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What do you think about all these listening devices?

We are renovating a home and installing electrical. I was hoping to get your opinion on thie Eero alarm system. I do not have or want Alexa due to finding the continuous listening capacity off-putting (I say this while sitting beside my iPhone), so I need to figure out if the system is as functional without Alexa. My question for you is if you think the eero part of this product is a good system for wifi dispersal in the home, or is it better to build our own mesh network? Any recommendations or red flags go up as we set up our digital “footprint" around the house?
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Very good question. Security and privacy concerns continue to come up as major concerns for clients during discussions I have daily now it seems. Keep in mind as we continue to integrate tech into our lives that means we are constantly inviting big tech further and further into our most intimate corners. Now, it is completely possible (due to the death of net neutrality in 2017) for you to have a heated argument in your house on a Monday, then see ads for marriage counseling served to you on Tuesday.

Enough of my privacy sermon.


In terms of separating the voice activation piece from the security function of either of these systems, Nest/Google, (which I have and actually really like a lot) Ring, Apple/siri w HomeKit... etc ….I don’t really think you have the ability to opt out of the voice listen piece. You can turn off mics on cameras I believe so there’s that. But if you choose to use any type of speaker system for music playback inside the home then once again, all bets are off. The only way to ensure your privacy is to not use these devices. But the ability to monitor and control our homes is winning out over what we are giving up as a society. See Facebook.

I would say the majority of my clients, including my neighbors, use the ring system and very much enjoy it. I don’t personally think the Eero routers are the best mesh network by any means. I prefer the Crbi products by Netgear. By the way, the walkthrough video of the space you provided indicates the possibility of plaster due to the age of construction. Plaster was big in the 30’s and before. Started to fade by the mid 40s. If those are plaster walls, plaster is infamous for blocking cell and wifi signals so the more routers and more powerful routers you have, the better. Eero repeaters would not be my first choice in the fight against plaster.

I fought against the idea of having cameras in and around my own home for years and due to an unfortunate series of 1am knocks at my door by scammers about 2 years ago, I finally gave in. My life is now recorded 24/7 but as least I can now watch my dog sleep.

Back to voice control:

There is debate between which voice service is less intrusive than others. Siri vs Google vs Alexa. Apple claims to not sell info it gathers from you but I have doubts. Alexa and Google voice come right out in their terms of service and let you know they will be harvesting info to better profile you and therefore sell more targeted advertised to you.

In closing, you gave up your privacy about 10 years ago and it’s just becoming more convenient for big tech to build their profile. They don’t only rely on listening to content through voice control services. They know where you go, who you visit, who your friends are, how fast you drive, how many times you go to the doctor, why you went to the doctor, what your fav automobile type is, what coffee you prefer, and the list goes on and on. Keep in mind you’ve been using just as violating a services since the advent of google maps. As the saying goes, if it’s free, you are the product.

Rad house by the way! Love that you guys see the potential and hope to see "after" pics some day. Or I can just go to ring.com/erins-DC-house, log in, and look for myself. (Joke)
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