12 ms·

Portal from Facebook: Voice Enabled Hands-Free Video Calling

114 points by uptown 8y ago

anilgulecha 8y ago
> Portal was created with privacy, safety and security in mind. And it has clear and simple settings, so you stay in control. It looks great -- if only this wasn't facebook! You know there's probably going to be some double-speak going on above.
- brennebeck 8y ago
  Unfortunately, I have to agree. The product does actually look pretty awesome. Edit: grammar cleanup
- subliminalpanda 8y ago
  > Facebook doesn’t listen to, view or keep the contents of your Portal video calls. Your conversations stay between you and the people you’re calling. It's not entirely clear from their wording if the calls are E2E encrypted or not - "doesn't" isn't quite the same as "can't". I wish they would be more clear about this.
patd 8y ago
It has Alexa built-in. Does that mean that Facebook isn't going to try to compete with Siri/Alexa/Cortana/Google ? Or that Alexa has won the home automation already ?
- stedaniels 8y ago
  Alexa is barely home automation... it's a voice controlled switch in 99% of use. Home automation is events responding to triggers, as if by magic, not "Alexa, kitchen lights on", nor too any real extent voice controlled scenes.
  - jon-wood 8y ago
    If I were a betting man I'd take a wager that by the end of Q1 2019 there'll be basic automation support built into Alexa, in the form of "when this motion sensor goes off turn on the lights", and a fairly robust set of functionality by the end of 2019.
    - akhilcacharya 8y ago
      You can already do that with Routines. https://venturebeat.com/2018/08/28/alexa-can-now-play-your-favorite-song-when-you-walk-into-a-room/ https://venturebeat.com/2018/08/28/alexa-can-now-play-your-f... Disclaimer - work on Alexa, but not this.
- mic47 8y ago
  Or the FB's own thing is not ready yet. You might get software update to add FB's assistant if/when they do it. Or, voice assistant is not the market FB want to compete on.
- intopieces 8y ago
  The future of devices is multi-assistant, like Sonos does with the Play One. I expect a V2 model of this device to incorporate Google, et al
CodeSheikh 8y ago
Is it going to be enabled in all countries that allow access Facebook? Some Middle East countries have banned free VOIP services.
- kozak 8y ago
  Most likely, it will be officially sold only in a handful or first-world countries, like hardware from Google and Amazon is.
- colejohnson66 8y ago
  How do they handle Messenger? It sounds like it’s just that under the hood.
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
stedaniels 8y ago
It's annoying that it doesn't clearly specify a feature comparison with a device like the Amazon Echo Show. I don't want yet another screen in a room that can't be multi-functional. Recipes, TV, third party music, browsing etc. etc.
jbob2000 8y ago
Does this actually solve a problem people have? The biggest problem with video calling right now is that the networks are garbage, not that I can’t have a video call while doing something else. Just another gimmick Facebook is trying to make themselves more than just an app.
- askmike 8y ago
  > The biggest problem with video calling right now is that the networks are garbage As in your internet is slow? That's not a problem for everyone I guess. For me it's pretty fast.. Facebook has tried projects to speed up last mile internet (beam it down with drones, etc), but that appears to be a hard problem to solve.
denzil_correa 8y ago
> Facebook doesn’t listen to, view or keep the contents of your Portal video calls. Your Portal conversations stay between you and the people you’re calling. But, we do store your call history. We use this call history to "serve you great ads". We also sell meta-information from this call history to advertisement providers to help them know more about you. This could help them make decisions in your life like insurance policies, flight/train tickets amongst other things. Apart from that, Portal is completely "Private by Design".
- mtgx 8y ago
  Also, they reserve the right to change this in the future - just like they've always done. FB is pretty good at bait and switch.
  - Isn0gud 8y ago
    > Portal does not have Facebook ads at this time. So when do they add them?
- brennebeck 8y ago
  Are you just assuming the second part? The privacy policy doesn’t mention anything about this, except that third-party integrations may have ads, but they’re not served via FB, etc.
  - mwambua 8y ago
    They're really cagey about it though: > Portal does not have Facebook ads at this time. Some third-party services on Portal (e.g., music partners) may embed ads in their content in the same way they do when providing their services on other devices. How about no ads, ever?
    - mcintyre1994 8y ago
      That'd mean blocking eg. Spotify's free service though.
linuxftw 8y ago
Do people actually buy these video devices? Is it something people actually want, or is television marketing so effective you can convince a large enough section of the population to make this product viable? I feel like we're in a decade-long fad of techno gadgets. I'm eager for it to end.
- morley 8y ago
  I can't speak for consumer demand, but I've worked at a place that spent a fortune on Cisco VTC devices, which are basically larger, less user-friendly versions of this.
- jsight 8y ago
