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The Rabbit R1 is probably running Android and is powered by an Android app

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Re: The Rabbit R1 is probably running Android and is powered by an Android app

#301
post #279
post #212

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While I'm not interested in this device either, you could make this argument for many standalone devices. Why does Nintendo keep selling their own devices rather than putting their games on phones and PCs? They think having it as a physical, distinct device offers something that a phone app doesn't, which is pretty on brand for them. Now, whether or not the buyers will agree with their thinking is another story.

I think Nintendo puts game-specific hardware in their portables. A phone wouldn't necessarily have the same GPU. Also perhaps they have more battery than a phone? I don't know, but it seems plausible Nintendo has actual reasons.

Nintendo puts an 2014 ARM chip + Tegra X1 in their Switch.

Re: The Rabbit R1 is probably running Android and is powered by an Android app

#302
post #221

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>OpenAI can do it in their app, or Google/Apple as a built in phone integration Have they done so or described any upcoming plans to do so? Rabbit is doing it now. Man this site is so anti-hacker it's insane. Probably because it's 90% big tech employees that are actively hurt by startups shaking things up. Should be renamed

I don’t think Rabbit AI has anything to do with “hacker” culture. It’s a dishonest business model based on a grift. They sell you a piece of redundant e-waste hardware that is less capable than existing websites and will inevitably shut down in literal months after Google and Apple inevitably show off their AI OS integrations in their developer conferences. Building a company that solely exists as a financial vehicle…

Making something cool and selling it for a profit isn't grifting

Re: The Rabbit R1 is probably running Android and is powered by an Android app

#303

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While the rabbit, based on reviews I've seen, doesn't live up to its hype yet, AI assistants won't be able to do anything you can't do yourself on a smartphone or regular laptop. Instead, the idea is they will be able to do these things for you, similar to a human assistant. Currently only rich people can afford assistants to manage their lives for them. This could be about to change.

But again: why do you want that? The pizza example is downright stupid, in no world would anyone prefer to tell an assistant, robot or otherwise, to order them a pizza. It's such a trivial task that outsourcing it to another entity, irrespective of what kind, is just less efficient, full stop. And, even going for their big example: why would you want to outsource the planning of an overseas trip?! Planning a trip is…

> You should probably see a therapist about that.

You're projecting so hard you might hurt yourself.

> in no world would anyone prefer to tell an assistant, robot or otherwise, to order them a pizza.

Sure they would, I'm one of them, I know many more.

> It's such a trivial task that outsourcing it to another entity, irrespective of what kind, is just less efficient, full stop.

Perhaps for you. As someone with a spinal cord injury whom at many times can not work a keyboard or a phone, a far simpler ability to get things done with my voice is something i've been looking forward too for some time and I hope continues to progress, especially as I age and things become more difficult.

> Planning a trip is the FUN part for goodness sakes!

What you enjoy and others enjoy is not the same. Your view of the world and what does and does not constitute a good time is not the benchmark or standard for anyone other than yourself. Again, you're projecting.

> I will never, ever, in a thousand years give over that much hardware and privileged access to another pop-up company from silicon valley.

How delightful for you.

Re: The Rabbit R1 is probably running Android and is powered by an Android app

#304
post #194

I saw this news and my reaction was, "Of course it is, doing anything else would be stupid." But that on its own doesn't mean it could just be a phone app if the hardware adds something useful to the way the user interacts with it. For example, old Sony mirrorless cameras just ran Android under the hood but the specific hardware is what made those products, not the OS. As a hardware person, both the Rabbit R1 and the…

To be frank, it’s sort of hard to see many devices that could be more useful than the modern “phone,” which btw the phone part is almost superfluous at present. Now the an always connected general purpose compute device with a nearly complete environmental sensor array, extraordinarily high resolution screen, integrated multilens camera array, capable of doing AR with LIDAR, etc etc. It’s difficult to imagine a more…

I didn't say anything about it being more useful than a phone, but the next big thing would have to solve problem(s) that a phone (and other existing devices) cannot solve to the same degree.

Re: The Rabbit R1 is probably running Android and is powered by an Android app

#305
post #194

I saw this news and my reaction was, "Of course it is, doing anything else would be stupid." But that on its own doesn't mean it could just be a phone app if the hardware adds something useful to the way the user interacts with it. For example, old Sony mirrorless cameras just ran Android under the hood but the specific hardware is what made those products, not the OS. As a hardware person, both the Rabbit R1 and the…

> It feels like we need to wait for the underlying technology to advance before we can get to the next set of interesting products. I think it shows a lack of creativity to say this, because existing technologies can definitely be used in novel ways to create value. Perhaps we just love to imagine new technologies as engineers. But for example, the iPhone was nothing "new" in terms of hard tech but it definitely chan…

Even if that is the case, it is more of a commentary on how companies have overall failed to come up with anything creative for quite a few years. All of the products that are the "next big thing" currently are hampered by the current state of technologies that they use.

