Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Amazon Dash

fresh.amazon.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

251–260 of 262 posts

Re: Amazon Dash

#251

Post by thrownaway2424 »

FireBeyond wrote: post #241
thrownaway2424 wrote: post #164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I strongly disagree here. I have a Harmony remote, I know exactly how to use it, and I consider it a usability disaster. It definitely would not be my model for consumer device usability.

Partially agreed - the configuration leaves a lot to be desired, but once programmed it’s good. The biggest thing for my girlfriend was the “Help” function (if she hadn’t kept the remote pointed for the entire sequence) - but that’s been largely negated by my latest upgrade, which has an IR blaster in the entertainment center itself.

I have the Harmony 890 and aside from the disaster that is programming it, I also find it frustrating to use. If it's decided to turn off the screen, it does so with a slow fade out, and while it's doing that you can't do anything. It's like it has one thread of execution, and while it's changing backlight brightness it ignores the buttons. This is really annoying because then you have to shake it to wake it back up and hit your button again.

Another glaring problem is how it decides to carp about low battery levels right in the middle of what you're doing. When this happens, it ignores your input until you acknowledge the low battery warning. After you acknowledge, it completely forgets what you were in the middle of doing. As if that weren't all bad enough, the battery warning can come back at any time after you dismissed the last one, including immediately, one second later, etc.

I find myself using the individual remotes more and more often in the past few years. They are stateless, have excellent battery life, and are incapable of measuring their battery levels. They don't have any of the Harmony's bad habits.

Re: Amazon Dash

#252

Post by akramhussein »

akramhussein wrote: post #215
ChuckMcM wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually I think it is simpler than that, there was a time when the programmability of the phone was so much better than you could do in a cost effective embedded system that it was the right choice. Now you can put a 32 bit ARM Cortex M on a device for $3 and so spending on the plastic is more feasible.

You are probably right. I think some M3s have a DSP which could be leveraged for the voice portions. I'd imagine they also have a TI CC3000-like module with the whole TCP/IP stack to handle the comms. Maybe not necessarily the 3000, as they offer same functionality in larger sized modules for a lower cost. Further, I'd say TI also because of their SimpleLink system, which allows you to connect to Wi-Fi without enteri…

UPDATE: Came across this video (40 seconds in), which all but confirms SimpleLink - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLOzF0Y4Mqw

Re: Amazon Dash

#253

Post by listic »

svas wrote: post #239
blobbers wrote: post #79

Has anyone else noticed that this completely rips off Hiku? Or is this repackaging the same product? http://hiku.us/what-is-hiku/

I wonder if this will be the death of Hiku? Amazon's product is definitely going to be cheaper than $79 price for Hiku with (obvious) heavy ties into the Amazon ecosystem. I suppose they could try to pivot and cater to a different ecosystem (Google shopping express, or the like), but seems like an uphill battle.

Maybe Hiku could offer their services to the rest of the world? From its homepage, I don't get it whether its business model requires tie-in with a retailer.

Re: Amazon Dash

#254

Post by mattmanser »

dangrossman wrote: post #96

Based on the comments, I'm guessing few poeople here have ever worked retail and held a barcode scanner. Break out your phone, load up your barcode scanning app (there's 20 seconds right there even if the phone is in your pocket). Now try to actually scan something with it. You'll spend another 30 seconds lining up the little on-screen window with the code, rotating things, waiting for the camera to focus, and even h…

In England we have a lot of self-serve counters with scanners built in. Is that not something Americans have yet?

Anyway, it doesn't 'just work'. Often you stand there like a lemon trying to scan again and again. You can pick out the people who've barely used them as they always take an age to scan everything.

And each major supermarket has their own version of these things and they're all equally as cumbersome to use, so I think barcode scanning gets easy with practice but it definitely doesn't 'just work'.

