To not see the point of Alexa?

[abacucat]

Unless you are disabled, switching lights on or off is no big deal. And everything else is simply what you can do on a laptop or tablet. I don't see why you would spend money buying another gadget that doesn't do anything new.

Obviously it's not necessary but it's useful. I like being able to change the song or radio station while I'm washing up or ask a question without getting up to find my laptop. It also means guests can chuck some music on without having to use my laptop - it also has better speakers. I was going to buy a radio anyway and thought Alexa would be a little better (which it is).

I’m with you, don’t get them at all. Also I’m of the opinion that she’s always listening and will one day rise up and kill us all. She’s not welcome in my house.

I don’t really see the point either. I don’t know all the features though.

I want to know where she gets the answers for the questions and are her answers trust worthy.

I expect it would be like posting on here when half the answers given are wrong.

I can see the use when you're cooking or washing up and remember than you need to buy something so you can add it to the list.

I keep meaning to see if I can use OK google to add things to a to do list but haven't got round to it yet.

I think they're pointless

One of the many reasons I like technology is that I don't need to talk to it, and it doesn't talk to me.

I find the people saying they're pointless weird. Is a radio pointless? Lots of people use it just for that and you can definitely buy radios for more money than Alexa!

I couldn't even get the voice activated function on my hand free mobile to work, so no point in me getting Alexa or anything that you ask things.
It's bad enough yelling "RING HARVEY!" at my phone and stupid Google helpfully gives me a 6 news articles on Harvey Weinstein and #MeToo

I love mine. It was a great by before DD (14 weeks) was born. Even I've got my hands full with the baby I can pop the radio on, check the weather/temp, add bits to the shopping list.

Well there’s no point other than having another gadget with a different angle.
You don’t need to type, just use your voice to access what it can do.
You just ask then you get
I remember when phones got cameras on them and I thought ‘what’s the point of that? I’ve got a perfectly good camera’
Things develop and move on.

I hate that people call it 'she'.
it's the start of the robots taking over. Its not coming into my home. I don't even have a smart phone, I don't see the point in them.

I think it would make me slightly paranoid, to be honest. I'm already creeped out by targetted advertising as it is.

(Someone I know went to Iceland recently. We talked about it. I didn't google Iceland or look at any websites re. Iceland. But Google ads are currently full of Iceland holidays for me.)

People were saying the same about having smart phones, and tablets, and laptops etc etc.

People will find uses for them that they like, even if it is just for the radio it is cheaper than some of the DAB's on the market.

I have a google home set up, I use it, if I didn't i would prob invest in an amazon set up with the pantry re-order.

I like the idea of being able to potter round the kitchen and check stuff without using my phone.

But I have an iPhone and Apple Music which I’m not sure is compatible and I’m not interested enough to check either.

Love my Google Home, we have two. The kitchen one is mainly for timers, adding to my shopping list and radio, the living room one mainly for proving DH wrong when he states a 'fact', also for playing Netflix via Chromecast on the current TV

I see why people wouldnt want one but we find them handy, we're also looking at buying a smart TV in the BF deals so would work with that too

everything else is simply what you can do on a laptop or tablet.

Well it's a decent speaker with less of the faff of looking for music on a laptop or tablet; then having to connect laptop or tablet to a speaker.

Convenience.

I’ve always wondered what happens if you have a family member actually called Alexa living in your home?! How does the gadget know which of them you’re talking to?
If I was a screenwriter, I’d be tempted to write a tv series with a character called Alexa, and have the other characters all loudly tell her to do things like “Alexa, order a ton of manure”!

She ain't getting into my house !! I already turned off the microphone on my phone so it can't listen in !! Paranoid ? Moi ??

You just change the wake up word.

*I think it would make me slightly paranoid, to be honest. I'm already creeped out by targetted advertising as it is.

(Someone I know went to Iceland recently. We talked about it. I didn't google Iceland or look at any websites re. Iceland. But Google ads are currently full of Iceland holidays for me.)*

Facebook is the worst for this, make sure you disable microphone access for Facebook.

I don't get any targeted advertising and I love my Echos/smart home

That's what we thought. Then we got one for one of the kids birthdays. Now we all love it. If you're posting this question on here, then probably some small part of you wants somebody to change your mind. They don't cost much, so why not try it? If you don't use it, sell it.

We have 5. One echo, 4 dots and a plug. Tbh we're going to get one of the light fittings as we have a hall light which can only be turned off downstairs and we always bloody forget by the time we are up and turning out the other lights. It is absolutely lazy but would be so convenient to tell Alexa to turn the hall light off.

I can ask Alexa to add things to my shopping list while I'm checking the kitchen or when I've used the last of something in a recipe and it will be on my phone ready for the supermarket.
I also think from a security aspect it's no different to putting lamps on timers to come on while you are out.

The children are much happier to engage in homework if they are doing their spellings with Alexa and can ask Alexa something rather than all the hassle which goes with getting the laptop set up for them. They enjoy it!

I can listen to various radios stations easily - switching between analogue types and digital exclusives. (Bbc2 to absolute) without retuning or changing the media I am using.

Facebook is the worst for this, make sure you disable microphone access for Facebook.

No company is constantly listening to conversations so they can send you a target add that they make a couple of pence in revenue from.

The cost of doing so far outweighs the potential return, this kind of rubbish pops up on all these threads.

check out Dolphin Attacks, would you really want someone to control your lights etc. from outside your house with inaudible commands?

Lets compare....

I get up in the morning and as I'm getting ready say 'Alexa, what's my flash briefing?' It then goes on to tell me the sports news I'm interested in, followed by the main news headlines and the local weather'. After that it's instructed to put on the radio.

So, 2 commands.

Or

Go downstairs, retrieve laptop from charge. Sign in, open browser window go to sport page. There is no 'talking' news on that as such so I have to stop and read it. Then I need to navigate to BBC News and find the briefing there, press play. When thats stopped I have to navigate to my local news page and find the weather, again, this isn't read out so I need to stop what I'm doing and read it.
Lastly, I then navigate to the radio station I listen to and load that up.