By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Heres how to delete all your Amazon Alexa recorded conversations
7e83892dab07911cfbcdae0fa146ca7e107842bbdc21780c3bbe64550a5ce264
Alexa users can inspect their own history and delete items they dont want to be associated with their account. - photo by Herb Scribner
Herb Scribner
Deseret News special workflow
Published: Jun 5, 2018, 8:39 AM
Last week, multiple reports came out about how an Amazon Alexa device recorded a familys conversation and shared it with someone in the familys phone contacts. Amazon later confirmed the report, saying it happened, even though it is an extremely unlikely event.

But those who fear that their Amazon Alexa is recording them now have a way to delete any saved information.

According to LifeHacker, Alexa users can inspect their own history and delete items they dont want to be saved with their account.

Here are the steps:

  • Launch Alexa app on your phone.

  • Tap the hamburger symbol at the top (the three lines at the top).

  • Tap Settings.

  • Tap History.

The page will show a history of all the commands youve given the device. You can sort the queries by data. You can delete each of the recordings on an individual basis.

You can also manage the content on Amazons official website.

According to The Verge, Amazon holds on to these conversations to personalize your Amazon Alexa experience.

Specifically, the device uses them to create an acoustic model of your voice. While it does automatically create a voice profile for each new user it recognizes (or ones youve manually added), the company says it deletes acoustic models if it has not recognized any particular user for three years, the Verge reported.
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
93cbd7a5475cccd1cee701424125d3abaa9b4beaa58d3663208f656cbbbd7661
A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
Herb Scribner
Deseret News
Published: Aug 13, 2018, 1:39 PM
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.