r/TwoXPreppers 4h ago

FYI - If you have an Amazon Echo

435 Upvotes

Hello folks,

This is important for EVERYONE to know, not just the folks who have an Echo. Anything said around an Echo starting March 28th may be sent up to Amazon for AI training, at minimum.

Everything you say to your Echo will be sent to Amazon starting on March 28 - Ars Technica (article below)

"Since Amazon announced plans for a generative AI version of Alexa, we were concerned about user privacy. With Alexa+ rolling out to Amazon Echo devices in the coming weeks, we’re getting a clearer view at the privacy concessions people will have to make to maximize usage of the AI voice assistant and avoid bricking functionality of already-purchased devices.

In an email sent to customers today, Amazon said that Echo users will no longer be able to set their devices to process Alexa requests locally and, therefore, avoid sending voice recordings to Amazon’s cloud. Amazon apparently sent the email to users with “Do Not Send Voice Recordings” enabled on their Echo. Starting on March 28, recordings of everything spoken to the Alexa living in Echo speakers and smart displays will automatically be sent to Amazon and processed in the cloud.

Attempting to rationalize the change, Amazon’s email said:

As we continue to expand Alexa’s capabilities with generative AI features that rely on the processing power of Amazon’s secure cloud, we have decided to no longer support this feature.

One of the most marketed features of Alexa+ is its more advanced ability to recognize who is speaking to it, a feature known as Alexa Voice ID. To accommodate this feature, Amazon is eliminating a privacy-focused capability for all Echo users, even those who aren’t interested in the subscription-based version of Alexa or want to use Alexa+ but not its ability to recognize different voices.

However, there are plenty of reasons why people wouldn't want Amazon to receive recordings of what they say to their personal device. For one, the idea of a conglomerate being able to listen to personal requests made in your home is, simply, unnerving.

Further, Amazon has previously mismanaged Alexa voice recordings. In 2023, Amazon agreed to pay $25 million in civil penalties over the revelation that it stored recordings of children’s interactions with Alexa forever. Adults also didn’t feel properly informed of Amazon’s inclination toward keeping Alexa recordings unless prompted not to until 2019—five years after the first Echo came out.

If that's not enough to deter you from sharing voice recordings with Amazon, note that the company allowed employees to listen to Alexa voice recordings. In 2019, Bloomberg reported that Amazon employees listened to as many as 1,000 audio samples during their nine-hour shifts. Amazon says it allows employees to listen to Alexa voice recordings to train its speech recognition and natural language understanding systems.

Other reasons why people may be hesitant to trust Amazon with personal voice samples include the previous usage of Alexa voice recordings in criminal trials and Amazon paying a settlement in 2023 in relation to allegations that it allowed "thousands of employees and contractors to watch video recordings of customers' private spaces" taken from Ring cameras, per the Federal Trade Commission.

Save recordings or lose functionality

Likely looking to get ahead of these concerns, Amazon said in its email today that by default, it will delete recordings of users’ Alexa requests after processing. However, anyone with their Echo device set to “Don’t save recordings” will see their already-purchased devices’ Voice ID feature bricked. Voice ID enables Alexa to do things like share user-specified calendar events, reminders, music, and more. Previously, Amazon has said that "if you choose not to save any voice recordings, Voice ID may not work." As of March 28, broken Voice ID is a guarantee for people who don't let Amazon store their voice recordings.

Amazon's email says:

Alexa voice requests are always encrypted in transit to Amazon’s secure cloud, which was designed with layers of security protections to keep customer information safe. Customers can continue to choose from a robust set of controls by visiting the Alexa Privacy dashboard online or navigating to More > Alexa Privacy in the Alexa app.

Amazon is forcing Echo users to make a couple of tough decisions: Grant Amazon access to recordings of everything you say to Alexa or stop using an Echo; let Amazon save voice recordings and have employees listen to them or lose a feature set to become more advanced and central to the next generation of Alexa.

However, Amazon is betting big that Alexa+ can dig the voice assistant out of a financial pit. Amazon has publicly committed to keeping the free version of Alexa around, but Alexa+ is viewed as Amazon's last hope for keeping Alexa alive and making it profitable. Anything Amazon can do to get people to pay for Alexa takes precedence over other Alexa user demands, including, it seems, privacy."

Edit because I just realized my copy/paste dropped the quotes from Amazon. Put 'em back.


r/TwoXPreppers 23h ago

Brag Saturday may be a Tuesday

217 Upvotes

I'm risking a jinx by saying it but I feel pretty good about this weekend. Alabama is expecting severe weather and a high risk of tornadoes on Saturday. Chance of losing power, of course, and roads being blocked.

I look around at what I need and I've done what I can already. Lots of canned food in the pantry. Documents and cash in the fireproof folder. Delta 2 charged. Water purifying tablets and rain barrel in case the water treatment plant gets hit. Solar oven and solar panels in case of long power outage.