  I wonder the same thing. I mean, Kinect did a great job of providing video calling via Skype, but it never gained market acceptance. Why would this be any different? I'm not sure what you mean about the fad of techno gadgets, though. It seems to be that we've had a lot of new gadgets for the past 40 years. Some have been phenomenally successful and stayed around and others haven't (or have come back years later in different forms). I don't expect this to end.
  - linuxftw 8y ago
    I specifically mean "smart devices" like refrigerators, watches, these weird voice controlled home automation devices, tablets. I just saw a commercial for headphones that are voice controlled. I don't want or need any of this extra gadgetry, cell phone and laptop are quite sufficient for all of the tasks I care about. I suspect most 'normal' people are like myself and just don't care about all this electronic nonsense.
    - jsight 8y ago
      I get your point, though I actually like the intent of a lot of these devices. I mean, if the smart refrigerator weren't so overpriced, I can see the value in a calendar and shopping list on the refrigerator. Its exactly why people hang paper ones there, but with the added benefit of being synced. But yeah, there are definitely a lot of overboard cases. I can't imagine using the Alexa microwave or voice controlled headphones. Some of these definitely have a 2008 app store vibe to them.
gehsty 8y ago
Any compelling reason to use this vs FaceTime or what ever android users use for video chat? Does anyone want anything built by Facebook in there homes? Anything Facebook has released outside of thei core product seems to be a hot mess. Remember that garbage android skin? I see literally no one buying this.
- SippinLean 8y ago
  Like Android's Duo one benefit would be that you can use this on any hardware, and talk to someone without an iPhone, unlike FaceTime.
  - gehsty 8y ago
    Still no compelling reason to use this instead of a tablet or smartphone.
- netsharc 8y ago
  Well, maybe the network effect: if you buy this gadget and log in using your FB account, you already have your contact list (all your FB contacts) ready to call. Interestingly the other party doesn't even need to have this gadget, if they have FB Messenger app (which has the video functionality) you'll be able to talk to each other. And what do Android users use? In Europe it would be most likely WhatsApp, and guess who publishes WhatsApp. If they manage to add WhatsApp integration...
  - gehsty 8y ago
    Why would you use this over the smartphone in your pocket? Look at the positions where this garbage is placed in the rooms in the video, literally no one would place these things in the middle of tables, in the middle of countertops. I can't believe Facebook have wasted there time with this. Spend money improving user privacy and security and your share price will go up more than competing on hardware products.
thelastidiot 8y ago
The mandatory grandma watching their grand children from her retirement home is there too. Pathetic.
- jedberg 8y ago
  That was the main use case they built it for though. In another article it talks about their inspiration being the What but Why post about having spent 93% of the time you’ll ever spend with your parents by the time you’ve graduated high school.
CosmicShadow 8y ago
Obligatory NSFW Demolition Man wrong number clip: https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/500b40f9-4960-455d-afa6-71d966677551 https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/500b40f9-4960-455d-afa6-71d9666... The things that can go wrong, apart from the regular expected FB BS.
dimillian 8y ago
My real question is who need that? We all have smartphone or computers or tablets with video calling apps built in. What is market who need a device for video call only?
- m12k 8y ago
  There might be a niche for an 'always on' (more or less) video service. It feels very awkward to 'be quiet together' on most current voice and video call services and that causes people to end the conversation faster than they would if they were there physically (it's one of the reasons why I like gaming with my long-distance friends, because you can chat, then focus on the game for a bit, then go back to chatting - it feel more like hanging out, and less like a focused exchange of information). As another example, Snapchat is strictly worse than normal messaging from a purely technical perspective (there's no history!), but in reality it causes people to communicate in a different way, and share things that might be too small or inconsequential to add to your permanent message record - it makes it feel like you're sharing your day and the small things in it with someone even if they're not there physically. So in a similar vein, Portal might feel like a different medium just from being on more often, and nudging people toward just leaving it on while cooking dinner. It might also not - I certainly don't want more Facebook in my life, but the point is, details in implementation and framing can make the same technology feel like a different medium that enables different kinds of communication.
ltc5505 8y ago
>We collect the content, communications and other information you provide when you use our Products, including when you sign up for an account, create or share content, and message or communicate with others. This can include information in or about the content you provide (like metadata), such as the location of a photo or the date a file was created. It can also include what you see through features we provide, such as our camera, so we can do things like suggest masks and filters that you might like, or give you tips on using camera formats. Our systems automatically process content and communications you and others provide to analyze context and what's in them for the purposes described below. Yeah, that’s gonna be a no from me dawg.
