Live data from Hacker News

I made a simple Alexa knockoff that doesn’t spy on me

debugger.medium.com

1–10 of 19 posts

Re: I made a simple Alexa knockoff that doesn’t spy on me

#3
post #2

Spoiler: Unlike what you'd expect, this project has no voice recognition or response - it's just a touch-screen that shows weather/calendar/etc.

Yeah not intending to downplay what the author created, but the voice recognition and voice commands are kind of the key advertised feature of Alexa, so calling something without those an "Alexa knockoff" is a stretch at best.

Re: I made a simple Alexa knockoff that doesn’t spy on me

#4
post #3
post #2

Spoiler: Unlike what you'd expect, this project has no voice recognition or response - it's just a touch-screen that shows weather/calendar/etc.

Yeah not intending to downplay what the author created, but the voice recognition and voice commands are kind of the key advertised feature of Alexa, so calling something without those an "Alexa knockoff" is a stretch at best.

Agreed, title should be edited.

Re: I made a simple Alexa knockoff that doesn’t spy on me

#5
post #2

Spoiler: Unlike what you'd expect, this project has no voice recognition or response - it's just a touch-screen that shows weather/calendar/etc.

More likely he is clueless about what Alexa offers. It isn't just Voice Recognition, but also integration into many other devices that I can control.

Re: I made a simple Alexa knockoff that doesn’t spy on me

#6
post #3
post #2

Spoiler: Unlike what you'd expect, this project has no voice recognition or response - it's just a touch-screen that shows weather/calendar/etc.

Yeah not intending to downplay what the author created, but the voice recognition and voice commands are kind of the key advertised feature of Alexa, so calling something without those an "Alexa knockoff" is a stretch at best.

Also agree. I get it if the author wanted a catchy title, because you want your work to be read, but the line between this and clickbait is a fine one.

Re: I made a simple Alexa knockoff that doesn’t spy on me

#7
While it doesn't offer what Alexa does, I'd like to point out that Mycroft would be easy to add to this project. I haven't really worked with it, but I did want to point it out for people who are coming into the comments looking for an actual open source Alexa competitor.

Re: I made a simple Alexa knockoff that doesn’t spy on me

#8
post #3
post #2

Spoiler: Unlike what you'd expect, this project has no voice recognition or response - it's just a touch-screen that shows weather/calendar/etc.

Yeah not intending to downplay what the author created, but the voice recognition and voice commands are kind of the key advertised feature of Alexa, so calling something without those an "Alexa knockoff" is a stretch at best.

> voice recognition and voice commands

Nor are they that hard to do with the right libraries

Re: I made a simple Alexa knockoff that doesn’t spy on me

#9
Good lord.

The "Alexa" knockoff has no voice recognition!

Based on this title style I built a google and gmail knockoff - using index cards, ink and paper and postage stamps. It doesn't spy on me - but also doesn't work at all like google or gmail!

Better title:

I built an LCD display that displays information?

Re: I made a simple Alexa knockoff that doesn’t spy on me

#10
post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah not intending to downplay what the author created, but the voice recognition and voice commands are kind of the key advertised feature of Alexa, so calling something without those an "Alexa knockoff" is a stretch at best.

> voice recognition and voice commands Nor are they that hard to do with the right libraries

Unless things have changed a lot in the past few months, they actually are pretty limited locally at this point. Certainly you can do them, but you can't them particularly well.
Post reply on HN