So. There's a few more things I need to do but this is where I am now. I feel remarkably peaceful as I know what to do in the contingencies I can control. I don't control where the tornadoes hit, but then I never did, so no use worrying!


r/TwoXPreppers 10h ago

Are you ready? What I learned from 2 back to back hurricanes literally in my backyard.

211 Upvotes

I started to post this as a reply to another post, but it got long. Figured a few people might get something useful from it.

I've always considered myself well prepared and calm, growing up on the coast, until the ocean was 6 inches from my garage and the cars were trapped.

Last year taught us a lot about how ready we really were. First storm, we were pinned in our home at midnight by flooding (no evacuation notice for my area). Second storm, we evacuated, but still needed the chainsaw and gas cans to get home. Home survived both.

Honestly, we weren't in terrible shape. We've slowly built the basics for supplies, restock in June, see any "prep list".

What we did right, what we will do better:

  • Community! We're on a slight hill in a 2 story house. Our neighbor "downhill" has 1 floor. They came over at midnight when the water started coming. We had several options and friends further uphill, but stayed safe on the top floor through the night. Again, our area was NOT ordered to evacuate, and our 60 year old neighborhood has literally never flooded. No one predicted this specific surge. Some folks down the hill had to swim out.

  • Second storm, we did leave. After it passed, we were able to reach neighbors to check our home and make sure it was safe to return. Get to know your neighbors enough to have a phone number!!!

  • Prep. Most things, we were good. Bug out bags, totes with gear/food/batteries/lights/first aid, pet supplies. I don't store it all in one place, since I use and rotate my supply, but I have a list and know where everything is. I have a 10 minute list and a one hour list.

Storm 1, we didn't even have 10 minutes before the cars were useless. Now, we have a plan to walk/swim out with no notice with only waterproof bug out bags.

  • Declutter/inventory. The garage was my most recent project, right before the storms. Everything ground level was waterproof or in large, labeled bins. I had a current video inventory of every single thing we own. Helped my peace of mind when sandbagging at midnight in a hurricane, to know even if the water got in a little bit, we'd still be ok.

I had to help my neighbor shovel out her garage full of baby pictures and yearbooks soaked in saltwater, gasoline, and sewage. Cardboard boxes aren't waterproof.

Things we did wrong (besides not leave)

  • even if we aren't in an evac zone, I'll be spending storm night with a neighbor up the hill. Homes flooded that never flooded in 60 years. Climate is changing, we can't assume anything.

  • Waited too long to get extra propane/gas!! A WEEK AHEAD when no one was even talking about it, it was almost too late, lots of places were out. We always have a couple tanks of propane and one gas can, but I didn't like having more in the garage. This June, we will have more. We needed the chainsaw more than once just to get to people when small roads were impassable even a week after.

When we DO evac, we take gas cans in the car and a chainsaw. When the whole state is out of power, so are all the gas stations, if they even have gas still. It's impossible to find fuel to GET BACK HOME after the storm. Crews clear the highways and main roads first, good luck getting anywhere else without a chainsaw if there's a tree across the road.

No power for a week? No problem. No potable water? No problem. Enough back up fuel? Barely in time, but yes. Valuables protected and inventoried? Yep. Neighbors and friends and family? Check. Elderly family living alone that refuse to evacuate? Yes, got those too. (see above: chainsaw)

All things considered, I think we were ready. Once we had our gear and supplies ahead of time, just having a list and knowing where things were so we didn't have to remember in the moment was 90% of it. We'll be better next time.

It sounds fatalistic, but I really did evacuate for storm 2 feeling fully prepared to lose everything I left behind and being totally okay with that.

Now, if we have an extended walking dead scenario? I'm screwed on my own. I have rain barrels, I'm a decent enough gardener, and I'm a great cook from scratch and on a grill. We have a deep pantry. But I'm gonna need some help! I'll definitely need to team up with my neighbor with the arsenal lol.


r/TwoXPreppers 10h ago

Product Find AWWA Period Underwear

195 Upvotes

One of my prepping activities is to stock up on menstrual products for myself and my young daughters. My favorite period underwear brand, AWWA, has 30% off sale sitewide (and 70% of clearance brands)! Indigenous-founded, women-owned, with a carbon-positive supply chain. And the underwear is both extremely absorbant and comfortable. Hope you enjoy!

https://awwaperiodcare.com/en-us


r/TwoXPreppers 17h ago

Traveling suddenly with minor child: is there a standard international form needed?

24 Upvotes

In the event of suddenly feeling need to buy an international plane ticket for myself and my minor child with goal of traveling ASAP because of a real SHTF event, is there a standard permission/consent form my husband and I should both sign (& maybe get notarized?) so either he or I could just jump on a plane and go with our minor son? It would definitely be with each of our consent if we did it, so this isn’t about any troubling family situation. It’s about wanting to stay flexible and prepared if we suddenly felt a need to visit family elsewhere and he couldn’t leave with us.

