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If there’s one thing Apple did, with Steve Jobs, other than build fantastic user experience out of mature but unapproachable technologies, it was communicating
by Tloewald 8y ago
If there’s one thing Apple did, with Steve Jobs, other than build fantastic user experience out of mature but unapproachable technologies, it was communicating the fact that it had done so. Not only has Amazon failed to do this, the writer has as well.
I think it’s pretty cool that, in theory, I could say “Alexa, turn on the oven to 450” and it would (a) turn the correct device to the correct setting and (b) remind me when it was ready (or if it’s being super duper smart, tell me that it was 2 mins or so away from being ready) so that I could stagger over to the kitchen, pull a pizza out of the fridge or freezer, unwrap it, and stick it in the oven. All I need to do is have a bunch of speakers bugging my home, a new oven, ideally probably not two new ovens or not a new oven and a new toaster oven because god knows what will happen, and all this stuff networked.
Or I can walk over to the oven, turn it to 450, and say “Hey Siri, set timer for ten minutes” and wander off. When my wrist buzzes, I go stick a pizza in the oven and I say, “Hey Siri, set timer for thirteen minutes” and go do stuff.
I don’t need a new oven. I don’t need to worry that I’ll pick the wrong oven. I’m not inviting Amazon to parse all my conversations. I don’t need to learn a new magic phrase.
Oh and imagine the hilarity when you try to sell or rent your house and the internet gets turned off. We had a smart sprinkler system which, when we sold the house, we essentially had to rip out because it was easier to install a conventional replacement than figure out how to talk to it without an active WiFi.
- kazen44 8y agothe internet connectivity requirement is silly, especially if you want to build a long term system. This guy has a great youtube channel[1] which documents how he builds his home automation system (in house). Would highly recommend watching his videos. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUEKr_48EfQ&list=PL8mjSseObLTkPkkcLofUzh3VciEvboYtK https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUEKr_48EfQ&list=PL8mjSseObL...
- BatFastard 8y agoHis solution is interesting if you want to rewire your whole house.
- WalterBright 8y agoI'd never allow the internet to turn on my oven.
- j45 8y agoOP's example is reminding him to turn oven on or off.
- shawabawa3 8y ago> I could say “Alexa, turn on the oven to 450” and it would (a) turn the correct device to the correct setting Nope, it's turning it on
- j45 8y agoReading the entire comment will help in this case. The paragraph after what you quoted: [instead of buying a new oven].. "Or I can walk over to the oven, turn it to 450, and say “Hey Siri, set timer for ten minutes” and wander off. When my wrist buzzes, I go stick a pizza in the oven and I say, “Hey Siri, set timer for thirteen minutes” and go do stuff. I don’t need a new oven. I don’t need to worry that I’ll pick the wrong oven."
- dvlsg 8y agoThe second part is. The first part is about imagining telling Alexa to actually turn your oven on.
- j45 8y agoThe second part is what he'd rather use. He didn't seem to want a smart oven, which is what he's being downvoted for.
- cwilkes 8y agoI would as it takes a longish time to do which is annoying to wait for. So if it could be remotely turned on when I’m at the store or on the way home that would be a big convenience. Likewise with most async things that I forget to do, like watering plants or cleaning the house. If I can throw money at it and reasonably expect it to work (sprinkler system, house cleaner) I will do it.
- aiilnns 8y agoI don't understand why you would use Siri then. You could manually set a timer. It would probably be quicker than saying "Hey Siri, ..." and you could also avoid using any kind of software.
- Tloewald 8y agoIt's definitely not easier to manually set a timer than it is to use Siri. Also, you can do multiple timers at once and they follows you around (versus being screamed at because the timer in the kitchen is beeping and no-one has noticed for half an hour and now the fire alarm is going off).
- taylodl 8y agoMy wife is a real estate agent and let me tell you - smart homes are a nightmare for buyers. My advice? Stay away from it. Not until there’s a fully-interoperable standard and it doesn’t matter whether your buyer is partial to the Google, Apple or Amazon ecosystems and there’s a smart gateway allowing you to quickly transition from one owner to another. Until then? No. Just no.