Amazon Echo etc. What’s the point?

[91104]

As per title,but what is the point of these things? I keep seeing TV ads for them and there’s no way I’d ever talk to one.
Alexa what’s the weather like? Well I can look out the window or watch the weather forecast or look at the app on my phone.
Alexa add Cat Food to my shopping list? What’s wrong with a pen and paper or just remembering if you need something?
Alexa where’s the nearest doctors? Surely people know where their nearest doctors etc are.
Alexa what’s the latest news? Just watch one of the many news channels on TV or look on the BBC etc news apps.
Alexa turn on the lights. Are we really breeding people so thick that they’re incapable of flicking a switch.
I just don’t see the point of these daft gadgets at all,but maybe I’m just getting old.

 

[najaB]

As per title,but what is the point of these things?

Voice is natural and intuative. Screens, keyboards and mouses are not.

 

[cactustwirly]

It's something to talk to if you're feeling lonely...

 

[Bletchleyite]

I find from experience of using Siri that voice recognition just isn't quite there yet. When it is I might reconsider, but for now I can't be bothered.

 

[Gemz91]

Why have an app on your phone telling you the weather forecast, when you can look out the window, or watch the weather forecast on TV?
Why faff around looking for a pen and paper to write a shopping list when you can simply say "Alexia, add cat food to the shopping list?"
I'd assume most people will know where their nearest Doctors are, but if they take it on holiday with them it might help them find a take away, or a shoe shop or their local butchers.
Why turn on the TV whilst getting ready in the morning to watch the news, when you can simply say "Alexia, what is the latest news?"

It just gives people another sauce of finding information out.

That said, I got one for Christmas and don't get on with it, but I highly suspect I've not got it set up right. I mainly use it now to ask the time whilst I'm ironing as I dont have a clock in the room I do my ironing and I've rarely put my watch in before I iron my shirt in the morning. Much prefer listening to music on my computer or phone where I can see a list of my music to select from.

 

[Domh245]

I think it's probably fair to say that at the moment they're mainly a novelty, but it's one of the first steps to the smart home. We've got one at my parent's house, and it spent the first year acting as a fairly expensive shopping list maker, and occasional joke teller, but last Christmas we got some 'smart bulbs' and some 'smart plugs' which we can turn off or on through it (but they also require their own apps to control them which then talk to Alexa, although the apps can also let you set up automatic timers and what not) - it's somewhat more useful now as we can turn off or on various lights throughout the house. The next step is to get one of the echo dots to put on the upstairs landing so that we can control the lights from there without having to shout down the stairs and then I suppose adding more smart devices to it, perhaps the kettle next!

 

[The_Engineer]

I think they provide a fulfilment of prophesies made by Tomorrow's World TV programme 40 odd years ago! We were enwondered about promised future technology that would let us control things in our house by voice command......

So, as an old man I see a lot of 60s and 70s science fiction becoming science fact, perhaps even exceeding what we dreamt of back then. Would I use it? No - but I am a grumpy old git who needs to see the advantage before I shell out hard cash.....

 

[PeterY]

Do you think Alexa is generally making people lazier than they already are?

If I want shopping, I go shopping. It gets me out of the house.
Light on, no problem just stand up and turn it on.
Tea, another chance to stand up and put the kettle on.

Yes, I'm old and old fashioned but I wasn't brought up for Alexa to do everything for me. OK Hands up I use a TV remote.

 

[dcsprior]

I bought my Echo Dot on Black Friday for £30 (in fact, it was part of a bundle that made the effective price less, but would've been £30 by itself).

The way I look at it is that for that price I get a device I can connect to my hifi via Bluetooth (had already purchased the Bluetooth receiver) and play any track/album/station available on Amazon Prime Music, because I'm a prime member. I can also play pretty much any UK radio station using the radioplayer "skill". I think these two things are worth £30, so any use I get from the other features is basically free.

 

[Domh245]

Do you think Alexa is generally making people lazier than they already are?

If I want shopping, I go shopping. It gets me out of the house.
Light on, no problem just stand up and turn it on.
Tea, another chance to stand up and put the kettle on.

Yes, I'm old and old fashioned but I wasn't brought up for Alexa to do everything for me. OK Hands up I use a TV remote.

Not necessarily lazier, but it's more down to convenience. The example my mum uses when telling others about it is when she's gone downstairs to make tea/coffee first thing in the morning, she can just go upstairs and turn the light on without having to put the mugs down. The shopping doesn't do itself, it's just a list that you can add to during the week - for example you notice that you're running low on oil, so you just say "Alexa, add cooking oil to the shopping list" and then when you go shopping, you can look up the things you've added to that list on your phone.

 

[Gemz91]

Not necessarily lazier, but it's more down to convenience. The example my mum uses when telling others about it is when she's gone downstairs to make tea/coffee first thing in the morning, she can just go upstairs and turn the light on without having to put the mugs down. The shopping doesn't do itself, it's just a list that you can add to during the week - for example you notice that you're running low on oil, so you just say "Alexa, add cooking oil to the shopping list" and then when you go shopping, you can look up the things you've added to that list on your phone.

