6 ms·

What are some obvious use cases for something like this? I really have trouble imagining what you would use it for.

by eterps 4y ago

hackcasual 4y ago
Most of my 30 something friends have ditched their Alexa's and Google assistant devices because of concerns around security and privacy. The ability to say "set a timer for 30 minutes" is nice, but not enough to invite always on microphones into private spaces
- kvirani 4y ago
  Wait what. When I hold the main button on android and say exactly that, it means I have an always on microphone??
  - qbit42 4y ago
    The "always-on" microphone feature is used to listen for "Okay Google", if you have that enabled.
    - kvirani 4y ago
      I see. So you can still use these assistants without the privacy concern then. So why abandon?
      - revolvingocelot 4y ago
        That's just one of several privacy concerns. It's possible to parse voice locally, as in TFA and eg Mycroft('s open source, self-hosted version, anyway), but for "some reason" mainstream assistants don't do it. Sure, you can hold a button, and Google will only hear about your timer request and nothing more, but some people find the idea of Google knowing when you're setting timers to be upsetting. Or at least worthy of avoiding.
        vineyardmike 4y ago
        They do actually do on device processing now… Siri, G Assistant, Alexa, Bixby, Sonos all perform at least some locally. It seems the major issue is large dictionaries (eg music libraries) or complex queries. Most had an article about how basic features (times, smart home) work entirely on device. [1] https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/7/22523438/apple-iphone-siri-on-device-processing-ios-15-wwdc-privacy https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/7/22523438/apple-iphone-siri... [2] https://appleinsider.com/articles/19/05/07/google-assistant-response-speed-getting-improved-by-on-device-processing https://appleinsider.com/articles/19/05/07/google-assistant-... [3] https://www.amazon.science/blog/on-device-speech-processing-makes-alexa-faster-lower-bandwidth https://www.amazon.science/blog/on-device-speech-processing-... [4] https://www.xda-developers.com/samsung-bixby-will-speed-up-responses-with-on-device-processing/ https://www.xda-developers.com/samsung-bixby-will-speed-up-r... [5] https://www.engadget.com/sonos-voice-control-music-assistant-170028950.html https://www.engadget.com/sonos-voice-control-music-assistant...
        mod 4y ago
        When my internet is out, Alexa won't even listen to me (besides her name)
        GekkePrutser 4y ago
        Same with Siri (Homekit Mini). It won't even answer a question that doesn't need the internet like the time.
        pseudalopex 4y ago
        Do any of them have a setting to enforce on device processing only?
        vineyardmike 4y ago
        Sonos claims to be on device only. It’s not a general purpose assistant though
        deleted 4y ago
      - MikeTheGreat 4y ago
        Disclaimer: I don't have one of these and don't particularly want one. The privacy concerns kinda creep me out. That said, I've been to friends homes and seen them use it. As far as I can tell the primary use case for these things is to be <random place in your home> and then just say out loud "Alexa, set a timer for ....". I've heard that you can order stuff from Amazon also using your voice. I think a third use case starts with "Alexa, tell me a joke". I'm assuming that there's other things you can do with these (and would love to know, if anyone's willing to share). So - if the solution to the privacy concern is to walk over to the device and push a button then that seems to remove most of the usefulness of the device. Speaking as someone who doesn't want one / doesn't have one of these things I can totally see how eliminating the "voice control from anywhere" feature leads to opting out of it. (When I'm walking around my home I've always got my phone on me (which, to be fair, has a bunch of privacy concerns too) so I can more easily set a timer / buy something on Amazon / Google for jokes by fishing my phone out of my pocket and then using that, rather than walking over to push a button.) (The "what else can you do with these" is a genuine question - if people are comfortable sharing I'd love to hear what you can do with these)
        hackcasual 4y ago
        There's a lot of little use cases. Hand free cooking stuff (set a timer, home many tablespoons in a pint). Device control, faster to turn off a TV with voice than dig for the remote, or play a playlist/skip songs. None of those really save that much more time than the old fashion way, so concerns about privacy mean things get done the old way. I know some people like having them in if they have frailty or mobility concerns, which is probably the only really new usecase.
        Louistiti 4y ago
