Do you use Alexa/Echo?

[Dr. Nole]

I consider myself pretty tech savvy yet I haven't made the jump to using one of these.

Not sure as those of us a little older have visions of HAL 9000 and something bad happening by using it...having something listening to everything going on...

 

[Imtotallynottribe]

I consider myself pretty tech savvy yet I haven't made the jump to using one of these.

Not sure as those of us a little older have visions of HAL 9000 and something bad happening by using it...having something listening to everything going on...

 

[Imtotallynottribe]

 

[SeaPA]

We have one in the kitchen. The only thing for which it's been used is to play music while we are cooking or cleaning up after eating.

I did try telling it "Alexa, get me a beer." Oddly, I got the exact same response as I get when I say that to my wife - "That's not something that I can do."

 

[Nole Lou]

Man, I just don't get these things. There isn't one thing they ever, ever show in any commercial, that depicts something I have any need or interest in doing. I've tried a few times to use the voice features on my phone, to start navigation or call/text people...it's always less convenient than typing it in. I guess I just don't find myself changing a baby and whipping cream at the same time and desperately needing to hear "Thick as a Brick" starting right that very damn second.

I'm a big technology guy, but I just don't see it, and it hardly seems worth the whole set up to avoid reaching my hand out to flip the light switch on when I walk in or out of a room. Everything it would replace for me are things that are effortless as it is. It seems like it takes longer to say "Alexa, what is the temperature?" than to just pick up my phone and look at it.

Now, I know some people are all in, and use it to change channels or even fast-forward programs, etc. And I'm sure there are applications I just don't appreciate, like changing music while running or something, but I don't see the need.

However, I remind myself that I once saw my kids and people all around texting on their phone, and would repeatedly exclaim "Why would I ever text, when you can just make a phone call? That's the stupidest thing ever. How lazy can you get."

And then I actually texted, and like four days later was all "I will kill anyone who ever actually calls me on the phone again." So a year from now I might be dictating my posts to Alexa or Corsica or whoever.

 

[OrlandNole]

We got one a few Christmases ago. Once my kids went through the litany of inappropriate questions, we pretty much forgot about it.

 

[Dr. Nole]

Man, I just don't get these things. There isn't one thing they ever, ever show in any commercial, that depicts something I have any need or interest in doing. I've tried a few times to use the voice features on my phone, to start navigation or call/text people...it's always less convenient than typing it in. I guess I just don't find myself changing a baby and whipping cream at the same time and desperately needing to hear "Thick as a Brick" starting right that very damn second.

I'm a big technology guy, but I just don't see it, and it hardly seems worth the whole set up to avoid reaching my hand out to flip the light switch on when I walk in or out of a room. Everything it would replace for me are things that are effortless as it is. It seems like it takes longer to say "Alexa, what is the temperature?" than to just pick up my phone and look at it.

Now, I know some people are all in, and use it to change channels or even fast-forward programs, etc. And I'm sure there are applications I just don't appreciate, like changing music while running or something, but I don't see the need.

However, I remind myself that I once saw my kids and people all around texting on their phone, and would repeatedly exclaim "Why would I ever text, when you can just make a phone call? That's the stupidest thing ever. How lazy can you get."

And then I actually texted, and like four days later was all "I will kill anyone who ever actually calls me on the phone again." So a year from now I might be dictating my posts to Alexa or Corsica or whoever.

That may be one of the most enjoyable responses I have read for quite awhile...and completely the way I would describe things...thank you!

""And then I actually texted, and like four days later was all "I will kill anyone who ever actually calls me on the phone again.""

 

[Fijimn]

We have one in the kitchen and dots in the bedrooms. Subscribe to Amazon music. The music catalog is great. We spend a lot of time cooking and hanging out in out kitchen, so being able to switch through a bunch of music just by yelling at it is a lot of fun. The dots in the bedrooms are for speaking with people in each bedroom. Makes the house much more refined than yelling upstairs "Ma....the meat loaf is ready." I use it to make grocery lists and have a lot of recipes and demonstrations saved on it.

We bought one for all the parents so they can video chat with the kids. My daughter will video chat with grampa a lot and he really likes that.

T

 

[Nole Lou]

That may be one of the most enjoyable responses I have read for quite awhile...and completely the way I would describe things...thank you!

""And then I actually texted, and like four days later was all "I will kill anyone who ever actually calls me on the phone again.""

I aim to please...

 

[funksouljon]

I only needed 1 story like this to know that I simply don't need that in my life.
https://www.techworld.com/security/does-amazon-alexa-listen-to-my-conversations-3661967/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech...andom-laughter-freaking-people-out/404476002/


Im not even worried about the advertising aspect, it's the pipeline that I have welcomed into my house to listen to me. Hell, I'd almost want the govt listening in more than a private tech firm. I just don't need the non-essential things it brings.

I also like to get away from technology sometimes.

 

[Nole Lou]

I only needed 1 story like this to know that I simply don't need that in my life.
https://www.techworld.com/security/does-amazon-alexa-listen-to-my-conversations-3661967/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech...andom-laughter-freaking-people-out/404476002/


Im not even worried about the advertising aspect, it's the pipeline that I have welcomed into my house to listen to me. Hell, I'd almost want the govt listening in more than a private tech firm. I just don't need the non-essential things it brings.

