r҉ustic cy͠be̸rpu̵nk🤠🤖Feb 9, 2023
What a brave new world we live in
Show threadr҉ustic cy͠be̸rpu̵nk🤠🤖Feb 9, 2023

A lot of people are asking why this is even a thing. This isn't my photo, but rather than individually answering them with the same info, here are some possible reasons

(Having a medical hardware background, I only have a brief glimpse into these offices)

Being in the medical field is in some ways like being in the military. Long hours of boredom, punctuated by excitement and possibly violence. To keep yourself from going mad, staff used to bring a radio or keep a TV. Years ago, my doctor had an FM radio

Today, staff probably fill the same role with the thing they're familiar with. If they have Alexa at home, that's the thing they'll bring. These are people, not the medical droids from StarWars

Most people are completely oblivious about privacy when it comes to their digital world. This WILL NOT change any time soon, I'm sorry to say. The ecosystem of the modern consumer revolves around data capitalism and companies are incentivized to farm attention whenever possible

Show threadJP RobertsFeb 9, 2023
@cypnk I wouldn’t think a health care organization would allow a smart speaker on their network. Or any personal device.
Show threadEsther Payne 

@jpr602 @cypnk yeah... I've heard of doctors in very rural areas using their personal devices and syncing services to help with patient consults.

Or sending tests/scans to be processed outside the legal jurisdiction of the state. People tend to use the easiest method to get the job done.

The central weakness will always be the human factor.

Feb 10, 2023 at 1:21pmWeb
Show threadAlex@rtnVFRmedia Suffolk UKFeb 12, 2023

@onepict @jpr602 @cypnk in long term residential care facilities, patients (and their families) introduce devices such as smartspeakers, for entertainment and to use like telephones.

Added to which, the wide usage of cheap switch mode power supplies plus modern building designs and wiring codes (which turn many buildings into Faraday cages in the interests of electrical safety) mean that listening to a portable FM radio often isn't possible as the noise floor is well into VHF frequencies..

Show threadAlex@rtnVFRmedia Suffolk UKFeb 12, 2023

@onepict @jpr602 @cypnk

there's a lot of folk who use smartspeakers to listen to linear radio stations in offices or other building as the VHF signal (whether Band II or DAB/+) simply doesn't get into the building any more (or the receiver needs to be placed by a window in an outside wall, which not everyone has access to in a large building)

Show threadJP RobertsFeb 12, 2023
@vfrmedia thanks