Troubling information about those new (always on) Smart TV’s.

More troubling is the microphone. The TV boasts a “voice recognition” feature that allows viewers to control the screen with voice commands. But the service comes with a rather ominous warning: “Please be aware that if your spoken words include personal or other sensitive information, that information will be among the data captured and transmitted to a third party.: Got that? Don’t say personal or sensitive stuff in front of the TV.You may not be watching, but the telescreen is listening.
Read more at http://www.snopes.com/info/news/smarttv.asp#29JusPrE8zSiSfAt.99

The idea is that the TV listens for you to say things like “Change Channel” or perhaps “Any Sports on?”.   But it can also be listening for and even evaluating comments made during a commercial or program, advertisers and TV ratings companies would love to have that.   The crux of the video is that there is no reason for the people who control the TV’s (Who would that be, exactly?) to stop there.   They have a spy in your house, what limits what they could be listening for?  It may not always be what deodorant you prefer.

What were they listening for during the last election and for who?

So there are more reasons than just saving money on your electric bills to pull the plug on your entertainment center.  Remember,  just pushing the off button actually makes very little change to the activity going on inside the box.  All it really does is stop showing you it’s public face.  And glue a non-resonating circle over the microphone on the TV.  Turning the voice recognition off in the options may be reassuring, but it actually does not mean that you have regained your privacy.  It just encourages you to speak freely.  Sucker!