I assume the future will be ordering your shopping list automatically for you from Amazons food shop, possibly with the ability for your Amazon fridge to automatically be able to tell when you've finished the last of your butter and reordering it for you.

 

[pdeaves]

It's something to talk to if you're feeling lonely...

My grandfather used to use a satnav. Not because he needed instructions for his journey, it was company!

 

[Domh245]

I assume the future will be ordering your shopping list automatically for you from Amazons food shop, possibly with the ability for your Amazon fridge to automatically be able to tell when you've finished the last of your butter and reordering it for you.

That's certainly one possibility!

 

[skyhigh]

I bought my Echo Dot on Black Friday for £30 (in fact, it was part of a bundle that made the effective price less, but would've been £30 by itself).

The way I look at it is that for that price I get a device I can connect to my hifi via Bluetooth (had already purchased the Bluetooth receiver) and play any track/album/station available on Amazon Prime Music, because I'm a prime member. I can also play pretty much any UK radio station using the radioplayer "skill". I think these two things are worth £30, so any use I get from the other features is basically free.

I did similar - I got a Google Home Mini cheap and used it as a speaker basically, but one of the rooms in my house was a bit dingy, so I bought a fairly cheap RGB LED strip to go behind the beam along the ceiling and a google-enabled wifi controller. Rather than using a phone to chose the colour/brightness etc (there's no wall switch!) we can each control it with our voices. It might sound tacky but it really isn't, we're very pleased with it, it makes the room brighter and a bit more welcoming. For £30 it's great!

 

[bnm]

I assume the future will be ordering your shopping list automatically for you from Amazons food shop, possibly with the ability for your Amazon fridge to automatically be able to tell when you've finished the last of your butter and reordering it for you.

I don't need a fridge to tell me when I've used the last of the butter. The empty tub/packet/butter dish I can see with my own eyes is a pretty big clue.

 

[Puffing Devil]

Why?

Plays music from Deezer on command
Finds my phone
Adds items to my shopping list - we have a shared list all online
Checks my daily schedule
Dims lights in my house - I have smart bulbs and no dimmer switches
Tells me what the weather forecast is (I know what it's doing now, I have a window)
Reads to me news headlines
Answers questions that you would normally check using a Google search
Streams content to my TV - i have a Chromecast
Acts as a glorified cooking timer
Free UK Calls including mobiles
Frustrates me because "I don't know how to do that yet"
Reminds me of random sh!t that I call out - no need for pen and paper

All by voice.

 

[AlterEgo]

I find the idea of talking to machines (even automated phone lines) very odd, so I've never really understood the appeal of them.

I have a smartphone which I'm familiar with and trust more than a listening brick.

 

[mmh]

Not necessarily lazier, but it's more down to convenience. The example my mum uses when telling others about it is when she's gone downstairs to make tea/coffee first thing in the morning, she can just go upstairs and turn the light on without having to put the mugs down. The shopping doesn't do itself, it's just a list that you can add to during the week - for example you notice that you're running low on oil, so you just say "Alexa, add cooking oil to the shopping list" and then when you go shopping, you can look up the things you've added to that list on your phone.

A shopping list on your phone sounds really impractical to me (but then most "do it on your phone just because you can" things do to me). With pen and paper I can make a list of things I need (or just want) and if I'm feeling particularly organised when I go shopping before I do I can rewrite the list so the items are in reasonable order of where the aisles with them in the supermarket are. Every time I've done that it's worked pretty well, it certainly speeds it up and I don't spend half an hour criss-crossing the place gawping at my phone.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

Not necessarily lazier, but it's more down to convenience. The example my mum uses when telling others about it is when she's gone downstairs to make tea/coffee first thing in the morning, she can just go upstairs and turn the light on without having to put the mugs down. The shopping doesn't do itself, it's just a list that you can add to during the week - for example you notice that you're running low on oil, so you just say "Alexa, add cooking oil to the shopping list" and then when you go shopping, you can look up the things you've added to that list on your phone.

And all the time Alexa is keeping a record of every conversation you've had and every item of shopping you've ever ordered so your personal information can be sold on to private companies without your consent.

 

[WelshBluebird]

And all the time Alexa is keeping a record of every conversation you've had and every item of shopping you've ever ordered so your personal information can be sold on to private companies without your consent.

Big claim. Any would certainly be illegal. Any evidence?

A shopping list on your phone sounds really impractical to me (but then most "do it on your phone just because you can" things do to me). With pen and paper I can make a list of things I need (or just want) and if I'm feeling particularly organised when I go shopping before I do I can rewrite the list so the items are in reasonable order of where the aisles with them in the supermarket are. Every time I've done that it's worked pretty well, it certainly speeds it up and I don't spend half an hour criss-crossing the place gawping at my phone.

Yet for me, using my phone as a shopping list is much more convenient. I have my phone everywhere I go. I do not have a pen and paper everywhere I go. I can quickly delete or reorder things on the list on my phone. I can put in links or images incase I am not sure what exact brand / product I am looking for. I can add things to it from my phone, from Alexa, from any computer etc. And why is "gawping at my phone" any worse than "gawping at a bit of paper"?

