Snow on The Trossachs

Photo: Is this going to be a winter without snow -except on the mountain tops?


Why does Alexa keep telling me to water the plants once a week, every Sunday morning at 11am?
 
Well, I put the question to a young student I met from Stirling university doing a post grad in data analysis.
 
“Quite simple,” he said, “ Alexa listens all the time. It’s been trained to pick up key words.”
“What about instagram and Facebook?”
“Same thing. That’s why you get adverts popping up about something you have shown an interest in.”
 
“Even though they are switched off?”
“The microphones are not switched off.”
 
Well, some of us have suspected this for a long time. There is no such thing as a free lunch. We are the free lunch. Our data is sold to advertising companies. Still it’s a bit disconcerting to have it confirmed.
 
Boris. Wondering what has happened to Sue Gray report? see extra.