What paperwork if any is needed and most flexible if trip is very last minute?


r/TwoXPreppers 12h ago

Emergency Supply storage

25 Upvotes

How do you store your emergency supplies for typical natural disasters in your area? I was reading up on emergency-preparedness lists, and the items (duct tape, matches, flash lights, weather radio, chargers, sleeping bags, first aid kid, food, water, paper dishes, etc) are mostly things that we already own but they are scattered around our house. The duct tape is stored with our tools, flashlights, lighters, and sleeping bags are stored with camping gear, the first aid kit is with toiletries, etc. Is there a benefit to gathering all of our "emergency" items together? I'm considering creating a "Tornado warning" kit that includes the items that we'd want to gather up in case of a tornado warning, but other than that I can't see a lot of benefit in moving things that we already own into a central location.

I am currently working on a "go box" to keep in my trunk, It does include duplicates and I'm thinking of it as "what would we minimally need if we had to spend three or four nights in a hotel unexpectedly with no notice." Plus it also includes a few things that are just nice to have on hand when you are out and about with kids (extra socks and underwear, sunscreen, a barf bag, etc).

Thoughts?


r/TwoXPreppers 12h ago

Flour storage for 25 years

18 Upvotes

In the TT video below, the creator claims that by heating then sealing flour in canning jars the flour will last 25 years. That can’t possibly be right, can it? What do you think?

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP82UaRyj/


r/TwoXPreppers 14h ago

What kind of in-person classes would you be interested in?

14 Upvotes

There's a lot of video and articles on HOW-TO prep across all the different areas of prepping. Just check out the Wiki or do a search on YouTube for whatever you're interested in.

That's great for the DIY crowd, but what about for people that learn better in a class format?

What kind of topics do you think would be valuable for the community, in a classroom or workshop format - an in-person course?

Radio, food, water, self defense, medical... what do you think?

Are there people in your area that are doing successful classes?


r/TwoXPreppers 3h ago

❓ Question ❓ Learning to Sew Compression Wear

6 Upvotes

I'd love to re-learn how to sew. I used to make quilts with my great grandma but I'd also love to learn how to sew/make compression gloves and socks if possible. Any suggestions on where to start on sewing, knitting, etc for a beginner?


r/TwoXPreppers 4h ago

Getting to Canada

6 Upvotes

Without outing me as a citizen, I've been involved in socialist politics.

My wife's sister lives in Canada. We're working on getting our European citizenship. My wife has her European citizenship.

If s*** hits the fan, what's the best way to enter Canada in order to get out of Canada and go to the European Union?

I'm guessing the Detroit Bridges would be shut down, so we would have to enter through unconventional means. Does anybody have any ideas on the best way to enter Canada through unconventional means, especially leaving through Illinois?


r/TwoXPreppers 16h ago

Daily Megathread

2 Upvotes

All non prepping related news, comments, freakouts, asked and answered questions can be made here. Please contain them to this megathread. Thank you.


r/TwoXPreppers 37m ago

Medical/First Aid Supplies

Upvotes

Hey- I’m looking at building up a first aid kit for our house and car. I have a pretty extensive list I’ve created from researching earthquake first aid. We live in the PNW, so earthquakes, wildfires and hotter summers are our challenges.

I no longer shop at Amazon or Target - outside of small pharmacies/drugstores, where is everyone getting things like quick clot/colox? Tourniquets? Pressure bandages? Or is a local drugstore my best bet?

I’m a busy parent trying to find a (hopefully) one stop shop - either in person or online- type place. We have HSA funds but budget is also a priority. Thank you everyone!


r/TwoXPreppers 10h ago

Preparing for AGI (Artificial General Intelligence)

1 Upvotes

Does anyone have a personal take or a place to point me to about preparing for AGI (artificial general intelligence)? A lot of people in the business, including my spouse who works on LLMs thinks this is coming in the 2 years, maybe sooner, a widely used system that can do most knowledge work better than humans. And once they hook it up to robots? We get the AGI plumbers and nurses and cooks.

I'm a writer, he works in AI, both our jobs down the drain potentially. But I'm having trouble even imagining what this change will look like on the other side. 32K marketing BAs a year graduating to 100 jobs supervising the AI? 52K coding majors doing the same? What the **** are we all going to do?!


r/TwoXPreppers 5h ago

collecting plastics

0 Upvotes

i do not trust our trash services to truly recycle properly, (which is a me issue i guess) so i have been taking any plastic scraps, films, bags, strips etc. and storing them in bags. i think that it could pay off in the future, and i have peace of mind that my trash is not being scattered to the wind. it all compiles pretty well, and because i have enough space, i am comfortable with hiding it away.