- JustSomeNobody 8y ago
  "From the background, we notice that you're at the Grand Canyon. We suggest using our landscape filter to make the canyon really POP! Oh and here's an ad from the Bright Angel Lodge."
- timdorr 8y ago
  That's from Facebook's generalized privacy policy. According to the product page: > Facebook doesn’t listen to, view or keep the contents of your Portal video calls. > For added security, Smart Camera uses AI technology that runs locally on Portal, not on Facebook servers. Portal’s camera does not use facial recognition and does not identify who you are. So, that reads more private to me. However, the general policy definitely applies to the voice commands: > Like other voice-enabled devices, Portal only sends voice commands to Facebook servers after you say, “Hey Portal.” Obviously, that can always change at any time, but the starting point seems to be pretty much par for the course compared to other smart display products.
bruceb 8y ago
I am surprised how the portal+ with a 15.6" screen doesn't look like it has that big of a screen. Even with the 1 picture that shows it in a livingroom it doesn't seem like it is that big. If you are selling a "plus" version that's main feature is a bigger screen, you would show the screen is large? edit: I see there are 2 more pictures, which do a little better job.
BitterSweets 8y ago
Seems like a good product from the wrong two companies. I don't want Alexa nor Facebook in my house listening to everything, regardless of how "private" they say my conversations are.
EZ-E 8y ago
Ironically the way they insist it's "privacy friendly" and has a physical camera cover included might get people thinking "hold up, should I trust this for privacy" while they wouldn't think about it otherwise.
ZeroCool2u 8y ago
While I'm not inclined to use this anyways, we've become a Google Home household and use Duo to speak with international relatives, I'm frankly disappointed that the $200 version is only 720p and not 1080p. Definitely a bit underwhelming considering that besides the Alexa functionality it's essentially a single purpose device.
jypepin 8y ago
So Facebook's vision (according to what they communicate with their landing page) is that people basically want to be connected, by sound and video, all the time? "If you can’t be there, feel there". I mean... seems like a perfect example if loosing sight of your mission and what users really want. A typical "ok we want people to be more connected, what could we come up with?" and the less bad idea was "a video camera! For the home! So people can always video chat! Hands free!". I really don't see myself video call my significant other while we are both cooking in a different home and enjoying this. Anyone? Does anyone gets excited about this?
- jedberg 8y ago
  I think this will be a great way to spend more time with my parents who live 400 miles away. It will also allow my kids to talk to my parents more. We already use Facebook messenger for this since it’s the easiest for my parents to use. This would be an improved messenger experience in my eyes.
  - colejohnson66 8y ago
    But why use this over, say, FaceTime or Skype?
    - jedberg 8y ago
      FaceTime doesn’t work cross platform (they have android) and Skype just doesn’t work. Also this means they don’t have to hold up a phone which can get tiring.
      - jypepin 8y ago
        I think the question was equivalent to "why use this over facebook videos on the phone or laptop" which you do already. How is it so much better than it requires the spend for this extra equipement. I'm also interesting to hear your take.
        8y ago
ilovecaching 8y ago
Alexa + big screen for video calls and spotify? Pre-ordered 2, sending one to my parents who live across the country. I also love the aesthetic, very clean looking. I also like that it isn't connecting to Facebook servers.
- lunchables 8y ago
  Why not just get an Echo Show? https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/8/17944022/new-amazon-echo-show-review-2018-alexa-speaker-video-camera https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/8/17944022/new-amazon-echo-... Second gen, bigger screen, does video calls, obviously has Alexa and no Facebook involvement.
- callumjones 8y ago
  > Like other voice-enabled devices, Portal only sends voice commands to Facebook servers after you say, “Hey Portal.” You can delete Portal's voice history in your Facebook Activity Log. It’s very much connected to their servers.
writepub 8y ago
Alexa integration is interesting. Doesn't Facebook have its own voice-AI? Why Alexa?
seba_dos1 8y ago
No, thanks.
ejlangev 8y ago
> "Private by design" Lol It's me, the company that hoards your personal data and just got hacked in a huge way, please put a camera in your house that I control which I _swear_ won't be used to spy on you. Sort of hilariously tone deaf that they launch this right after they just got hacked.
- nihonde 8y ago
  I recall hearing that they delayed the release, which was scheduled within days of the CA incident (or one of the several others since).
trakout 8y ago
I'll just leave this one here. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telescreen https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telescreen