        Definitely. We can think of connecting such basic skills with more advanced skills too. The fact that Leon has a modular architecture makes it very flexible. We just need to let our imagination drives us.
        mod 4y ago
        I have Alexa, although I'm going to remove her and replace with a locally-hosted thing. I've tied mine in with home automation stuff. So I can turn on and off lights using voice, even if I'm not at home. I sometimes forget to turn off my workshop and I can do that from anywhere. I'd like to figure up a way to reset my internet, because I access cameras, and it goes out sometimes. I'm very sure this can be done. I also use her for weather, although I'm annoyed about some of her limitations there, and I intend to get exactly what I want by coding. I want to be able to ask things like "when will it rain next", but Alexa can't do that. She can also do reminders in a week or whatever, I use that some. And I ask very simple questions that she can query Google for, but honestly she's terrible at it. I also think she's too verbose, even with verbosity turned down. She just goes on and on sometimes workout being asked--like instructions on resetting the routers if she can't contact Amazon. I also try Google assistant and Bixby. I use my watch for a lot of the things you said you use your phone for. Anyway I'm not happy with any of them. I plan to work a bunch on some skills as my next project, after the current one is done.
      - bee_rider 4y ago
        If I have to hit a button to activate the voice assistant, that removes use-cases like "my hands are full but I want to turn on the smart lights" and "I'm cooking and want a timer, but my hands are too dirty." These are the use-cases where the tool really shines because it has no competition. Without such a use-case, the tool gets put in the back-of-mind. Sure it might be marginally easier to use than swiping and poking, but my mental model of using the phone is already swiping and poking.
    - Havoc 4y ago
      The wake word is generally processed locally but anything subsequent is usually sent to cloud
- robertlagrant 4y ago
  > my 30 something friends That's a lot of friends! Good job.
  - nell 4y ago
    dad, is that you?
    - verdverm 4y ago
      - cevn 4y ago
    - iamsrp 4y ago
      Side-threads like this are why I read HN.
      - HKH2 4y ago
        Try Reddit. I think you might like it.
  - vardhanw 4y ago
    I naturally parsed it as he has some friends who are around 30 years old. I am possibly wrong.
    - jraph 4y ago
      I think this is the right interpretation and you are replying to a joke taking advantage of this ambiguity. Your sibling nell is probably (jokingly) meaning that this is a joke their dad could have made.
- tensor 4y ago
  Too bad they probably all still have phones then.
nextaccountic 4y ago
Personal assistants can really make a difference to people with disabilities
- eterps 4y ago
  That's an excellent point, maybe something that should be addressed on the site.
- Louistiti 4y ago
  Yes. I still did not figured out how exactly, any thought?
  - nextaccountic 4y ago
    https://www.cuinsight.com/how-voice-assistants-can-benefit-people-with-disabilities/ https://www.cuinsight.com/how-voice-assistants-can-benefit-p... People with limited or no use of hands may use voice assistants, as may people with limited or no sight
bergenty 4y ago
When I used to use Alexa there were a lot of unexpected things that came up and I used it atleast 15+ times a day. Things like what’s the weather like, what time is it, set a timer, unit conversions, turn on/off lights or appliances, when is it going to rain, factual google information, when was someone born, what’s the sports scores, I like trivia so it could ask you questions while you were lounging around etc. and so many more things to be honest. I stoped using it like 3 years ago though, can’t have an always on speaker in my house that sends all its info back to Amazon, no matter what assurances they give me.
afavour 4y ago
I have both Google and Apple smart assistants in and around my home. I estimate 80% of that usage is to check the weather or set a timer. It would probably be great to not depend on some inscrutable listening device to do so.
- cortesoft 4y ago
  My main usages for a voice assistant is adding items to the grocery list when I see something is missing in the kitchen, playing music, asking the weather, and timers.
el_don_almighty 4y ago
Sailboat - My wife and I want a solution for our sailboat that allows for intelligent vocal control of ship systems. Quickly launching a series of activities with simple verbal commands or receiving verbal updates on conditions would be amazing. Easy things like automated voice capture to text for log books and maintenance would be helpful. "Oil level at 100%, Oil quality good, coolant level 100%, coolant quality good. Schedule oil change at 1500 engine hours." All of this must be done WITHOUT a constant internet connection.

