5 ms·

I suspect your misunderstanding comes from your mistaken belief that these devices provide very little value for their users.

• Allower 7y ago
  As a user I can confirm Alexa devices offer zero value.
• autoexec 7y ago
  I get that these devices do some useful things, but I can't really think of anything they do that can't also be done with a cell phone and a laptop and without letting contractors listen to you having sex.
  • bootlooped 7y ago
    Once you already own a cellphone, the marginal privacy loss by getting a smart speaker is very small.
    • autoexec 7y ago
      Only if you think your cell phone is always listening, and in some cases it might be. My phone doesn't use any kind of smart assistant and unlike a smart speaker preventing your phone from listening 24/7 doesn't make the device useless
      • thebean11 7y ago
        If you trust Google/Amazon/Apple etc, smart speakers only record when they hear the hot word. What's the difference between that and Google/Apple saying they don't record at all if you turn the assistant off? Either way they could just be lying about how the device works.
        • autoexec 7y ago
          If the companies are lying and bugging us no matter what 24/7 we're screwed either way, but even if google/amazon are being 100% honest their contractors are still listening to people with smart speakers having sex. If you turn off your phone's smart assistants and they are telling the truth nothing happens. disable smart assistants on your phone and the phone won't start recording you "accidentally". You don't have that option with a smart speaker. https://thenextweb.com/google/2019/07/10/google-contractors-are-secretly-listening-to-your-assistant-recordings/ https://thenextweb.com/google/2019/07/10/google-contractors-... https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/apple-siri-listening-recording-contractors/ https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/apple-siri-listening-re...
          • baddox 7y ago
            > disable smart assistants on your phone and the phone won't start recording you "accidentally". You don't have that option with a smart speaker. In fact, you do. Amazon Echos have a physical button that disables the microphone. Apple HomePod has a setting to disable the "Hey Siri" feature. I haven't tested this, but I presume that both continue functioning perfectly fine as Bluetooth/AirPlay speakers.
            • autoexec 7y ago
              I didn't know that they had an option to disable the mic at all. I'm glad that they do, but I'd question anyone who bought one just to use as a speaker. If you aren't going to use the mic, you're better off buying a regular speaker with better quality. Disabling the smart assistant on the phone still leaves you with a highly functional device.
              • fastball 7y ago
                The Apple HomePod is a pretty great speaker whether you have the mic on or not.
                • autoexec 7y ago
    • satanspastaroll 7y ago
      Owning smart speakers grants extra bits to identify you, it ties in neatly with other tracking devices, strengthening each other
• StuffedParrot 7y ago
  Surely this value would be easy to demonstrate.