Not so smart, after all

Home assistant technologies such as Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home are fast becoming popular here and around the world, but a German homeowner recently found they’re not always as ‘helpful’ as the ads suggest.

Oliver Haberstroh swears his sound system was turned off when he went out for the evening, but news sources report that police had to break into his apartment around 2am after neighbours complained about deafening music. Turns out, his Alexa started up of its own accord, causing a hefty locksmith’s bill for its bewildered owner.