Google Home (or Alexa) users?

[barbie gee]

I bought a Google Home Mini, because it was cheap, and seemed like a fun
idea. But now, I'm seeing that there's some really basic shit it cannot
do, without IFTTT, or some other kludgey crapola.

I hear Alexa is a little more robust, but still, isn't quite providing the
services I would want...

What say you?

[Bruce Esquibel]

barbie gee <boo...@nosespam.com> wrote:

> I hear Alexa is a little more robust, but still, isn't quite providing the
> services I would want...

Well if you are looking for something like a bluetooth controlled dildo, let
me know, I get a 20% discount on our sister site, www.dildo.com.

If that isn't going to be the stocking stuffer for this christmas, what
services are you looking for, exactly?

Personally I hate those things, talking to a computer in general that is.

I have Siri on the phone, ipad and car and I think for as long as he/she/it
has been around, I used it once for a weather forecast. It only seems handy
in the car if like a text message comes in, besides it reading the message
to you, you can respond back, voice only, with pretty good accuracy.

Those Alexa like things give me the creeps with them sitting around the
house listening to everything you are saying, waiting for whatever trigger
for them to "be of service".

Until those things do something useful like let me know when the toilet is
running or winning lottery numbers, I just don't see the point.

-bruce
b...@ripco.com

[core]

On Sat, 21 Oct 2017 23:53:54 -0500, barbie gee <boo...@nosespam.com>
wrote:

What kind of 'services' are you looking for? They keep adding stuff
continuously.. An echo dot is the same price as the googly thing.

What are you looking for it to do and I can tell you if the echo will
do it.

[barbie gee]

Well, for example;
on my phone, I can say, "ok google, note to self", and i can send myself
some info via email. But Google Home (Assistant?) cannot do that.

I want to make a to-do list, and put items in a certain list, not just
pile them all into the grocery "shopping list", that they've now mashed
into Google Express.

It's just "stupider" than what I can do with my voice on my phone or
tablet. I was hoping it would be more similar, so I'd basically have an
"always on" listener, instead of having to wake up my phone, swipe, talk
and wait.

.max has an echo dot. I'll have to do some comparing, but given how cheap
they are, maybe I should buy one of THOSE, too!

[core]

On Thu, 26 Oct 2017 14:02:33 -0500, barbie gee <boo...@nosespam.com>

Good idea.

Alexa does lists, reminders, there's a way to have alexa email you
your to-do list.

Take a look at https://www.amazon.com/b?node=13727921011 to see all
the things alexa can do.

[Ts of Og]

Sorry that yours hands are so arthritic as to prevent jotting down notes with pencil :(

[Chicago Paddling-Fishing]

Just add it to your shopping list on Alex then open the Alex app and you
have a printed list on your phone.

--
John Nelson
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicago Area Paddling/Fishing Page
http://www.chicagopaddling.org http://www.chicagofishing.org
(A Non-Commercial Web Site: No Sponsors, No Paid Ads and Nothing to Sell)

[Cydrome Leader]

Bruce Esquibel <b...@ripco.com> wrote:
> barbie gee <boo...@nosespam.com> wrote:
>
>> I hear Alexa is a little more robust, but still, isn't quite providing the
>> services I would want...
>
> Well if you are looking for something like a bluetooth controlled dildo, let
> me know, I get a 20% discount on our sister site, www.dildo.com.
>
> If that isn't going to be the stocking stuffer for this christmas, what
> services are you looking for, exactly?
>
> Personally I hate those things, talking to a computer in general that is.

same here. I make it a point to laugh out loud when people talk to their
phones.

> I have Siri on the phone, ipad and car and I think for as long as he/she/it
> has been around, I used it once for a weather forecast. It only seems handy
> in the car if like a text message comes in, besides it reading the message
> to you, you can respond back, voice only, with pretty good accuracy.
>
> Those Alexa like things give me the creeps with them sitting around the
> house listening to everything you are saying, waiting for whatever trigger
> for them to "be of service".
>
> Until those things do something useful like let me know when the toilet is
> running or winning lottery numbers, I just don't see the point.

same here. Can you rename the things into things like NSA or Wiretap
instead of lexus and isis or whatever the fuck names they use are?

[Cydrome Leader]

barbie gee <boo...@nosespam.com> wrote:
>
>
> On Sun, 22 Oct 2017, core wrote:
>
>> On Sat, 21 Oct 2017 23:53:54 -0500, barbie gee <boo...@nosespam.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> I bought a Google Home Mini, because it was cheap, and seemed like a fun
>>> idea. But now, I'm seeing that there's some really basic shit it cannot
>>> do, without IFTTT, or some other kludgey crapola.
>>>
>>> I hear Alexa is a little more robust, but still, isn't quite providing the
>>> services I would want...
>>>
>>> What say you?
>>
>> What kind of 'services' are you looking for? They keep adding stuff
>> continuously.. An echo dot is the same price as the googly thing.
>>
>> What are you looking for it to do and I can tell you if the echo will
>> do it.
>>
>>
>
> Well, for example;
> on my phone, I can say, "ok google, note to self", and i can send myself
> some info via email. But Google Home (Assistant?) cannot do that.

well shit, do you want the option to fax yourself your email later on too?
Somehow all this had to tie together in a scenario where you dial in codes
using a touch tone telephone from an airport. You know, the future and
all.

