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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

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.

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.