114 points by uptown 8y ago

> Portal was created with privacy, safety and security in mind. And it has clear and simple settings, so you stay in control. It looks great -- if only this wasn't facebook! You know there's probably going to be some double-speak going on above.

brennebeck 8y ago
Unfortunately, I have to agree. The product does actually look pretty awesome. Edit: grammar cleanup
subliminalpanda 8y ago
> Facebook doesn’t listen to, view or keep the contents of your Portal video calls. Your conversations stay between you and the people you’re calling. It's not entirely clear from their wording if the calls are E2E encrypted or not - "doesn't" isn't quite the same as "can't". I wish they would be more clear about this.

patd 8y ago

It has Alexa built-in. Does that mean that Facebook isn't going to try to compete with Siri/Alexa/Cortana/Google ? Or that Alexa has won the home automation already ?

stedaniels 8y ago
Alexa is barely home automation... it's a voice controlled switch in 99% of use. Home automation is events responding to triggers, as if by magic, not "Alexa, kitchen lights on", nor too any real extent voice controlled scenes.
- jon-wood 8y ago
  If I were a betting man I'd take a wager that by the end of Q1 2019 there'll be basic automation support built into Alexa, in the form of "when this motion sensor goes off turn on the lights", and a fairly robust set of functionality by the end of 2019.
  - akhilcacharya 8y ago
    You can already do that with Routines. https://venturebeat.com/2018/08/28/alexa-can-now-play-your-favorite-song-when-you-walk-into-a-room/ https://venturebeat.com/2018/08/28/alexa-can-now-play-your-f... Disclaimer - work on Alexa, but not this.
mic47 8y ago
Or the FB's own thing is not ready yet. You might get software update to add FB's assistant if/when they do it. Or, voice assistant is not the market FB want to compete on.
intopieces 8y ago
The future of devices is multi-assistant, like Sonos does with the Play One. I expect a V2 model of this device to incorporate Google, et al

