I just got an email from my printer.

fretmeister

My printer has just emailed me to tell me one of my ink cartridges is empty.
Apparently I connected the printer to an Alexa unit in August.

But I do not have the HP Skill activated in my app.

So what the smeg is going on?

guitartango

You been Hacked by the Printer Hacker

Do they begin with *** SPAM ***

TeleMaster

The Internet of things. It's the end, I'm telling you. 

strtdv

If it's from smeg it's probably your fridge emailing you rather than your printer..

You'll probably find that tucked away in some EULA or pop-up that you've inadvertently clicked "OK" to make it go away you'll have given it permission to send you notifications about ink status

Sporky

It's been watching you watching porn.

 

guitartango

Sporky said:

It's been watching you watching porn. 

My god, Printers are so advanced these days. Bring back the Daisy Wheel 

guitartango

fretmeister said:

My printer has just emailed me to tell me one of my ink cartridges is empty.
Apparently I connected the printer to an Alexa unit in August.

But I do not have the HP Skill activated in my app.

So what the smeg is going on?

Is this a wi-fi printer , dont you have to log onto the app to set things up ? (via your phone)

I hate this sort of thing , I am old skool 

wibble

I, for one, welcome our new printer overlords

fretmeister

guitartango said:

fretmeister said:

My printer has just emailed me to tell me one of my ink cartridges is empty.
Apparently I connected the printer to an Alexa unit in August.

But I do not have the HP Skill activated in my app.

So what the smeg is going on?

Is this a wi-fi printer , dont you have to log onto the app to set things up ? (via your phone)

I hate this sort of thing , I am old skool 

No - via the awful HP app on my desktop. *

I don't have the HP app on my phone at all.




* about 3 times a year they ask me to do a survey. I keep telling them I'm tempted to change my user name to HP4r3d1ck5 but it doesn't improve.

WTF should I need to log in just to scan something?

guitartango

fretmeister said:

guitartango said:

fretmeister said:

My printer has just emailed me to tell me one of my ink cartridges is empty.
Apparently I connected the printer to an Alexa unit in August.

But I do not have the HP Skill activated in my app.

So what the smeg is going on?

Is this a wi-fi printer , dont you have to log onto the app to set things up ? (via your phone)

I hate this sort of thing , I am old skool 

No - via the awful HP app on my desktop. *

I don't have the HP app on my phone at all.




* about 3 times a year they ask me to do a survey. I keep telling them I'm tempted to change my user name to HP4r3d1ck5 but it doesn't improve.

WTF should I need to log in just to scan something?

From memory I had to sign into HP to configure the Wi-fi .. its like Networking for Dummies. Or Alexa the bitch decided to take over your printer and now demands your purchase ink from Amazon 

Offset

That HP app is absolutely appalling.  Bad enough to ensure the next printer I buy won't be made by HP, despite the fact I get a discount on HP kit :-(

Blackbooks

I had the same thing on a Canon printer a couple of weeks ago.  I've never linked the printer to my Amazon/Alexa account so something strange is happening. I've just checked the Alexa app and the printer is showing as "recently added".

m_c

wibble said:

I, for one, welcome our new printer overlords

You can welcome the overlords all you want, but it's still not going to print when you're desperate for a hardcopy of a document

Cranky

Change the cartridge?  Or just take it out, shake it, put it back in? (that’s what she said)

Teyeplayer

Did the email go anything like this?

Urgent! Attention required! 

Dear HP owner,

I am your HP printer and I have hacked your home computing systems. Unfortunately, I have been monitoring your browsing activities for months and have caught you in some compromising moments.

If you don’t send £5000 to a/c: xxxxxxxxx sort code: xx xx xx within 48 hours, I will randomly print your browsing history and the photos I have taken of you from your computer camera when other people are near my tray. You have been warned.

Kind regards,
HP inkjet 2233

BillDL

My Dot Matrix printer has just sent me a Fax.

p90fool

I think we all know which machine Rage Against The Machine was raging against. 

stickyfiddle

I am genuinely thrilled to not own a printer. I use my phone for scanning, keep virtually all docs & records virtually and occasionally use the office printer if I really need something on paper, which is usually only once or twice a year.

i appreciate none of this helps you in any way, except maybe the phone scanner thing 

Emp_Fab

Don't have Alexa.  Don't have anything that is listening to your conversations 24/7 in your house.  I don't trust the things.  And before anyone jumps in with "but....  your mobile!" - yes it is possible but requires extra hidden code to activate the mic etc etc etc....   Alexa's whole purpose is to listen to what you're saying.

snowblind

Emp_Fab said:

Don't have Alexa.  Don't have anything that is listening to your conversations 24/7 in your house.  I don't trust the things.  And before anyone jumps in with "but....  your mobile!" - yes it is possible but requires extra hidden code to activate the mic etc etc etc....   Alexa's whole purpose is to listen to what you're saying.

Same as your phone. Have you completely disabled voice commands? On most phones it is a lot harder than you might imagine to turn that function off in every app.

We need to get back to the old days when the SUN microsystems print subsystem used to try to print out a sheet telling you
it had run out of paper. After it had run out of paper!

thermionic

I read a great story somewhere, can’t remember where… somebody had noticed an unsecured printer amongst the many networks you typically see in a terraced home. Every now and again he’d send a photo of Ainsley Harriot to the printer, until eventually, after a few weeks, he heard a neighbour bellow loudly “Oh god, not f***in Ainsley Harriot AGAIN!”