41–50 of 142 posts
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> why don't we have "text assistants" We do, it's called typing things into Google.
Will that initiate actions like the voice thing does? I thought it just returned search results.
They use Google cloud speech-to-text API, one of the key technology. https://mycroft-ai.gitbook.io/docs/mycroft-technologies/over... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
The voice assistant space is dying: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/11/amazon-alexa-is-a-co... Some of the comments below are part of the explanation why. It doesn't work as well as people were hoping, and it's a solution in search of a problem with limited application and it seems little monetization. The above article sums it up better from the big tech company's perspective.
A truly open platform stands a chance in the voice assistant space, as it could be adapted into forms that are useful beyond their current limited designs. Such useful forms probably are not as monetizeable as the current incarnations that invasively collect information about you and your family, so I very much doubt the big tech players will ever attempt to build these useful systems directly. Unfortunately, Mycroft…
The voice assistant space is dying: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/11/amazon-alexa-is-a-co... Some of the comments below are part of the explanation why. It doesn't work as well as people were hoping, and it's a solution in search of a problem with limited application and it seems little monetization. The above article sums it up better from the big tech company's perspective.
The voice assistant space is dying: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/11/amazon-alexa-is-a-co... Some of the comments below are part of the explanation why. It doesn't work as well as people were hoping, and it's a solution in search of a problem with limited application and it seems little monetization. The above article sums it up better from the big tech company's perspective.
Would love to read about experiences actually using this (I mean Mycroft in general) — good, bad, or otherwise. Also, though: why don't we have "text assistants"? Seems to me the process of deciphering spoken text is (or should be) entirely orthogonal to performing the actual task — changing the lighting, cranking up the AC/heat, arming the security perimeter, or whatever. I think the reason is that voice recognition…
Siri has this as an accessibility feature since iOS 11, but might not be exactly what you're looking for
The voice assistant space is dying: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/11/amazon-alexa-is-a-co... Some of the comments below are part of the explanation why. It doesn't work as well as people were hoping, and it's a solution in search of a problem with limited application and it seems little monetization. The above article sums it up better from the big tech company's perspective.
- controlling smart devices (thermostats, TVs, speakers)
- broadcasting messages
- reminders / tasks
- asking questions
However, none of these use cases generate any revenue for Google afaik.
The voice assistant space is dying: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/11/amazon-alexa-is-a-co... Some of the comments below are part of the explanation why. It doesn't work as well as people were hoping, and it's a solution in search of a problem with limited application and it seems little monetization. The above article sums it up better from the big tech company's perspective.
Voice assistants which are trying to force engagement to squeeze money out of you are dying. Most people only use the voice assistants for a few simple tasks, which is perfect for an open source project like mycroft. It is, however, very, very bad for Amazon and Google, because those tasks don't make them money. That's why they're all going so aggressive on "you asked for the time, but by the way here's a 5 minute sp…
I've actually pre-ordered the Mycroft Mark 2, although no chance to evaluate it yet.
I'm very interested in devices that can do this locally.
I'm not interested in Alexa/Google home anymore AT ALL - I've gone that route, they both work, but they want my dollars all the time, and it's become increasingly clear that if they can't get me making purchases through those devices - they will kill them off, or become ever more scummy in the attempt (Alexa is now including ads in the "did you know" section - "did you know" was already a fucking terrible decision to include, since it's going to marginally increase interaction at the expense of huge user dissatisfaction. But putting ads there has made me leave.)
So basically - I think if anything, we're seeing a speed run of 90s/2000s tech company boom/bust. A huge amount of money poured into the space with no real idea of how to sustainably profit, but the space itself doesn't feel like it's going anywhere.
It's really, really compelling to allow voice control in all sorts of interactions - but it needs to be very clearly working with me, and not trying to subvert my intent for profit. That might even mean it needs to fall back to something like "if this command, then that action" style usage. No more changing commands, no more bullshit ads, no more subversion of what I'm asking it to do.
It needs to obey me, not google or amazon. Otherwise it's a sales rep and not a digital assistant.
$350 for a 4.5" CRT looking thing? OR $90 for echo show 8" which does many more things. *Including government surveillance. I wonder how many people have preordered.
However, not wanting to spend time and money integrating the hardware and the software and building an enclosure around it I'd say it's still a fair deal.
Amazon is merely selling devices at cost, which is why they're losing $10 billion a year on Alexa. All this is probably going to stop soon so people end up with useless devices. Hopefully hackers will be able to run MyCroft on them.