Some people share a bit too much information...

[trinityalyce]

Have a look at this for your home automation, Trinity https://home-assistant.io ... Can do some very funky things with it, and it'll run happily on a raspberry pi, and integrates with a heap of third party solutions.

Guy at work has light sensors and zwave switches, and if the system detects all his family have left the house (using the wifi in their phones) , and the lights are on in the kids bedrooms, it turns off the lights.  Does the same with the air-conditioning.

He's also got heat and humidity sensors that are programmed in conjunction with the electric blind motors to put down the blinds if the temperature reaches a certain level...  That part has a mixture of individual Raspberry Pi Zero W's and Arduino systems that all draw low power, but make for quite an elegant solution.

He can also track when his mother in law leaves on her daily visit so it's safe to go home!!

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Thanks for the heads up! I had heard about the Z-wave stuff but hadn't looked into it much. Will definitely be looking at the website you've linked to!

I do love my tech.

That said, there are some things I'm happily old school about. I may love tech at home and own more devices than any sane person should, all of which I use regularly, but I cannot wait to hit the bush and escape from any trace of phone reception. But then... I have the HF radio to play with (love old school tech just as much!  ) and will usually have a bluetooth speaker playing some tunes...  Yeah OK maybe I am addicted. 

...Can I go off grid entirely and still have all my tech?  Don't see why not.  That would be a dream come true for me.

[Pottsy]

It's easy to be old school,but as things modernise and progress there comes a point where you have to embrace it. I remember 35 years ago my wife buying me a pocket organiser, why do I need that I said but I gave it a go and it was a great tool for work contacts, appointments etc.
Now it's iPads, tablets, smartphones etc, got em all.
Bluetooth speakers, fantastic no more wires. Not sure I'm ready for Google Home, give it a few years but it will come.
Internet banking is a classic example, I can't remember the last time I stepped foot in a bank. Even my elderly parents, 88 and 89 are embracing new technology all be it with a lot of coaxing and tuition.
Way of the world wether we like it or not. 

[MadMarv]

Me im not into home automation .... if i want the light/cooling/heating on i just get up same with the blinds/curtains ....  and on sharing info over f/book ive got my privacy settings set to only allow ppl to see what i want and my f/book isnt in my current name either .... yes ive had a couple off name changes ....

[Troopy_03]

Me im not into home automation .... if i want the light/cooling/heating on i just get up same with the blinds/curtains ....  and on sharing info over f/book ive got my privacy settings set to only allow ppl to see what i want and my f/book isnt in my current name either .... yes ive had a couple off name changes ....

Mad Marv, Crazy Clarke, Crazy John?

[GBC]

We had a copper from Taskforce Argos speak to parents at our school last night. This bloke didn't pull any punches. As a demo during the break he asked for a volunteer who had a social media account. The only info he got was their name. In a minute or two using just his phone he had their address, kids names, photos, schools, one of the kids phone numbers, and the other kid's 'secret' snapchat account. And the parents described themselves as strict on social media. My kids don't have an email address outside of their school account, don't have social media, don't have devices in their rooms etc. but it seems like we are in the minority. 3 minutes is all a predator needs to get them on the hook. Be careful.

[Pete79]

We had a copper from Taskforce Argos speak to parents at our school last night. This bloke didn't pull any punches. As a demo during the break he asked for a volunteer who had a social media account. The only info he got was their name. In a minute or two using just his phone he had their address, kids names, photos, schools, one of the kids phone numbers, and the other kid's 'secret' snapchat account. And the parents described themselves as strict on social media. My kids don't have an email address outside of their school account, don't have social media, don't have devices in their rooms etc. but it seems like we are in the minority. 3 minutes is all a predator needs to get them on the hook. Be careful.

Send that guy to every school in the country...

[tryagain]

We had a copper from Taskforce Argos speak to parents at our school last night. This bloke didn't pull any punches. As a demo during the break he asked for a volunteer who had a social media account. The only info he got was their name. In a minute or two using just his phone he had their address, kids names, photos, schools, one of the kids phone numbers, and the other kid's 'secret' snapchat account. And the parents described themselves as strict on social media. My kids don't have an email address outside of their school account, don't have social media, don't have devices in their rooms etc. but it seems like we are in the minority. 3 minutes is all a predator needs to get them on the hook. Be careful.

Sounds like a great initiative from the QPS, I like to think of myself as reasonably tech-savvy, but either the parents weren't in any way "Strict on social media" (I think most were parents would describe themselves as that whether or not they actually were) He was cheating and using Databases that Joe public doesn't have access too, or he has Jedi powers.

[Pete79]

Sounds like a great initiative from the QPS, I like to think of myself as reasonably tech-savvy, but either the parents weren't in any way "Strict on social media" (I think most were parents would describe themselves as that whether or not they actually were) He was cheating and using Databases that Joe public doesn't have access too, or he has Jedi powers.

No different to how hackers get everything off your computer. They use tools that are not really at hand for joe public, but really easy to find if your intentions are not so pure.