CodeSheikh 8y ago

Is it going to be enabled in all countries that allow access Facebook? Some Middle East countries have banned free VOIP services.

kozak 8y ago
Most likely, it will be officially sold only in a handful or first-world countries, like hardware from Google and Amazon is.
colejohnson66 8y ago
How do they handle Messenger? It sounds like it’s just that under the hood.

deleted 8y ago

[deleted]

stedaniels 8y ago

It's annoying that it doesn't clearly specify a feature comparison with a device like the Amazon Echo Show. I don't want yet another screen in a room that can't be multi-functional. Recipes, TV, third party music, browsing etc. etc.

jbob2000 8y ago

Does this actually solve a problem people have? The biggest problem with video calling right now is that the networks are garbage, not that I can’t have a video call while doing something else. Just another gimmick Facebook is trying to make themselves more than just an app.

askmike 8y ago
> The biggest problem with video calling right now is that the networks are garbage As in your internet is slow? That's not a problem for everyone I guess. For me it's pretty fast.. Facebook has tried projects to speed up last mile internet (beam it down with drones, etc), but that appears to be a hard problem to solve.

denzil_correa 8y ago

> Facebook doesn’t listen to, view or keep the contents of your Portal video calls. Your Portal conversations stay between you and the people you’re calling. But, we do store your call history. We use this call history to "serve you great ads". We also sell meta-information from this call history to advertisement providers to help them know more about you. This could help them make decisions in your life like insurance policies, flight/train tickets amongst other things. Apart from that, Portal is completely "Private by Design".

mtgx 8y ago
Also, they reserve the right to change this in the future - just like they've always done. FB is pretty good at bait and switch.
- Isn0gud 8y ago
  > Portal does not have Facebook ads at this time. So when do they add them?
brennebeck 8y ago
Are you just assuming the second part? The privacy policy doesn’t mention anything about this, except that third-party integrations may have ads, but they’re not served via FB, etc.
- mwambua 8y ago
  They're really cagey about it though: > Portal does not have Facebook ads at this time. Some third-party services on Portal (e.g., music partners) may embed ads in their content in the same way they do when providing their services on other devices. How about no ads, ever?
  - mcintyre1994 8y ago
    That'd mean blocking eg. Spotify's free service though.

linuxftw 8y ago

Do people actually buy these video devices? Is it something people actually want, or is television marketing so effective you can convince a large enough section of the population to make this product viable? I feel like we're in a decade-long fad of techno gadgets. I'm eager for it to end.

morley 8y ago
I can't speak for consumer demand, but I've worked at a place that spent a fortune on Cisco VTC devices, which are basically larger, less user-friendly versions of this.
jsight 8y ago
I wonder the same thing. I mean, Kinect did a great job of providing video calling via Skype, but it never gained market acceptance. Why would this be any different? I'm not sure what you mean about the fad of techno gadgets, though. It seems to be that we've had a lot of new gadgets for the past 40 years. Some have been phenomenally successful and stayed around and others haven't (or have come back years later in different forms). I don't expect this to end.
- linuxftw 8y ago
  I specifically mean "smart devices" like refrigerators, watches, these weird voice controlled home automation devices, tablets. I just saw a commercial for headphones that are voice controlled. I don't want or need any of this extra gadgetry, cell phone and laptop are quite sufficient for all of the tasks I care about. I suspect most 'normal' people are like myself and just don't care about all this electronic nonsense.
  - jsight 8y ago
    I get your point, though I actually like the intent of a lot of these devices. I mean, if the smart refrigerator weren't so overpriced, I can see the value in a calendar and shopping list on the refrigerator. Its exactly why people hang paper ones there, but with the added benefit of being synced. But yeah, there are definitely a lot of overboard cases. I can't imagine using the Alexa microwave or voice controlled headphones. Some of these definitely have a 2008 app store vibe to them.

gehsty 8y ago

Any compelling reason to use this vs FaceTime or what ever android users use for video chat? Does anyone want anything built by Facebook in there homes? Anything Facebook has released outside of thei core product seems to be a hot mess. Remember that garbage android skin? I see literally no one buying this.

