If you're one of those people who made the decision to invest in an Amazon product, you may be thinking twice about that decision with the launch of Amazon Sidewalk. After this post, I hope to leave you better informed about keeping the service enabled or disabling it for personal reasons.
Amazon Sidewalk is software that uses IoT devices by way of turning them into a wireless hub for various smart devices. It uses your internet connection... which it should if the IoT device belongs to you, but the problem is that the Amazon Sidewalk allows others to use your internet connection through your devices (as part of a mesh network)... via their devices. Yeah... WTF, right?
When I first heard about it, my first thought was... "This is a security breach just waiting to happen", even if Amazon ensures that there are multiple layers of encryption and limited access will be granted only to the IoT devices via the Sidewalk Bridge, it's fair to be concerned.
The encryption may give some of you solace, but for me... I don't know if the risk is worth the benefit.
While it's cool that this could essentially provide you with a city-wide mesh network for the IoT's that help you track a missing pet, or notify you of your car alarm going off at a significant distance, it's only a matter of time before someone potentially messes it up for everyone else. That's the annoying thing about hackers, they're like that hideous pimple that shows up on your big day (whatever the occasion)... but they're far worse.
That's my concern, and I don't know how anyone would be able to do it... but I'm sure there are hackers out there cracking their knuckles ready to figure it out.
Amazon Sidewalk is a feature in the following devices (it was dormant until... today):
Echo Show
Echo Plus
Echo Dot (2nd Gen & Up)
Echo (2nd Gen & Up)
Echo Studio
Ring Floodlight Cam (2019)
Ring Spotlight Cam (2019)
Ring Car Alarm
Tile + More to come!
Oh... and another thing, I know it's a benefit to users, but what is Amazon getting out of this? I suspect that they will be able to get a boost in terms of logistics at no cost to them. So the product that you bought from them, which wasn't given to you free in exchange for this initiative could also potentially help them by way of this mesh network if you choose to keep your IoT devices enabled.
I can't say that for sure, but it's easy to assume that they will take advantage of the Sidewalk Bridge in some way even if it sells more of the products that will use this a lot. If you choose to leave it enabled because it's no big deal to you, that's cool... but consider any potential data caps you may have because if you're about to hit your limit... would Amazon know you're at your limit? They couldn't possibly know that, which could send you over... possibly for a complete stranger. It will only use 500MB per month, but that's something to keep in mind if you don't disable Amazon Sidewalk.
If you aren't comfortable with the internet sharing lovefest, you can opt-out by going to your Settings > and then your Account Settings > and then your Amazon Sidewalk settings> from there... turn it off!
Since I lean in the direction of... no, check out this video from TWiT that leans towards a... yes!
Thank you to Warner Bros for sending over a copy of this show for my review. My opinions are my own.
Primal is... interesting. No words, but there is a lot being said by way of yelling, growling, and action.
Story: The story revolves around a Spear and a Fang who unite through tragedy during the dawn of evolution.
The way they unite is through battle, and their bond grows as they fight for survival in the primal world. I can't think of a moment where I lost interest, Primal has a really good pace to it. You get battle, which is enjoyable, but... you also get those comical moments (at least comical to me) where Spear and Fang were working out the kinks in terms of hunting. The part that kept me glued to my seat was the combat, the dino-matic duo really got down and dirty in battle. They had all types of tactics they would put together in order to take down larger predators or a slew of predators. If you like animated action... I believe you'll appreciate the action in this show.
It wasn't all about kicking prehistoric butt and taking names on the walls of your local cave, you also had those moments where the Spear thought about the losses he's suffered. You also continue to see those bonding moments between the duo and even the intelligence of the Fang. There was a moment in the show where the Fang saw Spear's handprint in the sand and saw the dino put her paw print in the sand next to his. I don't know how smart dinosaurs were, but I don't think that would've occurred. Fact or fiction... it's probably one of the first times I've watched an entire season of a show without words in it.
Outside of survival and battle, I didn't really know where Spear & Fang (aka Team Badass) were going. It wasn't like there was some sort of safe zone they knew about, they were simply moving forward. That makes sense for the primitive pair but at the same time, there wasn't a mission objective outside of survival.
They went from one scenario to the next fighting blood-thirsty dinos, huge bats, ape-men, a zombie-like menace, and more... until something changed the game. Progression to something more than survival as a rough and rugged Caveman and T-Rex completely expanded the world of Primal. That's where the show leaves off, but I look forward to season 2 because what season 1 left off with gave Spear hope (in my opinion)... as he took a step forward in evolution.
Visuals: Visuals for Primal look like they were ripped straight out of the pages of a concept art book. The lines are heavy, jagged, and rough, but at the same time... I like it. The art style isn't plain and almost reminds me of shows like... the Venture Bros (it works well for the show). You might say that it looks more like Samurai Jack, and that would make sense because the creator of that show is also behind... Primal.
Audio + Extras: Audio was quite enjoyable in my opinion and was delivered in DTS-HD 5.1 surround sound. They tried to mix it up via the sounds of nature, tribal drumbeats, and other background music... which worked out well (paired with roars, yelling, screeching, groans, and bumps + thumps).
There are even times where you get complete silence that grabs your attention because you aren't sure what's about to happen next. I think you'll enjoy the sounds of Primal best via surround sound because you get a sense of how massive the threat is... and the music just sounds better as you encounter all the roars, yelling, screeching, bumps + thumps on Spear & Fans adventure.
No need to worry about it just being a bunch of noise either, they use the surround sound well. The Scent of Prey episode is a prime example, you might think something is running around your living room if you don't pay attention.
Extras include:
Behind the Scenes: Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal
Price: Pricewise... Primal comes in at $24.98 SRP on DVD & $29.99 SRP on Blu-ray. I enjoyed the experience, but the sweet spot would've been $19.99 on DVD & $24.99 on Blu-ray (unless they included a keychain of Spear riding on Fang's back or something). I have to give this show credit as far as runtime goes because each episode runs the length of your standard show (when you take out the commercial). Luckily you can save on DVD & Blu-ray... here!
Overall, this is an awesome show. I like the way Spear & Fang are brought together, and I love their team dynamic as they take on one threat after another as creatively rise to the occasion. The final episode is a clear leap in Spear's growth, but if you take a look, he and Fang actually grew throughout the season. You can't tell me that a dinosaur would normally know how to pull off combo moves with a caveman unless there was some sort of prehistoric WWE I wasn't aware of.