What are some obvious use cases for something like this? I really have trouble imagining what you would use it for.

by eterps 4y ago

What are some obvious use cases for something like this? I really have trouble imagining what you would use it for.

Most of my 30 something friends have ditched their Alexa's and Google assistant devices because of concerns around security and privacy. The ability to say "set a timer for 30 minutes" is nice, but not enough to invite always on microphones into private spaces

kvirani 4y ago
Wait what. When I hold the main button on android and say exactly that, it means I have an always on microphone??
- qbit42 4y ago
  The "always-on" microphone feature is used to listen for "Okay Google", if you have that enabled.
  - kvirani 4y ago
    I see. So you can still use these assistants without the privacy concern then. So why abandon?
    - revolvingocelot 4y ago
      That's just one of several privacy concerns. It's possible to parse voice locally, as in TFA and eg Mycroft('s open source, self-hosted version, anyway), but for "some reason" mainstream assistants don't do it. Sure, you can hold a button, and Google will only hear about your timer request and nothing more, but some people find the idea of Google knowing when you're setting timers to be upsetting. Or at least worthy of avoiding.
      - vineyardmike 4y ago
        They do actually do on device processing now… Siri, G Assistant, Alexa, Bixby, Sonos all perform at least some locally. It seems the major issue is large dictionaries (eg music libraries) or complex queries. Most had an article about how basic features (times, smart home) work entirely on device. [1] https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/7/22523438/apple-iphone-siri-on-device-processing-ios-15-wwdc-privacy https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/7/22523438/apple-iphone-siri... [2] https://appleinsider.com/articles/19/05/07/google-assistant-response-speed-getting-improved-by-on-device-processing https://appleinsider.com/articles/19/05/07/google-assistant-... [3] https://www.amazon.science/blog/on-device-speech-processing-makes-alexa-faster-lower-bandwidth https://www.amazon.science/blog/on-device-speech-processing-... [4] https://www.xda-developers.com/samsung-bixby-will-speed-up-responses-with-on-device-processing/ https://www.xda-developers.com/samsung-bixby-will-speed-up-r... [5] https://www.engadget.com/sonos-voice-control-music-assistant-170028950.html https://www.engadget.com/sonos-voice-control-music-assistant...
        mod 4y ago
        When my internet is out, Alexa won't even listen to me (besides her name)
        GekkePrutser 4y ago
        Same with Siri (Homekit Mini). It won't even answer a question that doesn't need the internet like the time.
        pseudalopex 4y ago
        Do any of them have a setting to enforce on device processing only?
        vineyardmike 4y ago
        Sonos claims to be on device only. It’s not a general purpose assistant though
        deleted 4y ago
    - MikeTheGreat 4y ago
      Disclaimer: I don't have one of these and don't particularly want one. The privacy concerns kinda creep me out. That said, I've been to friends homes and seen them use it. As far as I can tell the primary use case for these things is to be <random place in your home> and then just say out loud "Alexa, set a timer for ....". I've heard that you can order stuff from Amazon also using your voice. I think a third use case starts with "Alexa, tell me a joke". I'm assuming that there's other things you can do with these (and would love to know, if anyone's willing to share). So - if the solution to the privacy concern is to walk over to the device and push a button then that seems to remove most of the usefulness of the device. Speaking as someone who doesn't want one / doesn't have one of these things I can totally see how eliminating the "voice control from anywhere" feature leads to opting out of it. (When I'm walking around my home I've always got my phone on me (which, to be fair, has a bunch of privacy concerns too) so I can more easily set a timer / buy something on Amazon / Google for jokes by fishing my phone out of my pocket and then using that, rather than walking over to push a button.) (The "what else can you do with these" is a genuine question - if people are comfortable sharing I'd love to hear what you can do with these)
      - hackcasual 4y ago
        There's a lot of little use cases. Hand free cooking stuff (set a timer, home many tablespoons in a pint). Device control, faster to turn off a TV with voice than dig for the remote, or play a playlist/skip songs. None of those really save that much more time than the old fashion way, so concerns about privacy mean things get done the old way. I know some people like having them in if they have frailty or mobility concerns, which is probably the only really new usecase.
        Louistiti 4y ago
        Definitely. We can think of connecting such basic skills with more advanced skills too. The fact that Leon has a modular architecture makes it very flexible. We just need to let our imagination drives us.
      - mod 4y ago
        I have Alexa, although I'm going to remove her and replace with a locally-hosted thing. I've tied mine in with home automation stuff. So I can turn on and off lights using voice, even if I'm not at home. I sometimes forget to turn off my workshop and I can do that from anywhere. I'd like to figure up a way to reset my internet, because I access cameras, and it goes out sometimes. I'm very sure this can be done. I also use her for weather, although I'm annoyed about some of her limitations there, and I intend to get exactly what I want by coding. I want to be able to ask things like "when will it rain next", but Alexa can't do that. She can also do reminders in a week or whatever, I use that some. And I ask very simple questions that she can query Google for, but honestly she's terrible at it. I also think she's too verbose, even with verbosity turned down. She just goes on and on sometimes workout being asked--like instructions on resetting the routers if she can't contact Amazon. I also try Google assistant and Bixby. I use my watch for a lot of the things you said you use your phone for. Anyway I'm not happy with any of them. I plan to work a bunch on some skills as my next project, after the current one is done.
    - bee_rider 4y ago
      If I have to hit a button to activate the voice assistant, that removes use-cases like "my hands are full but I want to turn on the smart lights" and "I'm cooking and want a timer, but my hands are too dirty." These are the use-cases where the tool really shines because it has no competition. Without such a use-case, the tool gets put in the back-of-mind. Sure it might be marginally easier to use than swiping and poking, but my mental model of using the phone is already swiping and poking.
  - Havoc 4y ago
    The wake word is generally processed locally but anything subsequent is usually sent to cloud
robertlagrant 4y ago
> my 30 something friends That's a lot of friends! Good job.
- nell 4y ago
  dad, is that you?
  - verdverm 4y ago
    - cevn 4y ago
  - iamsrp 4y ago
    Side-threads like this are why I read HN.
    - HKH2 4y ago
      Try Reddit. I think you might like it.
- vardhanw 4y ago
  I naturally parsed it as he has some friends who are around 30 years old. I am possibly wrong.
  - jraph 4y ago
    I think this is the right interpretation and you are replying to a joke taking advantage of this ambiguity. Your sibling nell is probably (jokingly) meaning that this is a joke their dad could have made.
tensor 4y ago
Too bad they probably all still have phones then.

