If Alexa's "butt dialing" this week has made you paranoid about your Echo, you're not alone, but luckily there's a way to prevent inadvertent eavesdropping by the smart speaker. As one family of Echo owners discovered, to their horror, Alexa can mis-hear commands and accidentally share a private conversation with a random contact. There's a way to prevent that completely, but there are a few steps you need to know first.
Facebook is developing its own chips that can analyze and filter video content in real-time, paving the way for potentially replacing human moderators as streaming on the social network grows exponentially. The site has been criticized in recent years for allowing users to share controversial or offensive content, including footage of people being assaulted or committing suicide.
Apple is preparing to loosen its tight grip on the iPhone's NFC, with reports that the firm plans to give developers access to the secure wireless chip. First added to the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus back in 2014, NFC - or Near Field Communications - was used for Apple Pay, the company's mobile payments system.
Electric cars needn't be earnest sedans or hatchbacks, a message Nissan appears to have taken to heart with its unusual convertible Leaf concept. Dubbed the Nissan Leaf Open Car, the principle is fairly straightforward: take the automaker's electric city runabout and lop off the top.
Alexa isn't eavesdropping on your every conversation, secretly sharing them with whoever it likes, but even if it was there's an easy way to avoid that. The latest controversy over smart speakers and the Internet of Things comes down to privacy, as is so often the way, with Amazon's Echo accused of playing impromptu postwoman with a private chat recorded and shared.
Apple's 13-inch MacBook Pro may well be in line for an update at WWDC 2018, with stock levels hinting that the Cupertino firm could be running down supplies in advance of a new model. The annual developer event starts on June 4, and there have been ongoing rumors that Tim Cook & Co. will use its keynote to debut fresh hardware.
Google Home has overtaken Amazon's Echo in smart speaker shipments for the first time, it's claimed, with the Google Assistant edging out Alexa in sales. Although there have been several contenders in the smart speaker wars, two rival platforms currently lead the market.
Apple would really like you to start paying it for iCloud, and it's rolling out a new promo to encourage users to get a taste for a bigger chunk of online storage. The new promotion applies to users who are currently taking advantage of the free iCloud storage tier, in an attempt to coax them into making more use of the paid services.
![Tesla’s Autopilot 2.0 lawsuit settlement is one step closer [Updated]](https://c.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/tesla-model-s-BlueSunset-1-980x620.jpg)
A Tesla Autopilot class action suit is one step closer to settlement, with Model S and Model X owning plaintiffs agreeing to a cash payout having complained that the second-generation of the driver assistance technology had delays in its functionality being rolled out. The agreement, which is yet to be approved by the San Jose federal court judge overseeing the case, would see more than $5m being set aside for a settlement fund by Tesla.
With the fate of Essential uncertain and the Essential Phone 2 reportedly dead, company founder Andy Rubin has spoken out on the speculation he's trying to sell off the struggling business. Still, as reassuring statements go, the comments by the "Father of Android" aren't exactly going to settle many concerns.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is warning owners of 4.8 million vehicles in the US not to use cruise control, after discovering a flaw that could leave drivers unable to deactivate it. A recall is underway for all of the vehicles, which span FCA's Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler, and Ram lines, and include sedans, SUVs, and pickups.
Fuel cells may have not captured the EV market in the same way that hybrid and plug-in electric have so far, but that isn't stopping Toyota from doubling-down on production as it increases its bet on hydrogen power. The company currently offers a single fuel cell powered car in the US, the Mirai sedan, though only a handful of dealers actually sell the vehicle.