Anyone buy into that Alexa stuff?

JezWynd

Emp_Fab said:

They’ve been listening to you through your mobile phone mic and watching you through your Kinect for years.

Some years ago I was having a conversation with someone and they asked if I would like some puff. I replied "yes okay". My phone (which I had never used in speech mode) suddenly said “You might want to reconsider that decision”.

crunchman

Ask Alexa why Amazon don't pay any tax.

thecolourbox

I don't quite get the need either to be honest, not least because they're charging you to feed them data that they'll sell on though I say that typing on my google phone so I'm not oblivious to that (like how my suggested searches when I type in google seem very similar to what I've just been talking about).

But mostly it's because I don't see the point - it runs Spotify, which my phone, laptop etc already do, it plays music which my better HiFi system anyway, it shops on Amazon which I can do on my phone or laptop and actually see the stuff I'm buying and make better price/delivery choices etc.

But, each to their own I guess, we all have bizarre things we like eh

Iamnobody

I’m about to receive a free one. Just debating whether or not to use it - an echo dot.

We have a few ‘smart’ things in the house so I guess it depends how useful it might be to integrate and control those.

digitalscream

Nah. I use Google Assistant in the car, mainly for navigation stuff, and I've just got some smart bulbs so I can vary the light colour and intensity during the day (particularly in my office) to help with my insomnia problems. I control it all by app, though, not with Alexa/Google Assistant/etc.

Phil_aka_Pip

Don't need it. I have a proper HiFi for music, a computer for web surfing, and a telephone for talking to my mum. None are connected, other than the old-fashioned analog telephone signals share the same bits of wire as the broadband.

sev112

thecolourbox said:

But mostly it's because I don't see the point - it runs Spotify, which my phone, laptop etc already do, 

But, each to their own I guess, we all have bizarre things we like eh

But it plays on Spotify miles quicker than I can search on my iPhone.  Just tell it to play pretty much any song and 2 secs later it’s coming through the speaker. Can tell it to pause etc. So don’t need to take hands of guitar.  Very useful in that respect.

also, saying things like “play Americana songs”, or songs by )Ames Taylor etc lot useful

Winny_Pooh

Phil_aka_Pip said:

Don't need it. I have a proper HiFi for music, a computer for web surfing, and a telephone for talking to my mum. None are connected, other than the old-fashioned analog telephone signals share the same bits of wire as the broadband.

We connect the audio output into a regular hifi so its basically handsfree Spotify. Handy when cooking or to instantly play music without browsing a device.

sgosden

Don't like it. also disconnected the Kinect from my xbox very soon after getting it.

Having the phone listening is bad enough.

Have had short conversations with the missus about something I've never searched on my phone, only to have adverts pop up within the hour.

tin foil hat anyone?

Phil_aka_Pip

Winny_Pooh said:

Phil_aka_Pip said:

Don't need it. I have a proper HiFi for music, a computer for web surfing, and a telephone for talking to my mum. None are connected, other than the old-fashioned analog telephone signals share the same bits of wire as the broadband.

We connect the audio output into a regular hifi so its basically handsfree Spotify. Handy when cooking or to instantly play music without browsing a device.

Yep, my PC has a soundcard, the o/p of which goes to a budget-fi so that I can hear youtube stuff. It has its uses, but I could imaging anything that Alexa would play would have a depressingly low bitrate and be regurgitated via one of those horribly lossy decompresison algorithms.

Winny_Pooh

Phil_aka_Pip said:

Winny_Pooh said:

Phil_aka_Pip said:

Don't need it. I have a proper HiFi for music, a computer for web surfing, and a telephone for talking to my mum. None are connected, other than the old-fashioned analog telephone signals share the same bits of wire as the broadband.

We connect the audio output into a regular hifi so its basically handsfree Spotify. Handy when cooking or to instantly play music without browsing a device.

Yep, my PC has a soundcard, the o/p of which goes to a budget-fi so that I can hear youtube stuff. It has its uses, but I could imaging anything that Alexa would play would have a depressingly low bitrate and be regurgitated via one of those horribly lossy decompresison algorithms.

Sounds perfectly fine in fact. its a digital stream from spotify at the bitrate you select. The A/D is probably not distinguishable from a pc soundcard in a blind test on hifi speakers. 

oaf

My dad is paralyzed on one side following a stroke and uses a Google Home Mini speaker to make phone calls. He can't use a normal phone without a lot of help but he can say "OK Google call [name]" and then talk as if using a speakerphone. He also enjoys using it to find translations for words/phrases (he was an academic/linguist) and getting sports results, etc.

Considering the calls made are free (including to mobiles) and the upfront cost is very low it is a really useful gadget for him and good value.

Phil_aka_Pip

I think people like @oaf's dad should be the first to benefit from such technology. Should I ever be in his position I'd want a robot to take the vinyl out of its sleeve, place it on the turntable, and then put the stylus in the groove

dano

Sporky said:

Worth it just so you can say "Alexa, add dildos to the shopping basket".

Even better saying that I'm someone else' house when they are out the room. 

Sporky

dano said:

Sporky said:

Worth it just so you can say "Alexa, add dildos to the shopping basket".

Even better saying that I'm someone else' house when they are out the room. 

Absolutely. 

darthed1981

oaf said:

My dad is paralyzed on one side following a stroke and uses a Google Home Mini speaker to make phone calls. He can't use a normal phone without a lot of help but he can say "OK Google call [name]" and then talk as if using a speakerphone. He also enjoys using it to find translations for words/phrases (he was an academic/linguist) and getting sports results, etc.

Considering the calls made are free (including to mobiles) and the upfront cost is very low it is a really useful gadget for him and good value.

Such an important point.

To some of us Alexa is just a gadget, but for people who are in any way differently abled, it could mean so much more.

Physical media is great, but if you lost some or all mobility a voice-controlled system could be the difference between music and no music, news and no news.

One day, they might even become companions for the lonely (a growing disease in Britain) or even more.

Phil_aka_Pip

darthed1981 said:

One day, they might even become companions for the lonely (a growing disease in Britain) or even more.

I think they've already got robot cats in the Old Peoples'  gulags in Florida