Ensure your privacy about smart speakers with a $39 Paranoid auto-mute device
Do you trust your smart speaker? You probably have an Alexa device in the kitchen or a Google Home in the bedroom, and there’s ample evidence that your privacy has not always been a top priority. To be sure, there are ways to protect yourself, like manually setting your speaker’s microphone to mute when it’s not in use. But that’s inconvenient. What if there was a gadget that could mute — and unmute — your speaker’s mic for you automatically? That’s the conception behind Paranoid, a device that blocks your speaker from listening, yet keeps it available for voice control when required. Right now, you can order a Paranoid design for $39, which is 20% off the usual ticket of $49.
I find Paranoid fascinating; my dad would probably say it’s a Rube Goldberg-like contraption that does a problem in a needlessly complicated way. But my dad doesn’t have an Alexa design and wouldn’t quite get the nuanced challenges of keeping a brilliant speaker available to listen for your voice, yet not listen but when you need it.
Here’s how it works, in a nutshell: You preface your fresh wake word (“Alexa” or “Hey, Google”) with “Paranoid.” When Paranoid hears its own wake word, it unmutes your speaker’s microphone. Then use the usual wake word and interact with the speaker or present like you ordinarily would. Then it’ll re-mute the mic when you’re done.
Here are the three gadgets that Paranoid cmoneys, all 20% off. Unfortunately, due to the global pandemic, Paranoid estimates that the Paranoid Home Max and Paranoid Home Button won’t ship for nearby 6-8 weeks; the Paranoid Wave will ship in 8-12 weeks.
Rather than physically pushing a mute button, Home Wave generates noise — imperceptable to you — that prevents the speaker’s mic from hearing anything touching on in the room. Essentially, it’s a jammer you affix to the speaker, near its microphone. The “paranoid” wake word temporarily stops the jamming.
For the whole list of compatible speakers and displays, see the compatibility list.
CNET’s Cheapskate scours the web for vast deals on tech products and much more. For the novel deals and updates, follow the Cheapskate on Facebook and Twitter. Find more great buys on the CNET Deals page and check out our CNET Coupons page for the novel promo codes from Best Buy, Walmart, Amazon and more. Questions nearby the Cheapskate blog? Find the answers on our FAQ page.
