Folks you all should be scare that some company has method to determine what people are buying and when. They some can see of track the transaction, so they either have access to CC processing information since that is only way to see actual Per-order information, well they my not be accurate since the transaction did not show up on my CC until I got the unit. They could be some how access internet traffic to determine when a order is places, but Apple used a secure encrypted link between your phone/computer. The other option is getting access to shipping information to know how many Homepod when through some carrier or came through customs. Some how these folks are getting access to information about your shopping habits.
I clicked the source link and read up on the "NPD Sources" - they appear to have access to the entire POS sales data of over 300000 stores across the US (possibly a deal they have directly with the retailers). The e-commerce sales info is a little less hard to figure - they get the data from "over 3million consumers via their partner Slice" - Slice appear to get the data directly from e-receipts, again possibly a deal they have directly with the retailers. I think the only way to NOT have your data in these databases would be to buy in store with cash - you'd still be a number but it wouldn't be tied to anything personal.
Folks you all should be scare that some company has method to determine what people are buying and when. They some can see of track the transaction, so they either have access to CC processing information since that is only way to see actual Per-order information, well they my not be accurate since the transaction did not show up on my CC until I got the unit. They could be some how access internet traffic to determine when a order is places, but Apple used a secure encrypted link between your phone/computer. The other option is getting access to shipping information to know how many Homepod when through some carrier or came through customs. Some how these folks are getting access to information about your shopping habits.
Companies have been doing this for decades. It’s called consumer panels.
Folks you all should be scare that some company has method to determine what people are buying and when. They some can see of track the transaction, so they either have access to CC processing information since that is only way to see actual Per-order information, well they my not be accurate since the transaction did not show up on my CC until I got the unit. They could be some how access internet traffic to determine when a order is places, but Apple used a secure encrypted link between your phone/computer. The other option is getting access to shipping information to know how many Homepod when through some carrier or came through customs. Some how these folks are getting access to information about your shopping habits.
I clicked the source link and read up on the "NPD Sources" - they appear to have access to the entire POS sales data of over 300000 stores across the US (possibly a deal they have directly with the retailers). The e-commerce sales info is a little less hard to figure - they get the data from "over 3million consumers via their partner Slice" - Slice appear to get the data directly from e-receipts, again possibly a deal they have directly with the retailers. I think the only way to NOT have your data in these databases would be to buy in store with cash - you'd still be a number but it wouldn't be tied to anything personal.
Isn’t Slice the analytic firm that pushed all these nonsense stories about Apple Watch sales taking a nosedive? I don’t put much stock in any sales figures not coming directly from Apple. I doubt we will ever get HomePod sales figures from them.
Priced at $349, the Apple HomePod saw more pent-up demand at launch than virtually all of its competition, save for one budget-priced smartspeaker: Amazon's $50-and-under Echo Dot.
I'm not sure why anyone would want to buy these things. There goes your privacy, forever.
To a certain extent this is just "pre-alpha' quality versions of the "computer, do this, and that" from Star Trek. The AI is certainly not there yet, but we're at a level where it can do convenience functions without a human. So this is a boon to seniors and maybe small children, but otherwise I think this is a very slippery slope from which we will not return from. "Speaker" devices today, video cameras in every room tomorrow.
I would love more size options for HomePod. The Echo Dot is decent for the bathroom but I want something more powerful without being much bigger.
If you haven't seen the Homepod in person I think you will be surprised by how small it actually is. It could work for a bathroom if that is what you are looking for.
Our HomePod is in the bathroom. Perfect for getting ready in the morning.
I would love more size options for HomePod. The Echo Dot is decent for the bathroom but I want something more powerful without being much bigger.
If you haven't seen the Homepod in person I think you will be surprised by how small it actually is. It could work for a bathroom if that is what you are looking for.
I seen it in an Apple Store last week and was shocked at how small it was even though I had seen videos and read about it since it was announced.
As soon as Apple makes a wireless HomePod, a la the Bose Soundlink, it will be an instant buy from me. Being in the military, we deploy months at a time, and I can’t justify the purchase of a speaker I can’t take with me when I’m gone. Amazing product, just put a battery in it!
Priced at $349, the Apple HomePod saw more pent-up demand at launch than virtually all of its competition, save for one budget-priced smartspeaker: Amazon's $50-and-under Echo Dot.
