2 ms·

This reads more like, 'they're not very good' rather than 'people don't want them'. They could be hugely useful, and even in their current capacity I find are v

This reads more like, 'they're not very good' rather than 'people don't want them'. They could be hugely useful, and even in their current capacity I find are very much so. I find it maddening that my google home, hasn't got a single bit better in the 8 years since it's release, and it's now missing some of my favourite features it had at launch. The whole market has been stagnate ever since they convinced me to put a microphone in my house, it's almost as if that was their end game.

Telemakhos 2y ago
> ever since they convinced me to put a microphone in my house, it's almost as if that was their end game It was. You’re one of the few in the thread to realize that, while others are frothing at the mouth over Democrats vs Republicans or EU vs US. The Echo and like devices were never about you but about putting surveillance gear in your house and getting you to pay for it. At least on old rotary phones the cradle switch or plungers physically broke the circuit that powered the microphones. The modern cell phone and home assistant and security cameras smart televisions and smart vehicles are surveilling you at all times.
kevincox 2y ago
Yeah, I feel the same way. For a small set of features that work fairly reliably it is great. Almost all of my use is: 1. Set $thing timer for $time 2. Add $thing to my grocery list. 3. Weather 4. Convert $amount to $unit. And it is pretty great when these work, being able to do it in the kitchen without stopping whatever I am doing (example setting the dishwasher timer while putting in the soap, adding milk to the grocery list as I am pulling the last bag out of the fridge) is amazing. No wasted time and no risk of forgetting to pick up my phone and do it after I finish the current task. But even then it is pretty unreliable. I feel like it has been getting worse over time to be honest.

Telemakhos 2y ago

> ever since they convinced me to put a microphone in my house, it's almost as if that was their end game It was. You’re one of the few in the thread to realize that, while others are frothing at the mouth over Democrats vs Republicans or EU vs US. The Echo and like devices were never about you but about putting surveillance gear in your house and getting you to pay for it. At least on old rotary phones the cradle switch or plungers physically broke the circuit that powered the microphones. The modern cell phone and home assistant and security cameras smart televisions and smart vehicles are surveilling you at all times.

kevincox 2y ago

Yeah, I feel the same way. For a small set of features that work fairly reliably it is great. Almost all of my use is: 1. Set $thing timer for $time 2. Add $thing to my grocery list. 3. Weather 4. Convert $amount to $unit. And it is pretty great when these work, being able to do it in the kitchen without stopping whatever I am doing (example setting the dishwasher timer while putting in the soap, adding milk to the grocery list as I am pulling the last bag out of the fridge) is amazing. No wasted time and no risk of forgetting to pick up my phone and do it after I finish the current task. But even then it is pretty unreliable. I feel like it has been getting worse over time to be honest.