The Xbox One will always be listening to you, in your own home

theverge.com

4 pointstrendspotter2 comments

... "the new Xbox will always be listening to you, even when it's turned off. The reason for always-on listening mode is simple; Microsoft wants the new Xbox to respond quickly and naturally to you, whenever you need it."

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In order for any third-party eavesdropping to happen, the Xbox would first need the capability to transmit information while turned off. I seriously doubt it has that ability, let alone a relevant vulnerability. Microsoft's response will hopefully confirm that they couldn't use the Kinect as a recording device while off, even if they wanted to.

By the way, there's a much more real threat that we ignore every day. Most laptops have webcams and microphones that can and have been used to watch and listen to unsuspecting users.

Your last point is sadly spot on. BTW Upcoming smartphones with Qualcomm chips will also have a always-on listening mode called "Snapdragon Voice Activation". http://www.qualcomm.com/media/blog/2013/02/20/snapdragon-wak...

P.S. Here are some voice commands for the Xbox One http://www.stuff.tv/news/computers-and-consoles/news-nugget/...

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