I also like to get away from technology sometimes.

I could be totally wrong, because it just keeps picking up steam, but it really seems like something that is being driven much more by technology firms being able to do it than consumers demanding it. It's one of those things where they are trying to fill a need nobody knew they had. My gut is that it will settle as more of product that definitely has a place for people, but I'm not sure I see it as a game-changing shift like say cell phones.

 

[F4Gary]

I didn't get a 3D TV either.

 

[Gonolz]

We have one in the kitchen. The only thing for which it's been used is to play music while we are cooking or cleaning up after eating.

I did try telling it "Alexa, get me a beer." Oddly, I got the exact same response as I get when I say that to my wife - "That's not something that I can do."

The problem is you are asking Alexa. Women don't understand the importance of getting us beer. You need to ask Alex.

 

[Imtotallynottribe]

The problem is you are asking Alexa. Women don't understand the importance of getting us beer. You need to ask Alex.

View embedded media

I remember that commercial. But I’ve never had the beer. I see it’s made by Pabst now which considering I hate PBR isn’t a ringing endorsement.

 

[Imtotallynottribe]

 

[Imtotallynottribe]

 

[LesClaypool]

 

[funksouljon]

I could be totally wrong, because it just keeps picking up steam, but it really seems like something that is being driven much more by technology firms being able to do it than consumers demanding it. It's one of those things where they are trying to fill a need nobody knew they had. My gut is that it will settle as more of product that definitely has a place for people, but I'm not sure I see it as a game-changing shift like say cell phones.

Absolutely. We, in the US, are all very gadget obsessed. So "need" vs "want" gets blurred all the time. Advertising has done a great job getting people to believe its a need.
Just like women don't NEED a diamond rock = to 2 months salary, but DeBeers has everyone convinced. And milk really doesn't do a body good. Advertising is king.

Cell phones and functionality really do have value IMO.

 

[Nole-4-Life]

yeah no thanks. Whether anyone is listening or not, I just don't want to give them the opportunity.

 

[Nole Lou]

I didn't get a 3D TV either.

Yeah, but did you buy a curved TV?

 

[SeaPA]

I remember that commercial. But I’ve never had the beer. I see it’s made by Pabst now which considering I hate PBR isn’t a ringing endorsement.

Stroh's was comparable to Bud & Miller; they also made (and bought up) some cheaper brews. I know they bought up Schlitz in the early 80s, including the brewery in Tampa (near Busch Gardens) that is now owned by Yuengling (that brewery was originally built by Schlitz & used by them until Stroh's bought them & turned it into a Stroh's brewery).

 

[RunRonnieRun]

I have an Alexa in my bathroom. I have it play NPR news for me as I’m getting ready and occasionally some music while I shower. I don’t think I’ve ever used it for anything else.

 

[nynole1]

We have one in our kitchen, another in my son's room. We use it almost exclusively for music through Prime,with the occasional weather update.

As for listening in on tour conversations, I'm pretty sure that's already covered by your cell phone, laptop, etc.

 

[riseboi]

Have an echo in every room of my place. Mostly use them to turn lights on/off, control nest thermostat, check weather, and set timers/alarms.

About a year ago, set up my BIL with echo shows at he and my sisters place, and at his mom's place. She's in her mid 80's and was going through some particularly serious health issues at the time and he wanted a way to quickly "drop in" on her to check if she needed anything. She also particularly liked being able to ask alexa to read her a random bible verse.

 

[Banditking]

I have one.

I use it to turn on my tv, control my hue lights, and turn on my sonos system.

Occasionally will ask it to tell me the weather.

 

[NoleSoup4U]

OP, tell the NSA I said, "hi."

 

[NoleSoup4U]

 

[TexSkills]

My Fire TV box and Fire Sticks are all Alexa enabled. Other than voice searches for shows/programs, I've never really used it.

 

[Dr. Nole]

I have an Alexa in my bathroom. I have it play NPR news for me as I’m getting ready and occasionally some music while I shower. I don’t think I’ve ever used it for anything else.

I definitely shouldn't have one in my bathroom

 

[ReliableOstrich]

I've got a couple Google Home devices (big one in kitchen/living area and mini in bedroom). Use it daily, mainly for stupid questions, weather, subway schedule, timers/alarms, etc... Occasionally to play music from Spotify.

Just got the Mini yesterday (FYI- it's free if you have a Spotify family plan). Was disappointed to learn that you can't play the same song simultaneously across more than one speaker. I'm considering putting it in the bathroom to play NPR / The Daily in the morning, which would be much faster than pairing my iphone w/ the waterproof bluetooth speaker I've got in there right now.

At first I thought the Google Home would be a knick knack I'd stop using pretty soon but now I find myself in hotels thinking "Damn there's no one to ask questions in here".

Did a lot of Alexa vs Google research before buying and determined that Google was the better fit for my needs.

 

[kc78]

Eventually these things will be extremely embedded and useful in some format. Right now they're really just novelties, but once they come as part of new homes and embedded as a mesh network into every aspect of the house so we can interact with it like the computer in Star Trek, then they'll be required like smartphones are today.

But that's still a ways away.