019 by Will Due