Re: Amazon Dash

#255

Post by dhaneshnm »

cookiecaper wrote: post #196
lovemenot wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And here's a few more. Dash device is an exemplar of a service in the same way that a Kindle device is. Amazon retains the option to later go the other way too, but while the constraint is still on the supply side (limited markets) this device serves to fix the service as a thing and generate publicity. Also, the platform is controlled by Amazon. Free from interference by Apple, Google, OEM or carrier. Wifi and inter…

For what it's worth I doubt this video shows the whole story. Almost undoubtedly Amazon will batch your list up and email you a confirmation before it actually charges for and ships out the order, at which point you will be able to rectify errors in speech recognition or barcode misreadings. Since Amazon seems to be specifically targeting parents with this ad, we might as well also mention that children will certainl…

Levelling up against Costco and Walmart in really innovative way. Amazon had to have a "USP" other than "we will deliver stuff to your door steps". Now not only "you save the trip to the store, but also you get convenience of making your shopping list anytime, anywhere". Smart strategy that would be hard for traditional competitors like Wal-Mart to copy.

Re: Amazon Dash

#256

Post by jonknee »

philwelch wrote: post #188
larrys wrote: post #186

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"it would be faster" Friction is key. The example I typically use is "if the laser printer were in the basement vs. next to your desk how much would you use it?" A device that you can pick up, hit a button, and do your thing has less friction than doing the same on a smartphone.

My smartphone is always within reach for me because I'm addicted to it. This thing? It's somewhere in the kitchen maybe.

In the kitchen maybe is the perfect place for the thing to use to have replacement food items added to your shopping list. That's where they want you to keep it even.

Re: Amazon Dash

#257

Post by jonknee »

mattmanser wrote: post #254
dangrossman wrote: post #96

Based on the comments, I'm guessing few poeople here have ever worked retail and held a barcode scanner. Break out your phone, load up your barcode scanning app (there's 20 seconds right there even if the phone is in your pocket). Now try to actually scan something with it. You'll spend another 30 seconds lining up the little on-screen window with the code, rotating things, waiting for the camera to focus, and even h…

In England we have a lot of self-serve counters with scanners built in. Is that not something Americans have yet? Anyway, it doesn't 'just work'. Often you stand there like a lemon trying to scan again and again. You can pick out the people who've barely used them as they always take an age to scan everything. And each major supermarket has their own version of these things and they're all equally as cumbersome to us…

Lemons are a good example of something that works poorly for self checkout. They are small and round which is hard to have a barcode label displayed on. They're worried about weight and that you aren't stealing. It's often much easier to scan a barcode when you're holding the scanner and not the object.

Though in this case, you could also just say "lemons" and be done with it.

Re: Amazon Dash

#258

Post by jonknee »

jameswilsterman wrote: post #171

So assumedly this will work in a store also? Could I go 'grocery shopping' at Whole Foods and end up having everything shipped to me by Amazon for cheaper? Can easily see this evolving into an Amazon price comparison tool for mobile use. Maybe I get a flash discount if the GPS has me standing in a Best Buy already.

They already have this with their smartphone app. You scan with your camera (which is slower than the laser based method of the Dash), but then see the product and pricing from Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=aw_ppricecheck_i...

Re: Amazon Dash

#259

Post by mattmanser »

jonknee wrote: post #257
mattmanser wrote: post #254

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In England we have a lot of self-serve counters with scanners built in. Is that not something Americans have yet? Anyway, it doesn't 'just work'. Often you stand there like a lemon trying to scan again and again. You can pick out the people who've barely used them as they always take an age to scan everything. And each major supermarket has their own version of these things and they're all equally as cumbersome to us…

Lemons are a good example of something that works poorly for self checkout. They are small and round which is hard to have a barcode label displayed on. They're worried about weight and that you aren't stealing. It's often much easier to scan a barcode when you're holding the scanner and not the object. Though in this case, you could also just say "lemons" and be done with it.

Like a lemon's an idiom, sorry! I just meant that it takes a while to get good at scanning.

Re: Amazon Dash

#260

Post by philwelch »

jonknee wrote: post #256
philwelch wrote: post #188

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My smartphone is always within reach for me because I'm addicted to it. This thing? It's somewhere in the kitchen maybe.

In the kitchen maybe is the perfect place for the thing to use to have replacement food items added to your shopping list. That's where they want you to keep it even.

The type of people who would use this have lots of things in the kitchen and adding another kitchen gadget isn't necessarily the best solution.
Post reply on HN