 

[EM2]

A shopping list on your phone sounds really impractical to me (but then most "do it on your phone just because you can" things do to me).

When I hear new artists I like on the radio, I add them to a memo that's saved on my phone. Next time I'm in the record shop, I read through the memo and see what they have in stock.
I suppose I could ask Alexa to order them for me, but I boycott Amazon anyway.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

Big claim. Any would certainly be illegal. Any evidence?

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/securi...re-are-voice-activated-assistants-you-n824566

 

[WelshBluebird]

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/securi...re-are-voice-activated-assistants-you-n824566

Right. But that in no way addresses your claim that Amazon sell on your data to other companies without your consent (which as I said, would be very very illegal). It just states that there are potential security concerns because these devices are always listening for the "hotword" (important distinction, the devices only start recording and processing the commands after they think they have heard the hotword, so any normal conversations you have in its presence are not recorded and are not sent to Amazon / Google), or malware, or because of people already in your home invading your privacy (in which case I'd question who you invite into your home if one of them is likely to ask about your doctors appointments or go shopping using your details!).

 

[Domh245]

Right. But that in no way addresses your claim that Amazon sell on your data to other companies without your consent (which as I said, would be very very illegal). It just states that there are potential security concerns because these devices are always listening for the "hotword" (important distinction, the devices only start recording and processing the commands after they think they have heard the hotword, so any normal conversations you have in its presence are not recorded and are not sent to Amazon / Google).

Exactly. I saw an Amazon software developer explaining it somewhere, but the actual device itself only has enough circuitry to listen for "Alexa", "Amazon", or the third name it responds to. The functionality that makes it turn on lights, add things to lists, etc, requires an awful lot of computing power and so is handled centrally by a bunch of Amazon servers, it transmits what you've said to those and then responds accordingly. Storing everything heard by every smart device ever would require insane amounts of storage, and massive amounts of computing power to get any useful data out of it.

 

[mmh]

Right. But that in no way addresses your claim that Amazon sell on your data to other companies without your consent (which as I said, would be very very illegal). It just states that there are potential security concerns because these devices are always listening for the "hotword" (important distinction, the devices only start recording and processing the commands after they think they have heard the hotword, so any normal conversations you have in its presence are not recorded and are not sent to Amazon / Google), or malware, or because of people already in your home invading your privacy (in which case I'd question who you invite into your home if one of them is likely to ask about your doctors appointments or go shopping using your details!).

Good job all these companies are 100% trustworthy and there's not been any controversies over mishandling of data by any of them.

 

[WelshBluebird]

Good job all these companies are 100% trustworthy and there's not been any controversies over mishandling of data by any of them.

In terms of them not processing any voice input until it has heard the hotword, you can actually test this yourself by seeing what data is submitted over your internet connection!

In terms of what they do to with the data, well that is somewhat different isn't it? Plenty of companies DO sell your data, but that will be covered in the T&C's which you agree to. I am actually unsure if any data issues that have been reported actually involve the selling of data to third parties where the user has not already given consent. Even the recent Facebook issues seem more related to FB's T&C's being violated and users being mislead in terms of what their data will be used for, rather than data being outright sold without consent. Of course you have the risk of malware / hacks / data leaks, but those risks exist regardless of if a company sells your data or not and isn't what CaptainHaddock was talking about.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

In terms of them not processing any voice input until it has heard the hotword, you can actually test this yourself by seeing what data is submitted over your internet connection!

In terms of what they do to with the data, well that is somewhat different isn't it? Plenty of companies DO sell your data, but that will be covered in the T&C's which you agree to. I am actually unsure if any data issues that have been reported actually involve the selling of data to third parties where the user has not already given consent. Even the recent Facebook issues seem more related to FB's T&C's being violated and users being mislead in terms of what their data will be used for, rather than data being outright sold without consent. Of course you have the risk of malware / hacks / data leaks, but those risks exist regardless of if a company sells your data or not and isn't what CaptainHaddock was talking about.

I could send you links all day but let's just leave it that I think you're being extremely naive if you think that a company that stores all sorts of valuable and saleable data about you can be trusted not to do anything with it. Just because something's illegal doesn't mean that it's not happening.....

 

[WelshBluebird]

I could send you links all day but let's just leave it that I think you're being extremely naive if you think that a company that stores all sorts of valuable and saleable data about you can be trusted not to do anything with it. Just because something's illegal doesn't mean that it's not happening.....

Again if you have evidence of that happening I'd like to see it. So far all you have provided is a link that has nothing to do with what was being talked about and your own opinion.

 

[Essan]

Alexa just further reduces the need to use your brain....

The machines are taking over

btw if I look up info online or in a book, I can verify the sources and ensure it's exactly what I wanted to know. How many websites does Alexa cross-reference before giving you an answer?

 

[najaB]

Just because something's illegal doesn't mean that it's not happening.....

Equally, just because something could be happening doesn't mean that it is.