We had a demonstration from a former professional hacker showing how quickly he could get everything off our corporate servers in Switzerland by someone in the US clicking a dodgy link on an email.

As we all know law enforcement is ALWAYS at least 3 steps behind the crims. So if old mate had the tools to show a school demonstration, then guaranteed the tools the crooks are using these days are 3 times more advanced...



And as we all know the only people that matter in today's modern world is those special people called 'shareholders'.
Perhaps things might change with privacy now that shareholders have sent a message to Mr Zuckerberg...??
http://abc.net.au/news/2018-03-20/facebook-plunges-massive-data-break-tech-stocks-wall-street/9565734?pfmredir=sm

Of particular interest is how political analytics firm Cambridge Analytica had harvested the private data of more than 50 million Facebook users without their consent to support Donald Trump's 2016 presidential election campaign.

....

On Monday, Republican senator John Kennedy joined Senator Klobuchar in calling on Mr Zuckerberg to testify before Congress, and Democratic senator Ron Wyden sent a letter to Mr Zuckerberg asking about company policies for sharing user data with third parties.

....

"Everyone knows that tech fundamentals are solid, but rumblings like what you are seeing today, that does sort of prompt people to think 'is this as good as it is going to get or should I take some profits here?'" said Eric Freedman, chief investment officer for US Bank Wealth Management.

[trinityalyce]

Sounds like a great initiative from the QPS, I like to think of myself as reasonably tech-savvy, but either the parents weren't in any way "Strict on social media" (I think most were parents would describe themselves as that whether or not they actually were) He was cheating and using Databases that Joe public doesn't have access too, or he has Jedi powers.

Really? You'd be amazed what is easily able to be found on the internet if you try AND know where to look, all publicly accessible. I once found out the name (and a lot more details...) of the CEO of the company that bought out the small business I worked for when it was all hush-hush, no one knows anything about this company, they're just new, etc. etc. Nothing about the company was promoted anywhere, this was before they had a webpage, and they were keeping their cards very close to their chest. All I knew about them was the trading name. And honestly that was one of the easier information digging expeditions I've done to satisfy my own curiosity.

I'm not a hacker. I have no special knowledge or powers. And I can find out a fair bit about someone if I want to... So its not surprising that someone from a relevant police taskforce, or a predator who does this full-time for fun, or a hacker can find out much, much more than I am capable of... because I'm a nobody. LOL.

Also? My parents would have said they were tough on what I got up to on the internet when I was a kid. While I never did anything "bad" by any stretch, they were streets behind my level of computer literacy even when I was in my early teens, and had absolutely no clue what I did or how I did it. I didn't abuse that trust, but some kids will.

Parents - how highly do you rate your computer and internet skills? Because an interested and curious child will learn things quickly and leave you for dead if you don't keep up...

[tryagain]

I am not doubting that finding out plenty of information is possible for those who have put it out there, I have found more information on people that I am sure they realize is out there, but seriously, finding out

their address, kids names, photos, schools, one of the kids phone numbers, and the other kid's 'secret' snapchat account

with

only info he got was their name

all

In a minute or two using just his phone like 60-120sec

and

described themselves as strict on social media

I stick to my

either the parents weren't in any way "Strict on social media" He was cheating and using Databases that Joe public doesn't have access too, or he has Jedi powers

Or alternatively, GBC embellished the story a little to make sure the point was made.

[Bigfish]

I am not doubting that finding out plenty of information is possible for those who have put it out there, I have found more information on people that I am sure they realize is out there, but seriously, finding out withallandI stick to my Or alternatively, GBC embellished the story a little to make sure the point was made.

I totally believe that it is quite easy for someone clued up to find out all the details. After seeing what an acquaintence could retrieve on personal info...I know its very doable.  More info than what you have listed as well.  This is why I have no social media profiles.

[MadMarv]

Mad Marv, Crazy Clarke, Crazy John?

Birth name no idea
Leigh ... name mum and dad gave me ... (adopted)
Marv ... Marvin Martian ... yes i did do it
Lee .... 

[Bunyip]

Getting really creepy now

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-25/amazon-alexa-recorded-private-conversation-sent-it-to-contact/9799044

Recording and sharing conversations without consent.
Don't believe their explanation either

[Bird]

Getting really creepy now

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-25/amazon-alexa-recorded-private-conversation-sent-it-to-contact/9799044

Recording and sharing conversations without consent.
Don't believe their explanation either

I dont believe it LOL!!!

Again I see no need for this sort of technoShit in your home... So you cant say anything that sounds like alexia? What if your name is Alex, your ****ed.

Same as the google bullShit "Google turn the light on" FFS, the switch is ****in next to you dickhead

They would all have the ability to record and transmit Shit to anywhere on earth..

[Bunyip]

What if your name is Alex, your ****ed.

What are the chances that they said just the right things at the right time to enable this to happen, and no one in the room heard Alexia talking back to them. I call BS on that, Alexia is going rouge!!!!