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Why voice? It is such a bad interface. I have a Shelly I4 with 4 (physical) buttons that trigger different automations in home assistant on my server, e.g. "Swi

Why voice? It is such a bad interface. I have a Shelly I4 with 4 (physical) buttons that trigger different automations in home assistant on my server, e.g. "Switch off everything" -> HASS -> Connects via Ethernet/Wifi to 6 Shelly Plug S in the room and switches those off. The Shelly Plug S use 0.5 Watt and I have Wifi anyway, so why another device or transmission standard?

ocharles 4y ago
I think voice is a fine interface for a lot of smart home things. If I'm watching TV and want the lights on/off, I don't want: * To have to reach for my phone * To have a tablet mounted within reach (that's more clutter) * To have to get up to the light switch/nearest controller. This sounds lazy but that is literally the point of all this stuff - to make things convenient. Likewise, if I'm in the kitchen and want to set a timer, I don't want to have to use my hands (I'm probably already using them), I just want to yell that I need a imer set.
- Helmut10001 4y ago
  Yes, I hear these arguments over and over. Yet, in cars, it is already increasingly recognized that touch screens (another interface) are worse than physical buttons. The examples you name are somewhat exceptions where I can imagine, if someone is really lazy, that a language control could be better than buttons, but in most cases I think the difference is minuscule. I have to walk 2 Meters from the couch to the button ("and I wanted to get a new drink anyway"). On the other hand, I can see that language is really good for information/knowledge retrieval. Ask ChatGPT to help you with something.. and get the answer via voice.
  - DharmaPolice 4y ago
    The difference is voice does not have to be a replacement for a button but just another option. My light switch in my bedroom is on the other side of the room to my bed and if I'm falling asleep it's much easier to give a voice command than get out of bed and press a button on the wall and then fumble back to bed in the dark. Not to mention when you notice you've left a light on in the hallway/another room. But I also have my lights on a button on my remote and yes, often it's easier to just press that.
  - pasc1878 4y ago
    One function I use voice for is "Hey Siri where is my phone" - Uses Apple's Find My.. to make the phone ping and so I can find where it has dropped into the sofa or I left it in the Study charging. Your view I think works where the device is static or always on you like a watch but not when the device could be misplaced.
  - HPsquared 4y ago
    Cars are actually a decent application for voice controls - you can do a wide range of functions without having to hunt-browse (especially the more complex infotainment / navigation functions), and you don't need to take either your eyes or hands off the task of driving. You can simply say "navigate me to such-and-such", or "turn off the display", or whatever, tasks which would otherwise involve several steps and be much more distracting.
  - watwut 4y ago
    I think that difference is that if you are watching TV from couch, you are not in life/death situation. Even if you fiddle with phone for full minute, I wont cause car crash. Plus, the couch is not moving under your finger. Meanwhile, if you are driving the car, touch screen means not watching the road for crutial 2 seconds while you are trying to hit the damm screen while the car is moving.
- jaclaz 4y ago
  > I just want to yell that I need a imer set Sorry, I don't understand "Imer", can you repeat? Typo serendipity ;)
- rootusrootus 4y ago
  It is convenient. I ultimately turned it off because the kids found it very convenient, too. Not to control their own lights, mind you. I had to turn off Echo integration altogether for the same reason. Took them 2 minutes to figure out they could command Alexa to turn off the lights in someone else's room. Even though Alexa recognizes them as different people and has the room lights assigned to their respective room. I wonder if Amazon has fixed that yet. Haven't tried in a couple years.
  - tzs 4y ago
    My house seems designed for such pranks, no smart things required. For some unfathomable reason the switch for the main bathroom is outside the bathroom. If you are in the bathroom with the door closed anyone else can flip the switch and likely get clean away before you can get off the toilet and open the door. I've heard of a great light flipping prank that supposedly happened at Caltech a few years before I was there. There was a row of rooms overlooking a courtyard. Each had a window on the courtyard. At the end of the row was a bathroom, also with a window on the courtyard. Some pranksters once when the student in the room next to the bathroom was out rewired his switch and the bathroom switch so the each switch controlled both rooms. Then they sat in the courtyard watching that night. He got home, they saw his light (and the bathroom light) go on as he got ready for bed, then go out as he went to sleep. A little while later someone went to use the bathroom. They turned on both lights. That woke the sleeping guy, who got up and turned the lights back off and went back to bad. The people in the courtyard heard an annoyed yell from the bathroom, where the occupant was apparently sitting on the toilet. Toilet guy went and turned the lights back on. That woke up sleeping guy, who they heard swear, and he got up and turned the lights off. Toilet guy as faster this time, and got the lights back on before sleeping guy reached bed. What then happened was the lights alternated on and off at an increasing frequency until finally both people went out to the hall to try to see if there was a clue there and they figured out what was going on.
qikInNdOutReply 4y ago
For the enterprise.. look and feel..
rft 4y ago
I added some simple voice commands to my HASS setup. The most used command by far is "turn off all lights" once I am tucked into bed. I find it such a nice experience to just move from my desk, couch or bathroom to bed without needing to worry about turning everything off before laying down. I could add it as an action to the button on my nightstand, but it already toggles the bedroom light and with a double press turns on bedroom and bathroom lights for a few minutes. I do not want to overload it anymore and having a single, big button is great for sleepy me. The command is also great when leaving the flat with your hands full. I agree with you though for anything more complex. I do not control the color of my lamps via voice or select what media to play on my voice controlled HiFi. I could setup a few "scenes" for that, but I have not seen a need for it. I usually have my phone around or when I am sitting at the PC I can just use the dashboard in my browser. And there are situations where voice control just does not fit well, e.g. in public or with people sleeping in the same room.

ocharles 4y ago

I think voice is a fine interface for a lot of smart home things. If I'm watching TV and want the lights on/off, I don't want: * To have to reach for my phone * To have a tablet mounted within reach (that's more clutter) * To have to get up to the light switch/nearest controller. This sounds lazy but that is literally the point of all this stuff - to make things convenient. Likewise, if I'm in the kitchen and want to set a timer, I don't want to have to use my hands (I'm probably already using them), I just want to yell that I need a imer set.

