Do you guys have the expensive model or the echo? Is there a different besides size?

I think the models are the echo and the dot, right? I have the full size echo.

 

One thing I was disappointed to learn last weekend is that they won't sync playing the same music on multiple devices on the same network.

Do you guys have the expensive model or the echo? Is there a different besides size?

I got the full fledged echo as a gift. The dot has a smaller speaker and the tap doesnt work by voice.

I meant the Echo and the Dot. My bad. I think I'll put the Echo on my XMas list and see if my parents bite.

I think the models are the echo and the dot, right? I have the full size echo.

 

One thing I was disappointed to learn last weekend is that they won't sync playing the same music on multiple devices on the same network.

Their integration with Sonos is whats going to carry the torch there.

I meant the Echo and the Dot. My bad. I think I'll put the Echo on my XMas list and see if my parents bite.

Amazon has the refurb for about 40-50 bucks cheaper

Their integration with Sonos is whats going to carry the torch there.

Yeah but sonos is then $$$$ more money

Was curious about Echo vs. Google Home. I don't think Home is out yet but I'm more ingrained into the google ecosystem. Looks like Home will have multi-room audio support and it's cheaper. Might ultimately lean that way.

Yeah but sonos is then $$$$ more money

A s***load but it does rule.

 

 

Man this DNS outage is killing everyone today. Everybody is down

A s***load but it does rule.

 

 

Man this DNS outage is killing everyone today. Everybody is down

 

Our parent company has been a disaster. Been a worthless day.

Some of you may be getting interested in some of these "home" products, and as a person who works in the industry I'd implore you to hold off on these for now, no matter how cool you think they are.

 

Most of these products are made by non IT companies that have no idea how to properly build security into their products. As an example, more than half of the current door locks on the market were found to be transmitting unlock codes in plain text over bluetooth. Which means anyone with a cell phone who can download a free BT sniffing app can read door lock passwords up to 100 meters away, depending on the transmit power of that specific lock.

 

And it doesn't stop there, they are riddled with bugs and flaws that allow attackers to easily intercept communications to/from them.

 

Others were a bit more secure than that, but still trivial to hack.

 

Keep in mind this technology is in it's infancy, and although it's all super cool, it's not secure whatsoever.

 

 

Some of you may be getting interested in some of these "home" products, and as a person who works in the industry I'd implore you to hold off on these for now, no matter how cool you think they are.

 

Most of these products are made by non IT companies that have no idea how to properly build security into their products. As an example, more than half of the current door locks on the market were found to be transmitting unlock codes in plain text over bluetooth. Which means anyone with a cell phone who can download a free BT sniffing app can read door lock passwords up to 100 meters away, depending on the transmit power of that specific lock.

 

And it doesn't stop there, they are riddled with bugs and flaws that allow attackers to easily intercept communications to/from them.

 

Others were a bit more secure than that, but still trivial to hack.

 

Keep in mind this technology is in it's infancy, and although it's all super cool, it's not secure whatsoever.

Y2HH,

What about full-blown home automation systems? Same issues, or more secure?

Y2HH,

What about full-blown home automation systems? Same issues, or more secure?

 

Same issue for now, but not because the central "hub" isn't secure (or more secure, I should say), since those are usually made by companies such as Google or Apple, who have a solid security foundation, it's the items connecting too these hubs that have the issues.

 

For example, the door locks...most of these new high tech door locks are being made by door lock companies, not Apple or Google or another technology company. Kwikset and Schlage (a couple of popular door lock companies), are just entering the "technology" field and have no idea how to secure things that connect to the internet or elsewhere.

 

The issue with that is a door locks one job is to lock your door. Now that they're adding in automation and other such things, it's trivial to open them to the point it's like locking your door when you go on vacation, but leaving the key in it.

 

Link:

 

http://bgr.com/2016/08/11/researchers-find...prising-no-one/

 

They'll get there, just need a bit of time to iron out some of these issues is all.

 

Even companies such as Google and Apple aren't immune to such issues, either. I have a Nest thermostat, and sometime last year they pushed a patch too it that broke everything, so my heater wouldn't turn on. They fixed it, but that's something that just cannot be happening to peoples "smart" devices. Ever.

