A new Alexa jamming device for people who don't own a hammer

Smart speakers are error prone, leak personally identifiable information, and line the pockets of bad actors like Facebook and Amazon. That said, if the worst person in your life still insists on owning one, the least you can do is buy them an Alexa-jamming device. 

Say hello to Alexagate, a new ultrasonic speaker that fits neatly on top of most Alexa-enabled smart speakers. The idea is simple enough: while turned on and placed on top of your device, Alexagate uses "pulsed ultrasound to jam the Echo's microphone."

You clap three times to turn it on, and another three to turn it off. 

"It is possible to shout through Alexagate's blocking, but we could only do it from about six inches away, yelling until our throats were hoarse," reads the product's FAQ. "Believe us when we say that the blocking is good." Read more...