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I am still not sure what purpose a HomePod, or an Alexa, serves. Except to have a creepy microphone spying on you 24/7, and uploading everything to the interne

I am still not sure what purpose a HomePod, or an Alexa, serves. Except to have a creepy microphone spying on you 24/7, and uploading everything to the internet, for future voice recognition and sound analysis.

gambiting 9y ago
I see you're being downvoted into oblivion, but I absolutely agree with you - I'm unclear why anyone would want one of these devices in their home. The best use I have seen for them at my friend's homes is crappy lights control(which would annoy the hell out of me, just get up and flick the switch, instead of trying to shout over the music "hey google switch the living room lights on" - which doesn't work all the time). I'm just not interested in voice interfaces at all, I think they are genuinely the worst way to interact with a computer, period, possibly tied for 1st place with touch controls in cars. The only thing I'm worried about is that this unwillingness to put a microphone in my house will make me look like a Luddite in 10 years as everyone and their pet seem to be buying these en-masse.
- Operyl 9y ago
  Surprisingly, the HomePod is extremely good at hearing me over anything playing. I can talk at a normal volume while the HomePod is blazing music.
  - jason_slack 9y ago
    It is sensitive. I can talk to it from my bathroom about 200ft away and it picks up what I am saying.
    - Operyl 9y ago
      Yeah, there’s times I talk to my phone with Hey Siri and it gives up control to the HomePod and I went “huh, ok, still works anyway. “
melling 9y ago
We heard you the first 10 times/ https://h4labs.wordpress.com/2017/09/27/groundhog-day-amazon-updates-echosomeone-rants-about-privacy/ https://h4labs.wordpress.com/2017/09/27/groundhog-day-amazon...
- gambiting 9y ago
  That just reminds me of something someone told me when I complained that new phones don't have a headphone jack - "it's been decided already, get over it and stop complaining". I think there are legitimate concerns with the fact that these devices are getting so popular, and to stop raising those concerns is as to pretend that they don't exist.
- blackrock 9y ago
  So, you're saying, that I can't say that these devices are spying on me, by sending all the sounds in my home, into Amazon's servers. Why? Because, so many people have already said it. And it adds nothing further to the conversation. And that if I don't want it, then I can just avoid using it. I didn't say what I said, to prevent people that want to use Alexa, from using it. I just said, that I didn't see a point of the home speakers, when you have a smart phone with you at all times. But then, the alternative, is that if nobody says anything, then this will give Amazon justification, that no one is opposed to Alexa.
  - melling 9y ago
    All I’m saying is that we heard you the first 10 times. You aren’t changing anything by telling us another 10 times. I’m ok if you don’t want one. I don’t need an explanation. Hope you’re ok that I’m going to own half a dozen.

gambiting 9y ago

I see you're being downvoted into oblivion, but I absolutely agree with you - I'm unclear why anyone would want one of these devices in their home. The best use I have seen for them at my friend's homes is crappy lights control(which would annoy the hell out of me, just get up and flick the switch, instead of trying to shout over the music "hey google switch the living room lights on" - which doesn't work all the time). I'm just not interested in voice interfaces at all, I think they are genuinely the worst way to interact with a computer, period, possibly tied for 1st place with touch controls in cars. The only thing I'm worried about is that this unwillingness to put a microphone in my house will make me look like a Luddite in 10 years as everyone and their pet seem to be buying these en-masse.

Operyl 9y ago
Surprisingly, the HomePod is extremely good at hearing me over anything playing. I can talk at a normal volume while the HomePod is blazing music.
- jason_slack 9y ago
  It is sensitive. I can talk to it from my bathroom about 200ft away and it picks up what I am saying.
  - Operyl 9y ago
    Yeah, there’s times I talk to my phone with Hey Siri and it gives up control to the HomePod and I went “huh, ok, still works anyway. “

melling 9y ago

We heard you the first 10 times/ https://h4labs.wordpress.com/2017/09/27/groundhog-day-amazon-updates-echosomeone-rants-about-privacy/ https://h4labs.wordpress.com/2017/09/27/groundhog-day-amazon...

gambiting 9y ago
That just reminds me of something someone told me when I complained that new phones don't have a headphone jack - "it's been decided already, get over it and stop complaining". I think there are legitimate concerns with the fact that these devices are getting so popular, and to stop raising those concerns is as to pretend that they don't exist.
blackrock 9y ago
So, you're saying, that I can't say that these devices are spying on me, by sending all the sounds in my home, into Amazon's servers. Why? Because, so many people have already said it. And it adds nothing further to the conversation. And that if I don't want it, then I can just avoid using it. I didn't say what I said, to prevent people that want to use Alexa, from using it. I just said, that I didn't see a point of the home speakers, when you have a smart phone with you at all times. But then, the alternative, is that if nobody says anything, then this will give Amazon justification, that no one is opposed to Alexa.
- melling 9y ago
  All I’m saying is that we heard you the first 10 times. You aren’t changing anything by telling us another 10 times. I’m ok if you don’t want one. I don’t need an explanation. Hope you’re ok that I’m going to own half a dozen.