Edited October 22, 20169 yr by Y2HH

That is very surprising, particularly with the door locks. While traditional lock makers obviously specialized in a more physical type of security, their business was still security. One would think they would have engaged someone to maintain the same levels of security in their new electronic locks as they had in their traditional locks.

Some of you may be getting interested in some of these "home" products, and as a person who works in the industry I'd implore you to hold off on these for now, no matter how cool you think they are.

 

Most of these products are made by non IT companies that have no idea how to properly build security into their products. As an example, more than half of the current door locks on the market were found to be transmitting unlock codes in plain text over bluetooth. Which means anyone with a cell phone who can download a free BT sniffing app can read door lock passwords up to 100 meters away, depending on the transmit power of that specific lock.

 

And it doesn't stop there, they are riddled with bugs and flaws that allow attackers to easily intercept communications to/from them.

 

Others were a bit more secure than that, but still trivial to hack.

 

Keep in mind this technology is in it's infancy, and although it's all super cool, it's not secure whatsoever.

 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/20...ttack/92583398/

 

I recently moved, and I have several old PCs that I want to get rid of. How do I safely get rid of them? Is it good enough to just remove the hard drives and drop the rest off at Best Buy or something? I want to get rid of them without any of my info on them.

I recently moved, and I have several old PCs that I want to get rid of. How do I safely get rid of them? Is it good enough to just remove the hard drives and drop the rest off at Best Buy or something? I want to get rid of them without any of my info on them.

 

If you remove the hard drives, you can just toss them in the garbage, that's pretty much the only things there is any information on...the volatile memory shouldn't contain much of use, if anything at all, and nobody would go through the trouble.

 

You can drill holes through your hard drives with a drill bit made for metal/steel, and toss those too.

Bring them to a legit electronics recycling center rather than just tossing them, there's hazardous materials that break down

Bring them to a legit electronics recycling center rather than just tossing them, there's hazardous materials that break down

Right. Usually Best Buy will take em. Your town may have it anyway

If you remove the hard drives, you can just toss them in the garbage, that's pretty much the only things there is any information on...the volatile memory shouldn't contain much of use, if anything at all, and nobody would go through the trouble.

 

You can drill holes through your hard drives with a drill bit made for metal/steel, and toss those too.

 

There are so many rare earth metals and other recyclables in there that recycling centers are now paying to get old PCs. You can either pull the hard drives or put a drill hole through them.

I know there are some IT people here. Anyone use Office 365 at work?

 

We're a small firm (5 attorneys + staff), so 10-12 users. We have a private server set up and have been using it for a number of years. It just crapped out last week, rendering us with no access to our files and email for like 4 days until our cheap, family-member IT person got around to fixing it.

 

I did some digging online and people seem to like O365 as their cloud-based system. We need email, Office products, some kind of file/document storage system, and that's about it. Seems like O365 would be a good solution, especially with the 24/7/365 tech support.

 

Anyone with thoughts/experiences? Also, would we need to get OneDrive too for the file storage? Or does O365 come with something like that?

I know there are some IT people here. Anyone use Office 365 at work?

 

We're a small firm (5 attorneys + staff), so 10-12 users. We have a private server set up and have been using it for a number of years. It just crapped out last week, rendering us with no access to our files and email for like 4 days until our cheap, family-member IT person got around to fixing it.

 

I did some digging online and people seem to like O365 as their cloud-based system. We need email, Office products, some kind of file/document storage system, and that's about it. Seems like O365 would be a good solution, especially with the 24/7/365 tech support.

 

Anyone with thoughts/experiences? Also, would we need to get OneDrive too for the file storage? Or does O365 come with something like that?

Its the worst built cloud platform in the world. BUT, everyone uses it.

 

You may want to look at Google for work first.

Its the worst built cloud platform in the world. BUT, everyone uses it.

 

You may want to look at Google for work first.

 

I was going to say this, would likely be cheaper for an office that small to use Google Docs, Google Apps, etc...Office 365 can be pricey. And it is the worst cloud platform ever. I much prefer AWS.

Unfortunately we're stuck in the Microsoft Office world. No way I can get the partners to try something new.

We're looking at Azure right now, going through a POC with them currently. It's straight garbage, if I was in charge of this project I would have run far away by now.

 

Hopefully we look at AWS before purchasing anything.

 

We are going fullsteam ahead with O365 though it seems. The department that wants that drinks the Microsoft koolaid hard.