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Episode 55: This week we discuss why some people believe that their devices are always watching or listening to them. Oh, and whether or not it's true. Companies are finding more creative ways to target ads and content and consumers are consenting every day. But what are they consenting to?

"Back in 1999, Sony released a robotic dog called Aibo, a canine companion that didn't crap everywhere and only ate electricity. It sold pretty well - 150,000 units, despite the $2,000 price tag. Some owners became remarkably attached, which makes it even more sad that Sony has stopped repairing Aibo. Slowly but surely, they're all dying. The New York Times has recorded the plight of current-day Aibo owners in a completely heartbreaking video. They interviewed a series of owners, whose Aibos are a central part of their lives, but are slowly having to come to the fact that their dogs have a life expectancy. "

London's Metropolitan Police have been urged to back down on plans to once again use facial recognition software at next weekend's Notting Hill Carnival. Privacy groups including Big Brother Watch, Liberty and Privacy International have written to police commissioner Cressida Dick (PDF) calling for a U-turn on the use of the tech. Automated facial recognition technology will snap the party-goers' faces, and run them against a database. The aim is to alert cops to people who are banned from the festival or are wanted by the police, presumably so they can take immediate action. The tech was first tested at the festival - where relations between police and revellers are often strained - last year, but it failed to identify anyone.

A new world is coming. It's scary. Freaky. Over the freaky line, if you will. But it is coming. Investors like Ron Conway and Marc Andreessen are investing in it. Companies from Google to startups you've never heard of, like Wovyn or Highlight, are building it. With more than a couple of new ones already on the way that you'll hear about over the next six months.

With the explosion of digital technologies, companies are sweeping up vast quantities of data about consumers' activities, both online and off. Feeding this trend are new smart, connected products-from fitness trackers to home systems-that gather and transmit detailed information.

"Toys and other devices are collecting loads of data from children. What could go wrong?"

Modern cars are morphing into mobile data centres - connected, clever and packed full of sensors. But are they also becoming spies in our drives?

Karen is a life coach and she's happy to help you work through a few things in your life. You interact with Karen through an app. When you begin, she asks you some questions about your outlook on the world to get an understanding of you. In fact, her questions are drawn from psychological profiling questionnaires. She - and the software - are profiling you and she gives you advice based on your answers.

The hacking of the dating site Ashley Madison has raised complex questions about online privacy and the safety of personal data, but for the users of the site, which claims to have more than 33 million members in 46 countries, the questions are fairly straightforward: what are the chances my husband or wife will find my profile on the site, and what can I do to stop that happening?

The New York Times has recorded the plight of current-day Aibo owners in a completely heartbreaking video. They interviewed a series of owners, whose Aibos are a central part of their lives, but are slowly having to come to the fact that their dogs have a life expectancy.

"Smartphone users are always looking for free wi-fi but at what price does it come? Businesses are looking at ways to make the free wi-fi they offer work for them too. It can track our movements through our phones and reveal a great deal about us to those who have something to sell. "

"While the Philips Hue system is based on open technologies we are not able to ensure all products from other brands are tested and fully interoperable with all of our software updates. For guaranteed compatibility you need to use Philips Hue or certified Friends of Hue products"

"You are being watched. Private and state-sponsored organizations are monitoring and recording your online activities. privacytools.io provides knowledge and tools to protect your privacy against global mass surveillance."

Are.na is a platform for connecting ideas and building knowledge.

"Individuals should not have to rely on whisper networks for justice. The Tech Worker Handbook is a collection of resources for tech workers who are looking to make more informed decisions about whether to speak out on issues that are in the public interest. Aiming to improve working conditions, direct attention to consumer harms, or otherwise address wrongdoing and abuse should not be a solo or poorly resourced endeavor."

Disaster waiting to happen | Ars Technica

Airport Security Staff are Going to Hate Wearable Cameras. Just like the police during riots?

It sounds innocent enough. But users are growing suspicious of the app's whimsical, canned questions, many of which read like a marketing survey.

"we're doing anything at all we want, with personal information, possibly discriminatory and destructive, but there are a few people who will benefit from this new system versus the old, so we're ignoring costs and only counting the benefits for those people, in an attempt to distract any critics."

"57.10 Acceptable Use; Safety-Critical Systems. Your use of the Lumberyard Materials must comply with the AWS Acceptable Use Policy. The Lumberyard Materials are not intended for use with life-critical or safety-critical systems, such as use in operation of medical equipment, automated transportation systems, autonomous vehicles, aircraft or air traffic control, nuclear facilities, manned spacecraft, or military use in connection with live combat. However, this restriction will not apply in the event of the occurrence (certified by the United States Centers for Disease Control or successor body) of a widespread viral infection transmitted via bites or contact with bodily fluids that causes human corpses to reanimate and seek to consume living human flesh, blood, brain or nerve tissue and is likely to result in the fall of organized civilization."