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Alexa+

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Re: Alexa+

#231

Post by seb1204 »

david422 wrote: post #177
Arthanos wrote: post #152

>Let’s say you need to get your oven fixed—Alexa+ will be able to navigate the web, use Thumbtack to discover the relevant service provider, authenticate, arrange the repair, and come back to tell you it’s done—there’s no need to supervise or intervene. This is a disaster waiting to happen. I don't trust an LLM to choose between two brands of dish soap for me let alone pick a contractor, schedule a repair, and make a…

Imagine being on the support team trying to troubleshoot when something goes wrong for a customer. Maybe that's the catch ... there is no support.

I thought that is a given. Support is limited to a website with some superficial FAQ and a link to a live chat that never is available.

Re: Alexa+

#232

Post by reaperducer »

tokioyoyo wrote: post #203
reaperducer wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It doesn’t take much effort to verify and cross reference check in most of the scenarios. And yet people still drive into rivers because Google Maps tells them to. Never underestimate the power of "computers are never wrong."

How many times has that happened? Those cases make the headlines, but it’s so rare that, in my opinion, they can be disregarded. Nothing is perfect, just assess your risks and tolerance to error. That’s subjective, so one acts accordingly.

Once is enough.

It's easy to disregard when it isn't you or someone you love. The rest of us were born with empathy.

Re: Alexa+

#233

Post by seb1204 »

dangus wrote: post #209
kemitche wrote: post #194

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here's a few dozen use cases based on my own use of smart home devices: - Hands are full or dirty while cooking. Voice activation is more convenient. True for not just timers, but every other aspect - music playing, controlling home devices like lights, watching something on YouTube, etc. - The above also applies to any case where my hands can't readily access my phone, such as wanting to listen/change music when sho…

Smart speakers just don't solve a problem. Period. - Don't need to control home devices or watch shit while you're cooking. If I really want to queue up a video I just do that before I start cooking. - Don't need music while showering, who cares, showering takes 5 minutes - Again just like "oh it's for music" - Yes I like controlling smart lights but I can just hold the power button on my phone and tell it what to do…

Thanks, my thoughts exactly.

Re: Alexa+

#234

Post by tzs »

dangus wrote: post #209
kemitche wrote: post #194

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here's a few dozen use cases based on my own use of smart home devices: - Hands are full or dirty while cooking. Voice activation is more convenient. True for not just timers, but every other aspect - music playing, controlling home devices like lights, watching something on YouTube, etc. - The above also applies to any case where my hands can't readily access my phone, such as wanting to listen/change music when sho…

Smart speakers just don't solve a problem. Period. - Don't need to control home devices or watch shit while you're cooking. If I really want to queue up a video I just do that before I start cooking. - Don't need music while showering, who cares, showering takes 5 minutes - Again just like "oh it's for music" - Yes I like controlling smart lights but I can just hold the power button on my phone and tell it what to do…

You ignored setting timers while cooking.

Re: Alexa+

#235

Post by ramon156 »

Hate these kind of claims where they go "Alexa is sooo good at doing X, omggg". I don't care, show me that it works.

Re: Alexa+

#236

Post by Spivak »

dangus wrote: post #212
taeric wrote: post #179

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't have my phone on me at all times. More, it is often the case that I will set the timer for whatever I just put in the oven and let the kids know to take it out when the timer goes off while I go take care of something in the yard/other. That is, the timer is often specific to the room I set the timer in. Not to me.

Is not having your phone on you at all times worth spending money on a stupid speaker device? And you need one in every room you spend time in? Like, the solution is to put your phone in your pocket. I don't get it. Unless you are walking around naked most of the time, the solution is a device you already own. That's something I like a lot about Apple's smart home setup having the option of having the Apple TV as the…

I feel like you decided the speakers are stupid and therefore anything someone might use them for must also be by the transitive property. My voice "assistant" runs on my NUC via HomeAssistant. The only thing I needed to buy was a USB mic. I was already using HA and had some old computer speakers lying around.

It works great and I'm not tempted to get out my phone as much. Being able to call out multiple timers while cooking and change the music is so nice.

Re: Alexa+

#237

Post by Larrikin »

dangus wrote: post #209
kemitche wrote: post #194

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here's a few dozen use cases based on my own use of smart home devices: - Hands are full or dirty while cooking. Voice activation is more convenient. True for not just timers, but every other aspect - music playing, controlling home devices like lights, watching something on YouTube, etc. - The above also applies to any case where my hands can't readily access my phone, such as wanting to listen/change music when sho…

Smart speakers just don't solve a problem. Period. - Don't need to control home devices or watch shit while you're cooking. If I really want to queue up a video I just do that before I start cooking. - Don't need music while showering, who cares, showering takes 5 minutes - Again just like "oh it's for music" - Yes I like controlling smart lights but I can just hold the power button on my phone and tell it what to do…

This comment reads like the type of arguments people used to make about cell phones versus standard computers. Why is convenience so bad?

Also maybe try a longer shower or a bath. Its usually the most relaxing part of my day and I would hate to be in and out in 5 minutes

Re: Alexa+

#239

Post by iugtmkbdfil834 »

taeric wrote: post #123

I find it interesting that the big companies are so sure that LLMs are somehow going to make a larger market for smart speakers than they currently have. To the contrary, I expect they are going to damage the market they have for people that just want easy kitchen timers and radio like functionality. This feels like the VR plays some of the big companies have made. I'm willing to bet that the market for people that w…

It is not completely unexpected. Within executive ranks there is an odd FOMO on 'new big thing'. That's partially why you saw attempts to sell more passing fads like crypto-everything, blockchain-everything, iot everything, subscription everything. It is easy to make fun (especially in retrospect), but being wrong means executive may make the mistake that Dwight made and declare internet a fad.

Re: Alexa+

#240

Post by nozzlegear »

mvieira38 wrote: post #74
nozzlegear wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What does it mean to be "owned" here? Are you not the one choosing to pay Amazon, or to use your Google phone? You surely get something out of this trade.

By having my phone I get the benefit of keeping my job and life after Google and other big tech companies dominated society to such a degree where it's basically impossible to function offline. By paying Amazon I get the benefit of being able to buy stuff after every other store was undercut to extinction. Hurray

You're being facetious and I can get my fill of that on reddit. You're still making voluntary choices when it comes to both Google and, especially, Amazon and Alexa. But what you (and I, and most people) want is the convenience, even if using "big tech" is less appealing. That's not ownership, that's a choice, a service bought and paid for – unless we're talking about a meta sense of ownership where you've convinced yourself you've been owned and have no alternatives.
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