SippinLean 8y ago
Like Android's Duo one benefit would be that you can use this on any hardware, and talk to someone without an iPhone, unlike FaceTime.
- gehsty 8y ago
  Still no compelling reason to use this instead of a tablet or smartphone.
netsharc 8y ago
Well, maybe the network effect: if you buy this gadget and log in using your FB account, you already have your contact list (all your FB contacts) ready to call. Interestingly the other party doesn't even need to have this gadget, if they have FB Messenger app (which has the video functionality) you'll be able to talk to each other. And what do Android users use? In Europe it would be most likely WhatsApp, and guess who publishes WhatsApp. If they manage to add WhatsApp integration...
- gehsty 8y ago
  Why would you use this over the smartphone in your pocket? Look at the positions where this garbage is placed in the rooms in the video, literally no one would place these things in the middle of tables, in the middle of countertops. I can't believe Facebook have wasted there time with this. Spend money improving user privacy and security and your share price will go up more than competing on hardware products.

thelastidiot 8y ago

The mandatory grandma watching their grand children from her retirement home is there too. Pathetic.

jedberg 8y ago
That was the main use case they built it for though. In another article it talks about their inspiration being the What but Why post about having spent 93% of the time you’ll ever spend with your parents by the time you’ve graduated high school.

CosmicShadow 8y ago

Obligatory NSFW Demolition Man wrong number clip: https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/500b40f9-4960-455d-afa6-71d966677551 https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/500b40f9-4960-455d-afa6-71d9666... The things that can go wrong, apart from the regular expected FB BS.

dimillian 8y ago

My real question is who need that? We all have smartphone or computers or tablets with video calling apps built in. What is market who need a device for video call only?

m12k 8y ago
There might be a niche for an 'always on' (more or less) video service. It feels very awkward to 'be quiet together' on most current voice and video call services and that causes people to end the conversation faster than they would if they were there physically (it's one of the reasons why I like gaming with my long-distance friends, because you can chat, then focus on the game for a bit, then go back to chatting - it feel more like hanging out, and less like a focused exchange of information). As another example, Snapchat is strictly worse than normal messaging from a purely technical perspective (there's no history!), but in reality it causes people to communicate in a different way, and share things that might be too small or inconsequential to add to your permanent message record - it makes it feel like you're sharing your day and the small things in it with someone even if they're not there physically. So in a similar vein, Portal might feel like a different medium just from being on more often, and nudging people toward just leaving it on while cooking dinner. It might also not - I certainly don't want more Facebook in my life, but the point is, details in implementation and framing can make the same technology feel like a different medium that enables different kinds of communication.

ltc5505 8y ago

>We collect the content, communications and other information you provide when you use our Products, including when you sign up for an account, create or share content, and message or communicate with others. This can include information in or about the content you provide (like metadata), such as the location of a photo or the date a file was created. It can also include what you see through features we provide, such as our camera, so we can do things like suggest masks and filters that you might like, or give you tips on using camera formats. Our systems automatically process content and communications you and others provide to analyze context and what's in them for the purposes described below. Yeah, that’s gonna be a no from me dawg.

