Smart speakers are error prone, leak personally identifiable information, and line the pockets of bad actors like Facebook and Amazon. That said, if the worst person in your life still insists on owning one, you can at least buy them an Alexa-jamming device.
say hello to alexagate(opens in a new tab), a new ultrasonic speaker that fits snugly on top of most Alexa-enabled smart speakers. The idea is simple enough: When turned on and placed on top of your device, the AlexaGate uses(opens in a new tab) “Pulsed Ultrasound to Jam the Echo’s Microphone.”
You clap three times to turn it on, and three times to turn it off.
“It is possible to shout through Alexagate’s interception, but we could only do it from about six inches away, shouting until our throats were full,” reads the product’s FAQ(opens in a new tab), “Trust us when we say interception is good.”
The device costs $99(opens in a new tab)and made by MSCHF(opens in a new tab) – A novelty product company profiled by Business Insider(opens in a new tab) In January – apparently too young to remember The Clapper(opens in a new tab),
credit: mshf
AlexaGet is the latest in a growing line of add-ons to protect you from the prying ears of your smart devices. The best of which – a bracelet that emits ultrasonic noise to interfere with the microphone common on smart speakers – is there to carry with you, but unfortunately isn’t for sale. Notably, all of these privacy-focused devices recognize that smart speakers are recording users—even when not triggered by wake phrases like “Hey Google”—and represent a fundamental violation of users’ privacy. Are.
It is not clear, then, why a simpler, more effective solution is not offered for sale: that of a hammer.
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True, except for those who rely on smart speakers for accessibility reasons, the out-of-touch folks who actually own Echos and Google Homes are more likely to roam around your home and destroy their invasive electronics. AlexaGate may be more kind to the gift than to do.
But hey, a return to some moderate semblance of privacy has to start somewhere – a fact MSCHF is clearly counting on.
