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Amazon’s Alexa Has 80k Apps and No Runaway Hit

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Re: Amazon’s Alexa Has 80k Apps and No Runaway Hit

#221

Post by solarkraft »

lugg wrote: post #196
darkpuma wrote: post #179

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Lots of people working there have good ideas that they never bring up, because past experience has taught them that it's a waste of time. So it's not that the workers are automatons, but rather that the workers have learned that the organization wants and what it doesn't want, and don't waste their time with what the org doesn't want. The individuals who comprise the organization are fine, but the meta-organism that…

So an organisation full of automatons?

Effectively yes, but with a defense of the people.

Re: Amazon’s Alexa Has 80k Apps and No Runaway Hit

#222

Post by portmanteaufu »

darkpuma wrote: post #177
darksaints wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It would be pretty cool if it could update you on things you've asked for in the past that were not possible then but are now possible. "Hey, 3 months ago you asked for the forecast according to the ECMWF weather model, and I couldn't answer you. But now I can, so go ahead and try!".

If it did that unprompted, it would be a privacy issue. You may have asked it something that you don't want people currently in the room with you to know about.

It doesn't need to announce it verbally, just including capability updates in the (currently useless) emails that they already send their customers would do.

Re: Amazon’s Alexa Has 80k Apps and No Runaway Hit

#223

Post by londons_explore »

grkvlt wrote: post #208
taco_emoji wrote: post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

These devices have a huge marketing problem. Like the Alexa commercial that shows somebody pausing a Prime TV show to order something from the Amazon store. Cool, I guess--except I can already order stuff while watching TV by using my smartphone, so the value proposition is completely absent.

And also, annoying for Echo device users, since the use of the word 'Alexa' will trigger the device, and thus mute/drop the volume so that you can't hear what is said next... I guess it could be worse, since the volume reduction means the device doesn't hear the command and try to execute it as well! TBH, I don't understand why they couldn't add a circuit that checks if the microphone is being activated by the device…

Google detects if it's being activated by a TV show or recording by fingerprinting the audio and disabling the hotword if millions of devices all activate at the same time or with the same fingerprint.

It's a very impressive infrastructure, and works pretty well too.

Re: Amazon’s Alexa Has 80k Apps and No Runaway Hit

#224

Post by AlwaysRock »

deadbunny wrote: post #86
AlwaysRock wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't believe your comparison really works. A mouse is useless on its own. An Alexa device can operate on its own. I do agree with your latter sentiment. It does feel like a command line at times. More so like trying to figure out a text adventure game. Zork would be very difficult if you didn't know the basic functions/words. That's what Alexa feels like most of the time for me. I'd love a help menu.

> An Alexa device can operate on its own. Only if you conveniently ignore the AWS services it uses.

Pedantic. I conveniently ignored the electricity it uses as well. :/

Re: Amazon’s Alexa Has 80k Apps and No Runaway Hit

#225

Post by AlwaysRock »

clavalle wrote: post #70
AlwaysRock wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't believe your comparison really works. A mouse is useless on its own. An Alexa device can operate on its own. I do agree with your latter sentiment. It does feel like a command line at times. More so like trying to figure out a text adventure game. Zork would be very difficult if you didn't know the basic functions/words. That's what Alexa feels like most of the time for me. I'd love a help menu.

>An Alexa device can operate on its own. Can it? I don't know how much I'd use Alexa if it weren't for Spotify. There are some native apps but its real value is in the 3rd party apps it connects to.

It's more useful with third-party apps but those are still a part of the Alexa system. That's like saying a computer is useless without software installed. I wouldnt use my computer very often if I wasnt able to install software but that doesnt mean it isnt functional without it.

Plus you would still have the entire Amazon app ecosystem. While their apps may not seem perfect they do have a free music section that could at least partially replace spotify. Other first-party apps on Alexa allow you to access lot's of other Amazon services like purchasing items from their website. That's a lot of functionality even if we are excluding third-party applications.

Re: Amazon’s Alexa Has 80k Apps and No Runaway Hit

#226

Post by sachin18590 »

StevePerkins wrote: post #18

My Echo was an interesting novelty at first. But a couple years in now, it is essentially (in order of usefulness): 1. An alarm clock / kitchen timer 2. A thing that tells me the weather report during morning coffee, so I know what to wear 3. A DJ that my kids yell at to play pop music If it died tomorrow, I'd probably just go back to using my phone for these 3 things rather than buy a new one. I can't imagine gettin…

I can turn lights off without getting off my bed, and damn, has it made my life crazy simple. I was in India for few months last year and I realized a large part of me getting up early was to just switch on the geyser, open the door for the cook and turn the lights on. I would get back to bed after and check up fb till the water got hot. Just the fact that Echo can do these things without making me get off the bed will be a crazy value addition to my current decently privileged life.

Re: Amazon’s Alexa Has 80k Apps and No Runaway Hit

#227

Post by yourapostasy »

sykic wrote: post #10
aqzman wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't have an Alexa myself, I'm a Google Home user. One thing that's always impressed me is the ability of Alexa to order things from Amazon just by issuing voice commands. Although, I'm sure that comes with its own host of problems, especially if you're not just ordering a generic product.

You can order things from Amazon using Alexa but you can’t delete items from your cart using Alexa. For me this makes it useless. Not being able to delete items makes it user unfriendly. Unless Amazon changes this I’m not going to use Alexa.

Nor add to wish lists, or move to saved items, or move from saved items to cart, etc. The UI interaction model is in early days for sure.

Re: Amazon’s Alexa Has 80k Apps and No Runaway Hit

#229

Post by win_ini »

Cyph0n wrote: post #153
wvenable wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For me add: 4. Shopping List. And that's a killer feature for me; it's so damn convenient to use a voice interface to add items to the shopping list as you run out of item that I'd probably replace it just for that.

Same here. One feature I would like is to be able to change where your shopping list goes as I do not particularly enjoy using the Alexa app.

try https://getbring.com/#!/app - it has an Alexa integration. Me and my wife use it together.
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