Newly converted schizo boomer ranting about Google spying on me
Giving some background for the fun of it :
I'm 36yo, gaming since 1996. I can build a computer after buying the parts helped with research. I have a CS50 level of coding, vibe coded myself a monthly budgeting app among other things, and learned how to do an oil change on my motorcycle recently. I'm not the brightest with technology, but I can manage my way, following the knowledge of the people above me.
But today is the first time I'm having one of those "your phone is listening to you" moment, and I have no explanation.
I was eating a sandwich outside, with my Sony XM4 headphones, just after having a call with someone without the headphones.
I cut bridges with that not well known person on the phone as it was not a relationship I could see evolve for the better of us. I wish her well, she does too, and we hang up.
I go back inside, headphones off, and I was retracing the short relationship moments, and contemplating that arrogant idea of "wasted prayers" I had towards her (I'm not affiliated to a specific religion).
The idea was that I'm in no place to know truly what is wasted or not in front of God, but that the truth was it felt good saying it, "What a waste of prayers".
So I was having my 2 minutes of fun saying out loud "what a waste of prayers", while philosophically and spiritually pondering the implications and the separations between the entity I am and an all encompassing God.
Then, I sit at my computer and start querying Sonnet 5 to find motorcycle workshops that could take care of a specific brand in my region.
Of course I hit the limit rate at the second message without having a proper answer. So I decide to try Gemini for less limit rate and potentially better result with Google Maps.
And there, to my unsurprised surprise as I'm growing jaded way too fast this decade, I see my most recent Gemini conversation with the unique message "What a waste. What a waste of prayers, man.".
The thing is, I don't have any Google/Gemini trigger on my phone or computer, my phone was locked on the side without me using it, and my headphones were not worn (possibly still ON before shutting OFF by themselves). I don't have lock button triggers either as I think it exists.
After digging a bit, it seems after an update it would be possible for me to trigger Gemini by saying "Hey Google" but only using Google Maps or Waze, and none of them were naturally active by my actions when I was ranting to myself about wasting prayers, so only background processes could have been linked to that.
I even tried to actively say "Hey Google" to try and trigger it, but nothing opens.
So there's obviously a logic to this, which is not me being a real schizophrenic or dissociating person. And I have no idea what it is. I figured I'd share it. Cheers.
TLDR: Google listens so remember to tell it how much you love it