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Will HomePod keep your conversations private? (The 3:59, Ep. 237)

We compare the various smart speakers on privacy, discuss Amazon's reaction to Apple's HomePod and chat about former FBI chief James Comey.

Roger Cheng Former Executive Editor / Head of News
Roger Cheng (he/him/his) was the executive editor in charge of CNET News, managing everything from daily breaking news to in-depth investigative packages. Prior to this, he was on the telecommunications beat and wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal for nearly a decade and got his start writing and laying out pages at a local paper in Southern California. He's a devoted Trojan alum and thinks sleep is the perfect -- if unattainable -- hobby for a parent.
Expertise Mobile | 5G | Big Tech | Social Media Credentials
  • SABEW Best in Business 2011 Award for Breaking News Coverage, Eddie Award in 2020 for 5G coverage, runner-up National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Award for culture analysis.
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Ben Fox Rubin Former senior reporter
Ben Fox Rubin was a senior reporter for CNET News in Manhattan, reporting on Amazon, e-commerce and mobile payments. He previously worked as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal and got his start at newspapers in New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts.
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Roger Cheng
Ben Fox Rubin
359237

People worried about their privacy may decide to skip smart speakers altogether.

 CNET

Can Apple sell safety with its smart speaker?

Google Home and Amazon's Echo speakers encrypt your voice recordings. With its HomePod, Apple takes the extra step of anonymizing your data, so even it doesn't know who's asking what. We discuss whether that's really a selling point, and whether a person concerned about privacy would even want a smart speaker. 

We also discuss Amazon's response to the HomePod, as given by the head of its devices team. And we touch on some of former FBI director James Comey's testimony about Russia's hacking of the US elections. 

The 3:59 gives you bite-size news and analysis about the top stories of the day, brought to you by the CNET News team in New York and producer Bryan VanGelder.

Check out the extended shows on YouTube.

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