Helmut10001 4y ago
Yes, I hear these arguments over and over. Yet, in cars, it is already increasingly recognized that touch screens (another interface) are worse than physical buttons. The examples you name are somewhat exceptions where I can imagine, if someone is really lazy, that a language control could be better than buttons, but in most cases I think the difference is minuscule. I have to walk 2 Meters from the couch to the button ("and I wanted to get a new drink anyway"). On the other hand, I can see that language is really good for information/knowledge retrieval. Ask ChatGPT to help you with something.. and get the answer via voice.
- DharmaPolice 4y ago
  The difference is voice does not have to be a replacement for a button but just another option. My light switch in my bedroom is on the other side of the room to my bed and if I'm falling asleep it's much easier to give a voice command than get out of bed and press a button on the wall and then fumble back to bed in the dark. Not to mention when you notice you've left a light on in the hallway/another room. But I also have my lights on a button on my remote and yes, often it's easier to just press that.
- pasc1878 4y ago
  One function I use voice for is "Hey Siri where is my phone" - Uses Apple's Find My.. to make the phone ping and so I can find where it has dropped into the sofa or I left it in the Study charging. Your view I think works where the device is static or always on you like a watch but not when the device could be misplaced.
- HPsquared 4y ago
  Cars are actually a decent application for voice controls - you can do a wide range of functions without having to hunt-browse (especially the more complex infotainment / navigation functions), and you don't need to take either your eyes or hands off the task of driving. You can simply say "navigate me to such-and-such", or "turn off the display", or whatever, tasks which would otherwise involve several steps and be much more distracting.
- watwut 4y ago
  I think that difference is that if you are watching TV from couch, you are not in life/death situation. Even if you fiddle with phone for full minute, I wont cause car crash. Plus, the couch is not moving under your finger. Meanwhile, if you are driving the car, touch screen means not watching the road for crutial 2 seconds while you are trying to hit the damm screen while the car is moving.
jaclaz 4y ago
> I just want to yell that I need a imer set Sorry, I don't understand "Imer", can you repeat? Typo serendipity ;)
rootusrootus 4y ago
It is convenient. I ultimately turned it off because the kids found it very convenient, too. Not to control their own lights, mind you. I had to turn off Echo integration altogether for the same reason. Took them 2 minutes to figure out they could command Alexa to turn off the lights in someone else's room. Even though Alexa recognizes them as different people and has the room lights assigned to their respective room. I wonder if Amazon has fixed that yet. Haven't tried in a couple years.
- tzs 4y ago
  My house seems designed for such pranks, no smart things required. For some unfathomable reason the switch for the main bathroom is outside the bathroom. If you are in the bathroom with the door closed anyone else can flip the switch and likely get clean away before you can get off the toilet and open the door. I've heard of a great light flipping prank that supposedly happened at Caltech a few years before I was there. There was a row of rooms overlooking a courtyard. Each had a window on the courtyard. At the end of the row was a bathroom, also with a window on the courtyard. Some pranksters once when the student in the room next to the bathroom was out rewired his switch and the bathroom switch so the each switch controlled both rooms. Then they sat in the courtyard watching that night. He got home, they saw his light (and the bathroom light) go on as he got ready for bed, then go out as he went to sleep. A little while later someone went to use the bathroom. They turned on both lights. That woke the sleeping guy, who got up and turned the lights back off and went back to bad. The people in the courtyard heard an annoyed yell from the bathroom, where the occupant was apparently sitting on the toilet. Toilet guy went and turned the lights back on. That woke up sleeping guy, who they heard swear, and he got up and turned the lights off. Toilet guy as faster this time, and got the lights back on before sleeping guy reached bed. What then happened was the lights alternated on and off at an increasing frequency until finally both people went out to the hall to try to see if there was a clue there and they figured out what was going on.

qikInNdOutReply 4y ago

For the enterprise.. look and feel..

rft 4y ago

I added some simple voice commands to my HASS setup. The most used command by far is "turn off all lights" once I am tucked into bed. I find it such a nice experience to just move from my desk, couch or bathroom to bed without needing to worry about turning everything off before laying down. I could add it as an action to the button on my nightstand, but it already toggles the bedroom light and with a double press turns on bedroom and bathroom lights for a few minutes. I do not want to overload it anymore and having a single, big button is great for sleepy me. The command is also great when leaving the flat with your hands full. I agree with you though for anything more complex. I do not control the color of my lamps via voice or select what media to play on my voice controlled HiFi. I could setup a few "scenes" for that, but I have not seen a need for it. I usually have my phone around or when I am sitting at the PC I can just use the dashboard in my browser. And there are situations where voice control just does not fit well, e.g. in public or with people sleeping in the same room.