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In Deep with Angie Coiro: The Internet of Things: Letting in the Spies?

  • Kepler's Books 1010 El Camino Real Menlo Park, CA 94025 (map)

Kellyanne Conway was widely mocked when she cited "microwaves that can turn into cameras". And it's true, those don't exist - that we know of! But the same week the makers of We Vibe, a BlueTooth-enabled vibrator, paid millions to settle a lawsuit for collecting personal data. And then of course, there's Alexa, the always-on Amazon servant that may or may not have overheard a murder in Texas. 


The "Internet of Things" - IoT for short - is a non-stop trade-off. What do we sacrifice for convenience? Who sees the pings you send to turn on your thermostat? What agencies might be interested in the Amazon book searches you request aloud?

Sheera Frenkel, cybersecurity correspondent for Buzzfeed, and Cyrus Farivar, Senior Business Editor at Ars Technica, bring their years of research and reporting to the discussion. As always, your questions are part of the show.