ExtraBITS for 2 July 2012
Should you be worried about the privacy implications of Siri? That’s the question prompted by this MIT Technology Review article. Also this week, Andy Ihnatko expresses his concern about how Apple is requiring certain things for integration with iCloud.
Siri Usage Generates Privacy Concerns — In an MIT Technology Review article reprinted on Mashable, David Talbot covers the emerging privacy concerns surrounding Apple’s storage of questions addressed to Siri. Apple says that the recordings are used only for Siri’s operation and to help improve understanding and recognition, but privacy wonks worry that the voiceprints could be used to identify the speakers. Where should the privacy line be drawn between providing services that require storage of personal information and worrying about Big Brother?
Why the iCloud Transition Is Like a Home Renovation — Master of analogies Andy Ihnatko draws the parallels between a developer “just” switching from MobileMe to iCloud and renovating a home — as anyone who has done this knows, as soon as you start, it’s a cascade of decisions that result in more work and expense, not to mention a game of “Mother, May I?” with the authorities.