JustSomeNobody 8y ago
"From the background, we notice that you're at the Grand Canyon. We suggest using our landscape filter to make the canyon really POP! Oh and here's an ad from the Bright Angel Lodge."
timdorr 8y ago
That's from Facebook's generalized privacy policy. According to the product page: > Facebook doesn’t listen to, view or keep the contents of your Portal video calls. > For added security, Smart Camera uses AI technology that runs locally on Portal, not on Facebook servers. Portal’s camera does not use facial recognition and does not identify who you are. So, that reads more private to me. However, the general policy definitely applies to the voice commands: > Like other voice-enabled devices, Portal only sends voice commands to Facebook servers after you say, “Hey Portal.” Obviously, that can always change at any time, but the starting point seems to be pretty much par for the course compared to other smart display products.

bruceb 8y ago

I am surprised how the portal+ with a 15.6" screen doesn't look like it has that big of a screen. Even with the 1 picture that shows it in a livingroom it doesn't seem like it is that big. If you are selling a "plus" version that's main feature is a bigger screen, you would show the screen is large? edit: I see there are 2 more pictures, which do a little better job.

BitterSweets 8y ago

Seems like a good product from the wrong two companies. I don't want Alexa nor Facebook in my house listening to everything, regardless of how "private" they say my conversations are.

EZ-E 8y ago

Ironically the way they insist it's "privacy friendly" and has a physical camera cover included might get people thinking "hold up, should I trust this for privacy" while they wouldn't think about it otherwise.

ZeroCool2u 8y ago

While I'm not inclined to use this anyways, we've become a Google Home household and use Duo to speak with international relatives, I'm frankly disappointed that the $200 version is only 720p and not 1080p. Definitely a bit underwhelming considering that besides the Alexa functionality it's essentially a single purpose device.

jypepin 8y ago

So Facebook's vision (according to what they communicate with their landing page) is that people basically want to be connected, by sound and video, all the time? "If you can’t be there, feel there". I mean... seems like a perfect example if loosing sight of your mission and what users really want. A typical "ok we want people to be more connected, what could we come up with?" and the less bad idea was "a video camera! For the home! So people can always video chat! Hands free!". I really don't see myself video call my significant other while we are both cooking in a different home and enjoying this. Anyone? Does anyone gets excited about this?

jedberg 8y ago
I think this will be a great way to spend more time with my parents who live 400 miles away. It will also allow my kids to talk to my parents more. We already use Facebook messenger for this since it’s the easiest for my parents to use. This would be an improved messenger experience in my eyes.
- colejohnson66 8y ago
  But why use this over, say, FaceTime or Skype?
  - jedberg 8y ago
    FaceTime doesn’t work cross platform (they have android) and Skype just doesn’t work. Also this means they don’t have to hold up a phone which can get tiring.
    - jypepin 8y ago
      I think the question was equivalent to "why use this over facebook videos on the phone or laptop" which you do already. How is it so much better than it requires the spend for this extra equipement. I'm also interesting to hear your take.
      - 8y ago

ilovecaching 8y ago

Alexa + big screen for video calls and spotify? Pre-ordered 2, sending one to my parents who live across the country. I also love the aesthetic, very clean looking. I also like that it isn't connecting to Facebook servers.

lunchables 8y ago
Why not just get an Echo Show? https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/8/17944022/new-amazon-echo-show-review-2018-alexa-speaker-video-camera https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/8/17944022/new-amazon-echo-... Second gen, bigger screen, does video calls, obviously has Alexa and no Facebook involvement.
callumjones 8y ago
> Like other voice-enabled devices, Portal only sends voice commands to Facebook servers after you say, “Hey Portal.” You can delete Portal's voice history in your Facebook Activity Log. It’s very much connected to their servers.

writepub 8y ago

Alexa integration is interesting. Doesn't Facebook have its own voice-AI? Why Alexa?

seba_dos1 8y ago

No, thanks.

ejlangev 8y ago

> "Private by design" Lol It's me, the company that hoards your personal data and just got hacked in a huge way, please put a camera in your house that I control which I _swear_ won't be used to spy on you. Sort of hilariously tone deaf that they launch this right after they just got hacked.

nihonde 8y ago
I recall hearing that they delayed the release, which was scheduled within days of the CA incident (or one of the several others since).

trakout 8y ago

I'll just leave this one here. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telescreen https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telescreen