The iPhone is a great example of technology catching up to make a product viable. Between phone networks, display technology (especially touchscreens), SoC efficiency, etc. the iPhone only became possible when these could integrate together in a practical package along with the vision to bring it to market.

Re: The Rabbit R1 is probably running Android and is powered by an Android app

#306
post #194

I saw this news and my reaction was, "Of course it is, doing anything else would be stupid." But that on its own doesn't mean it could just be a phone app if the hardware adds something useful to the way the user interacts with it. For example, old Sony mirrorless cameras just ran Android under the hood but the specific hardware is what made those products, not the OS. As a hardware person, both the Rabbit R1 and the…

> It feels like we need to wait for the underlying technology to advance before we can get to the next set of interesting products. Probably. I think we've hit a plateau with user interfaces for most connected gear. Sticking a physical scroll button on what is essentially a phone buys me nothing but annoyance. Phones just kind of do what we want and have an acceptable enough interface that the alternatives get in our…

> It's great that people are experimenting in this space. It's less great that people are getting multiple millions in funding and selling a phone and web service as an "AI device."

This is the best two-sentence summary I've seen so far. People tend to forget just how many wacky flip phones and PDA-type devices had to come and go before the touchscreen smartphone as we know it came into being. Which is what these new AI gadgets remind me of.

However, the difference I see now versus 20 years ago is that companies today are just trying to get the most cash and deliver the cheapest product (and pocket the difference), rather than stick with their product and reinvest into R&D.

Re: The Rabbit R1 is probably running Android and is powered by an Android app

#307

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes it’s a very hierarchical way of thinking. I’d much rather imagine a world with more collaboration between peers than every person having a servant, but it seems those that run tech companies prefer the latter.

Totally agree. I also think that there might be a fundamental divide with people in our line of work (programming), as by definition we've decided to learn how machines talk and think, to address them in their language and understand what they're telling us. Someone choosing this career path expecting to throw around vague orders and have them resolved exactly as they expected has probably already quit the first week…

Well ostensibly the Rabbit is produced by software people. I’m generally skeptical of claims “our people think differently.” There’s loads of people in the world that understand the importance of meeting people where they’re at. An obvious example is nurses and therapists, but there must be loads of professions like that. Just not CEO, since it seems many people in that position want to give orders.

Re: The Rabbit R1 is probably running Android and is powered by an Android app

#308

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Totally agree. I also think that there might be a fundamental divide with people in our line of work (programming), as by definition we've decided to learn how machines talk and think, to address them in their language and understand what they're telling us. Someone choosing this career path expecting to throw around vague orders and have them resolved exactly as they expected has probably already quit the first week…

Well ostensibly the Rabbit is produced by software people. I’m generally skeptical of claims “our people think differently.” There’s loads of people in the world that understand the importance of meeting people where they’re at. An obvious example is nurses and therapists, but there must be loads of professions like that. Just not CEO, since it seems many people in that position want to give orders.

I think people can see the other side (or have a foot in both) and make the life easier for other people. I mean, your point is valid for any company building tools to democratize an otherwise complex task (e.g. Squarespace like online site makers, any camera with an auto mode, automatic transmission cars etc.)

I still think we're seeing different work patterns in our fields, RMS getting his mail printed is the exception more than the rule, where no one would bat an eye at HSBC's CEO never opening a computer in his daily work (I don't know him, just a random example)

Re: The Rabbit R1 is probably running Android and is powered by an Android app

#309

Earlier quoted context omitted.

what are you implying here? that folding phones are simply a money thing, and have no actual value?

I'm not sure if I'd get behind that take, but folding screen phones are horribly impractical if you are even a little hard on your phone. The screens and hinges are fragile, I've yet to see one that feels like it'd last more than a year at least for me. I actually have a first gen Surface Duo and it's held up, though its been relegated to the second device role since it stopped getting updates. Anything with an actua…

Your intuition about screen fragility is right. I recently switched from a Samsung Flip 4 to a non-folding Pixel 8. While I liked the idea of it, in practice it was pretty chunky (twice the thickness of a normal phone when folded, too tall for my pockets when unfolded), and I damaged the screen twice in a year via normal use.
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