Episode Details

Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Brian Flanigan-Arthurs, Marty Jencius, Jim Rea, Web Bixby, Jeff Gamet, Eric Bolden, and Mark Fuccio take a MacVoices Live! look at Amazon's potential plan to charge for its AI assistant, Alexa, and its implications. The discussion also touches on the US ban on Kaspersky software due to security concerns, lack of transparency, and AI companies scraping websites despite privacy settings. The importance of ethical considerations in AI development and the challenges faced in the evolving landscape of technology are fodder for both positive and negative viewpoints.

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Chapters:

00:00 Introduction: Smart Assistants and Security Concerns 00:28 Amazon's Potential Subscription Fee for Alexa 04:40 Impact on Apple and Siri's Competitiveness 06:34 User Behavior and Value Perception of Smart Assistants 12:51 Frustrations and Annoyances with Alexa 16:42 Concerns and Speculations about Kaspersky's Reputation 22:52 AI Companies and Website Scraping Controversy

Links:

Amazon Could Charge Up to $10/Month for Alexa https://www.macrumors.com/2024/06/21/amazon-paid-alexa-plan/

US bans sale of Kaspersky software citing security risk from Russia https://techcrunch.com/2024/06/20/us-bans-kaspersky-software-security-risk-russia/?guccounter=1

AI companies are reportedly still scraping websites despite protocols meant to block them https://www.engadget.com/ai-companies-are-reportedly-still-scraping-websites-despite-protocols-meant-to-block-them-132308524.html

Guests:

Web Bixby has been in the insurance business for 40 years and has been an Apple user for longer than that.You can catch up with him on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Eric Bolden is into macOS, plants, sci-fi, food, and is a rural internet supporter. You can connect with him on Twitter, by email at embolden@mac.com, on Mastodon at @eabolden@techhub.social, on his blog, Trending At Work, and as co-host on The Vision ProFiles podcast.

Brian Flanigan-Arthurs is an educator with a passion for providing results-driven, innovative learning strategies for all students, but particularly those who are at-risk. He is also a tech enthusiast who has a particular affinity for Apple since he first used the Apple IIGS as a student. You can contact Brian on twitter as @brian8944. He also recently opened a Mastodon account at @brian8944@mastodon.cloud.

Mark Fuccio is actively involved in high tech startup companies, both as a principle at piqsure.com, or as a marketing advisor through his consulting practice Tactics Sells High Tech, Inc. Mark was a proud investor in Microsoft from the mid-1990's selling in mid 2000, and hopes one day that MSFT will be again an attractive investment. You can contact Mark through Twitter, LinkedIn, or on Mastodon.

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