nextaccountic 4y ago

Personal assistants can really make a difference to people with disabilities

eterps 4y ago
That's an excellent point, maybe something that should be addressed on the site.
Louistiti 4y ago
Yes. I still did not figured out how exactly, any thought?
- nextaccountic 4y ago
  https://www.cuinsight.com/how-voice-assistants-can-benefit-people-with-disabilities/ https://www.cuinsight.com/how-voice-assistants-can-benefit-p... People with limited or no use of hands may use voice assistants, as may people with limited or no sight

bergenty 4y ago

When I used to use Alexa there were a lot of unexpected things that came up and I used it atleast 15+ times a day. Things like what’s the weather like, what time is it, set a timer, unit conversions, turn on/off lights or appliances, when is it going to rain, factual google information, when was someone born, what’s the sports scores, I like trivia so it could ask you questions while you were lounging around etc. and so many more things to be honest. I stoped using it like 3 years ago though, can’t have an always on speaker in my house that sends all its info back to Amazon, no matter what assurances they give me.

afavour 4y ago

I have both Google and Apple smart assistants in and around my home. I estimate 80% of that usage is to check the weather or set a timer. It would probably be great to not depend on some inscrutable listening device to do so.

cortesoft 4y ago
My main usages for a voice assistant is adding items to the grocery list when I see something is missing in the kitchen, playing music, asking the weather, and timers.

el_don_almighty 4y ago

Sailboat - My wife and I want a solution for our sailboat that allows for intelligent vocal control of ship systems. Quickly launching a series of activities with simple verbal commands or receiving verbal updates on conditions would be amazing. Easy things like automated voice capture to text for log books and maintenance would be helpful. "Oil level at 100%, Oil quality good, coolant level 100%, coolant quality good. Schedule oil change at 1500 engine hours." All of this must be done WITHOUT a constant internet connection.