Amazon gadget hijacks owner's heating after hearing radio report

You can shout at your electronics, and they actually do what you want. Unfortunately, all too often that means other people can also shout at your electronics, and they do what they want instead. The latest group of gadget fans to discover the downside of talking to their hardware are owners of Amazon's Echo, the all-singing, all-dancing home automation device produced by the Seattle-based retailer. Hiding inside Echo is Alexa, the (inevitably gendered) personal assistant: simply ask Alexa to perform a task, from playing your favourite song to dimming the lights in your smart home, and she will. But she's not very picky about who's giving the commands, as some listeners of American radio show Listen Up found to their cost.