Page 24 - ARUBA TODAY

A24 TECHNOLOGY
Saturday 26 May 2018

After Amazon Echo misfire, ways to protect your own privacy

By BARBARA ORTUTAY and erating instructions. The
ANICK JESDANUN downside is that users are
Associated Press often unaware of all the
NEW YORK (AP) — Rev- things their gadgets can
elations that an Amazon do, good or bad. Checking
Echo smart speaker inad- reputable online reviews,
vertently sent a family's how-to guides and even
private conversation to an instructional videos will help
acquaintance highlights you get the most out of
some unexpected risks of new technologies. They'll
new voice-enabled tech- also tell you about any
nologies. According to known glitches and risks.
Amazon, the fault was an Of course, the safest ap-
"unlikely" series of inadver- proach is not to buy a new
tent vocal cues that trig- gadget in the first place.
gered the speaker, caused That might not be practical
it to begin recording and for smartphones these days,
then led it to interpret sub- but do you really need a
sequent conversation as a In this Sept. 27, 2017, file photo, an Amazon Echo Dot is displayed during a program announcing smart speaker or a televi-
"send message" request. several new Amazon products by the company, in Seattle. sion set that's connected to
There's no way to eliminate the internet? (As it turns out,
these sorts of privacy risks hear you, it won't be able piece of tape over his lap- waves can help prevent it's actually difficult to buy a
short of unplugging entire- to order you more toilet pa- top's camera to prevent unwanted spying. The TV without "smart" capabili-
ly. But you can minimize the per or play smooth jazz. spying if anyone were to good ones will block cellu- ties these days, but nothing
odds of unpleasant privacy — LIMIT THE MIC: Disabling hack his device. Buy your- lar and other signals, mean- says you have to connect it
surprises with these tips: the microphone isn't prac- self a roll. Or use bandages. ing privacy-compromising at home.)
— KILL THE MIC: Most smart tical on a smartphone, but If you have a home-securi- information such as your From toothbrushes to slow
speakers have a physical you can limit what apps ty camera that's connect- location won't leak out ei- cookers to toys, if compa-
button to disable the micro- have access to it. Go to ed to the internet, turn the ther. Just remember, your nies can dream it up, it's out
phone, so a private con- the settings and turn off mic camera to the wall when phone won't get any calls there. Companies often re-
versation can't be record- access to all but essential you're home. Just remem- while it's in the bag — that's lease smart gadgets with-
ed to begin with. You can apps such as voice record- ber to turn it back before the whole point. out thinking through the risks
hit that when you're having ers or video conferencing. you leave, or you defeat — BE INFORMED: Apple, and ensuring their security.
sensitive conversations. The Netflix doesn't really need the point of having a secu- Samsung and other tech This makes them easy tar-
button on the Echo will turn voice access; you can sim- rity camera. companies have worked gets for malicious hackers.
red; other devices have ply type the name of the — BLOCK THE SIGNALS: For over the years to ensure This is especially true with
similar cues. It doesn't make show you're searching for. smartphones and other that their products work manufacturers that aren't
sense to keep the mic dis- — ABOUT THAT CAMERA: gadgets you carry with "out of the box," without us- well known or that special-
abled throughout the day, Facebook CEO Mark Zuck- you, a "Faraday bag" that ers having to pore through ize in toys and other non-
though. If the Echo can't erberg famously puts a blocks electromagnetic lengthy manuals and op- tech businesses.q

MHI Thermal Systems Receives Certification for Automotive SPICE

turers (finished vehicles). tioning systems, effective dustries Group
Certification was provided January 1, 2018. The con- Mitsubishi Heavy Indus-
by DNV GL, a third-party solidation of technologies tries, Ltd. (MHI), headquar-
certifying body based in and business resources tered in Tokyo, is one of the
Norway, and will enhance broadened the business world’s leading industrial
MTH’s overall competitive- scope and enhanced effi- firms with 80,000 group em-
ness in Europe and the ciency, and the company ployees and annual consol-
global market. has worked to strengthen idated revenues of around
This press release features its global competitiveness. 38 billion U.S. dollars. For
multimedia. View the full This certification is a reflec- more than 130 years, the
release here: tion of those measures, and company has channeled
The certification for Auto- going forward MTH will uti- big thinking into innovative
motive SPICE Ver. 3 veri- lize its objectively verified and integrated solutions
fies Level 3 compliance advanced technology that move the world for-
for 17 processes, including development capabilities ward. MHI owns a unique
Electric Compressor for Automotive Air Conditioners (Photo: project management, soft- to target the automobile business portfolio covering
Business Wire) ware requirement analysis, manufacturers for whom land, sea, sky and even
software architecture de- Automotive SPICE Ver. 3 space. MHI delivers inno-
TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)- as compliant with Version sign, software integration certification is an essential vative and integrated solu-
-May 24, 2018--MHI Ther- 3 (Level 3) of Automotive and integration testing, requirement in a supplier, tions across a wide range
mal Systems, Ltd. (MTH), a SPICE (Software Process Im- software competency test- and uncover demand in of industries from commer-
Group company of Mitsubi- provement and Capability ing, and quality assurance. Japanese and overseas cial aviation and transpor-
shi Heavy Industries, Ltd. dEtermination), the industry MHI Thermal Systems markets for increasingly tation to power plants and
(MHI)(TOKYO:7011), has standards for the in-vehi- merged with MHI Automo- sophisticated car air con- gas turbines, and from ma-
received certification for cle software development tive Thermal Systems, Co., ditioner electronic control chinery and infrastructure
its electric compressor for process jointly formulated Ltd. (MCCJ), a specialist technologies. to integrated defense and
automotive air conditioners by European car manufac- in automotive air-condi- About Mitsubishi Heavy In- space systems.q