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"OK Google"/"hey Google" is one of the reasons I went with Amazon's products instead! (other reasons include that they seem to understand my voice more reliably

"OK Google"/"hey Google" is one of the reasons I went with Amazon's products instead! (other reasons include that they seem to understand my voice more reliably than Google or Microsoft's systems). I get to call it Computer instead of Alexa too, though if I were stuck with Alexa it would still be preferable to Google (or Amazon for that matter). It's isn't just branding though, if I'm right. The wake word needs to be something that is easy to pick out from a complex audio environment and not be a regular part of common speech so cause confusion (computer fails a bit in that regard) so allowing completely custom wake words might cause reliability issues. Also some might choose wake words that the brands don't want to be seen listening for: I might choose "slave" as a Blake's 7 reference for instance but that could easily offend some if they overhear, and there are many other epithets, slurs, and swears, that would not be deemed suitable either.

AgentOrange1234 6y ago
“Computer” seems humane. There’s a teenager down the street named Alexa. She apparently gets asked the weather a lot. :(
- dwd 6y ago
  As a Radiohead fan I could live with the occassional misplaying of Ok Computer.
  - dspillett 6y ago
    Amazon devices don't need the "OK" do that hasn't happened (to me). Though it can get a little confused occasionally when I'm playing some variety of Star Trek on the nearby TV.
    - willcipriano 6y ago
      My Alexa logs are 10% brief clips of Geordi Laforge making demands.
    - dwd 6y ago
      Thanks, now I can't read "Computer" without it being in Patrick Stewart's baritone.
  - mrgordon 6y ago
    <3 I think Thom would approve.
- dvtrn 6y ago
  I tried this for about a week. But the amount of Star Trek TNG reruns I am constantly watching put a humorous end to that.
- potemkinhr 6y ago
  "Hello Computer" seems pretty neutral, it reminds me of this sketch from IT crowd https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lu88J5JL8Hw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lu88J5JL8Hw
  - dspillett 6y ago
    Or Scotty in ST:IV "The One With The Wales": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaVgRj2e5_s&t=172s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaVgRj2e5_s&t=172s
tjbiddle 6y ago
One of the reasons? It's honestly the reason for me. Such a minor thing, and it's super annoying. Google lost out on hundreds of dollars from me on this simple change.
Semiapies 6y ago
I'd go for "Zen". And the resulting announcements. "INFORMATION: Four minutes have elapsed." for a timer, etc.
- craz8 6y ago
  I’d pay money for Peter Tuddenham’s Zen to respond to commands. I’d buy a big subwoofer to make the INFORMATION response shake the house too!
cacarr 6y ago
I do seem to recall that being able to set a customer wake-word was in the works at one point. I don't see why the system could not be designed such that one could submit a wake-word, which is analyzed for suitability in terms of being sufficiently distinct in complex audio environments, and then checked against a blacklist. Shouldn't be beyond Google's technical capabilities. The thing is, a LOT of people avoid Google Home/Assistant because they simply can't bring themselves to blurt out cheesy branding like that. They really ought to solve that problem. Probably they will right about the time they port Inbox bundling to Gmail and provide a Drive sync client for Linux (it's been, a decade?).
- dspillett 6y ago
  > then checked against a blacklist Unfortunately "enumerating the bad" is a strategy that never survives contact with the public.
  - nullc 6y ago
    Why is this a problem that needs solving? If the user chooses an ineffective word they'll figure it out pretty quickly... and if they choose an offensive one-- that's on them. They could also walk around saying offensive words when not addressing the computer. Or is google planning on 'fixing' that too? :)
    - dspillett 6y ago
      It wouldn't be a problem if all people were decent and rational. Unfortunately some would reprogram other people's devices to cause offence for a jape and some will get offended and blame the company for letting it happen. The difference from Google/Amazon/Apple/MS's point of view is that if I run around yelling the N word and their device doesn't even notice then they can't be seen to be complicit by unreasonable people. It would just be me being an arse. Heck, some would get offended at the possibility of one of a company's devices responding to loaded words like that even if it never actually happened. Of course there is another reason: having people use the same word re-enforces brand recognition even if the wake word is not the actual brand just a word/name people associate with it.

AgentOrange1234 6y ago

“Computer” seems humane. There’s a teenager down the street named Alexa. She apparently gets asked the weather a lot. :(

dwd 6y ago
As a Radiohead fan I could live with the occassional misplaying of Ok Computer.
- dspillett 6y ago
  Amazon devices don't need the "OK" do that hasn't happened (to me). Though it can get a little confused occasionally when I'm playing some variety of Star Trek on the nearby TV.
  - willcipriano 6y ago
    My Alexa logs are 10% brief clips of Geordi Laforge making demands.
  - dwd 6y ago
    Thanks, now I can't read "Computer" without it being in Patrick Stewart's baritone.
- mrgordon 6y ago
  <3 I think Thom would approve.
dvtrn 6y ago
I tried this for about a week. But the amount of Star Trek TNG reruns I am constantly watching put a humorous end to that.
potemkinhr 6y ago
"Hello Computer" seems pretty neutral, it reminds me of this sketch from IT crowd https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lu88J5JL8Hw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lu88J5JL8Hw
- dspillett 6y ago
  Or Scotty in ST:IV "The One With The Wales": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaVgRj2e5_s&t=172s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaVgRj2e5_s&t=172s

tjbiddle 6y ago

One of the reasons? It's honestly the reason for me. Such a minor thing, and it's super annoying. Google lost out on hundreds of dollars from me on this simple change.

Semiapies 6y ago

I'd go for "Zen". And the resulting announcements. "INFORMATION: Four minutes have elapsed." for a timer, etc.

craz8 6y ago
I’d pay money for Peter Tuddenham’s Zen to respond to commands. I’d buy a big subwoofer to make the INFORMATION response shake the house too!

cacarr 6y ago

I do seem to recall that being able to set a customer wake-word was in the works at one point. I don't see why the system could not be designed such that one could submit a wake-word, which is analyzed for suitability in terms of being sufficiently distinct in complex audio environments, and then checked against a blacklist. Shouldn't be beyond Google's technical capabilities. The thing is, a LOT of people avoid Google Home/Assistant because they simply can't bring themselves to blurt out cheesy branding like that. They really ought to solve that problem. Probably they will right about the time they port Inbox bundling to Gmail and provide a Drive sync client for Linux (it's been, a decade?).

dspillett 6y ago
> then checked against a blacklist Unfortunately "enumerating the bad" is a strategy that never survives contact with the public.
- nullc 6y ago
  Why is this a problem that needs solving? If the user chooses an ineffective word they'll figure it out pretty quickly... and if they choose an offensive one-- that's on them. They could also walk around saying offensive words when not addressing the computer. Or is google planning on 'fixing' that too? :)
  - dspillett 6y ago
    It wouldn't be a problem if all people were decent and rational. Unfortunately some would reprogram other people's devices to cause offence for a jape and some will get offended and blame the company for letting it happen. The difference from Google/Amazon/Apple/MS's point of view is that if I run around yelling the N word and their device doesn't even notice then they can't be seen to be complicit by unreasonable people. It would just be me being an arse. Heck, some would get offended at the possibility of one of a company's devices responding to loaded words like that even if it never actually happened. Of course there is another reason: having people use the same word re-enforces brand recognition even if the wake word is not the actual brand just a word/name people associate with it.