I'm not sure why anyone would want to buy these things. There goes your privacy, forever.
To a certain extent this is just "pre-alpha' quality versions of the "computer, do this, and that" from Star Trek. The AI is certainly not there yet, but we're at a level where it can do convenience functions without a human. So this is a boon to seniors and maybe small children, but otherwise I think this is a very slippery slope from which we will not return from. "Speaker" devices today, video cameras in every room tomorrow.
There is a difference between "these things" according to the different smart speaker company business models. * Google and Amazon store your individual data (assigned to you), track that and use that data to present ads catered to you. * Apple does not store your data under unique identifiers. Apple does not store individual data to present ads to you. Apple is not a ad company.
Considering that difference, a major selling point to use Apple products is the increased protection of privacy compared with the competition.
Priced at $349, the Apple HomePod saw more pent-up demand at launch than virtually all of its competition, save for one budget-priced smartspeaker: Amazon's $50-and-under Echo Dot.
I'm not sure why anyone would want to buy these things. There goes your privacy, forever.
To a certain extent this is just "pre-alpha' quality versions of the "computer, do this, and that" from Star Trek. The AI is certainly not there yet, but we're at a level where it can do convenience functions without a human. So this is a boon to seniors and maybe small children, but otherwise I think this is a very slippery slope from which we will not return from. "Speaker" devices today, video cameras in every room tomorrow.
There is a difference between "these things" according to the different smart speaker company business models. * Google and Amazon store your individual data (assigned to you), track that and use that data to present ads catered to you. * Apple does not store your data under unique identifiers. Apple does not store individual data to present ads to you. Apple is not a ad company.
Considering that difference, a major selling point to use Apple products is the increased protection of privacy compared with the competition.
I've not ever considered an ad to be an invasion of my privacy. Easy enough to block 'em if you don't want to see them, if you don't have a Google account there's nothing connected to the personal you anyway, and if you DO have a Google account you can remove/block/or opt out of any particular services or the whole kit-n-kaboodle.
An invasion of my privacy would be selling my prescription records, or my driving history, or my income or home layout, or my children's names and ages and addresses, or my purchase history, or where I've been and where I went to school, or tons of other very personal info that's bought and sold every single day about both of us, 24 hours a day, and with little to no way of opting out. Not one iota of that sold by Google who like Apple never sells personal data.
FWIW Apple does do targeted ads too, monetizing your user data to do so, but very much under the radar. Clearly not as big into it as Google tho.
The day the HomePod went on sale the Amazon Dot still outsold it? If accurate I'm flabbergasted. Honestly. Either a whole lot of Dot's are sold every day or the HomePod early orders weren't all that high.
You've misread the article. NPD was comparing day one preorders for each of the speakers, not the same day.
The day the HomePod went on sale the Amazon Dot still outsold it? If accurate I'm flabbergasted. Honestly. Either a whole lot of Dot's are sold every day or the HomePod early orders weren't all that high.
You've misread the article. NPD was comparing day one preorders for each of the speakers, not the same day.
Yeah, Tmay and I came to that conclusion back in post 11
Comments
I'm not sure why anyone would want to buy these things. There goes your privacy, forever.
To a certain extent this is just "pre-alpha' quality versions of the "computer, do this, and that" from Star Trek. The AI is certainly not there yet, but we're at a level where it can do convenience functions without a human. So this is a boon to seniors and maybe small children, but otherwise I think this is a very slippery slope from which we will not return from. "Speaker" devices today, video cameras in every room tomorrow.
* Google and Amazon store your individual data (assigned to you), track that and use that data to present ads catered to you.
* Apple does not store your data under unique identifiers. Apple does not store individual data to present ads to you. Apple is not a ad company.
Considering that difference, a major selling point to use Apple products is the increased protection of privacy compared with the competition.
An invasion of my privacy would be selling my prescription records, or my driving history, or my income or home layout, or my children's names and ages and addresses, or my purchase history, or where I've been and where I went to school, or tons of other very personal info that's bought and sold every single day about both of us, 24 hours a day, and with little to no way of opting out. Not one iota of that sold by Google who like Apple never sells personal data.
FWIW Apple does do targeted ads too, monetizing your user data to do so, but very much under the radar. Clearly not as big into it as Google tho.