[barbie gee]

Oh, I can write notes. I gathered up almost a dozen pads of paper with
notes on them. And Post-its. And other random scraps of paper.

When I think of something, anything, that I want to remember, I want it
all to go to one place. Pads of paper are nice, but I have to keep that
pad of paper with me always, everywhere, if I'm going to keep all my shit
in one place. NOT POSSIBLE. If I could direct ALL my notes to a single
place, just by speaking it, THAT would be a super solution!

[Cydrome Leader]

Don't delay!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/291923849839

[barbie gee]

Voice recorders failed me, been there done that.

[Cydrome Leader]

Really? I can understand how Nelson and a pocket protector full of scraps
of paper didn't really cut it, but how did you fail with a memo recorder?

I dusted off my tape deck earlier this week and played some 20 year old
tapes. Looking for the older ones to try out next.

The sound quality is poor, but they probably weren't all that great when
recorded off the radio anyways. There seems to be some sort of CD to mix
tape action in the pile of tapes too. I think it was 2001 when the real
walkman finally wasn't worth fixing anymore. Mine had the stupid fucking
plastic gear that molded around metal that split as the plastic aged.

[barbie gee]

Well, for starters, voice recorders are not searchable, nor can you give
the recordings file names or tags or something....

They need processing as a second step. I don't do second steps so good....

[Cydrome Leader]

If your brrain can't store info, and dealing with information stored
elsewhere is also too hard, you're just going to have to give up on this
one.

[barbie gee]

Working theory is ADD.

[Michele]

For you?

[Don Seeley]

Michele <goa...@noseytwats.com> wrote:
> On 12/23/2017 10:19 AM, barbie gee wrote:
> >
> >
> > On Sun, 17 Dec 2017, Cydrome Leader wrote:
> >
> >> barbie gee <boo...@nosespam.com> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> On Sun, 3 Dec 2017, Cydrome Leader wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> barbie gee <boo...@nosespam.com> wrote:
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>> On Sun, 26 Nov 2017, Cydrome Leader wrote:
> >>>>>
> >>>>>> barbie gee <boo...@nosespam.com> wrote:
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> On Fri, 3 Nov 2017, Ts of Og wrote:
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>> On Thursday, October 26, 2017 at 2:10:02 PM UTC-5, barbie gee
> >>>>>>>> wrote:
> >>>>>>>>> On Sun, 22 Oct 2017, core wrote:
> >>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>>> On Sat, 21 Oct 2017 23:53:54 -0500, barbie gee
> >>>>>>>>>> <boo...@nosespam.com>
> >>>>>>>>>> wrote:
> >>>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>>>> I bought a Google Home Mini, because it was cheap, and seemed
> >>>>>>>>>>> like a fun

> >>>>>>>>>>> idea.?? But now, I'm seeing that there's some really basic

> >>>>>>>>>>> shit it cannot
> >>>>>>>>>>> do, without IFTTT, or some other kludgey crapola.
> >>>>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>>>> I hear Alexa is a little more robust, but still, isn't quite
> >>>>>>>>>>> providing the
> >>>>>>>>>>> services I would want...
> >>>>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>>>> What say you?
> >>>>>>>>>>

> >>>>>>>>>> What kind of 'services' are you looking for??? They keep adding

> >>>>>>>>>> stuff
> >>>>>>>>>> continuously.. An echo dot is the same price as the googly thing.
> >>>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>>> What are you looking for it to do and I can tell you if the
> >>>>>>>>>> echo will
> >>>>>>>>>> do it.
> >>>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>> Well, for example;
> >>>>>>>>> on my phone, I can say, "ok google, note to self", and i can
> >>>>>>>>> send myself

> >>>>>>>>> some info via email.?? But Google Home (Assistant?) cannot do that.

> >>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>> I want to make a to-do list, and put items in a certain list,
> >>>>>>>>> not just
> >>>>>>>>> pile them all into the grocery "shopping list", that they've
> >>>>>>>>> now mashed
> >>>>>>>>> into Google Express.
> >>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>> It's just "stupider" than what I can do with my voice on my
> >>>>>>>>> phone or

> >>>>>>>>> tablet.?? I was hoping it would be more similar, so I'd

> >>>>>>>>> basically have an
> >>>>>>>>> "always on" listener, instead of having to wake up my phone,
> >>>>>>>>> swipe, talk
> >>>>>>>>> and wait.
> >>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>> .max has an echo dot. I'll have to do some comparing, but given
> >>>>>>>>> how cheap
> >>>>>>>>> they are, maybe I should buy one of THOSE, too!
> >>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>> Sorry that yours hands are so arthritic as to prevent jotting
> >>>>>>>> down notes with pencil :(
> >>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>

> >>>>>>> Oh, I can write notes.?? I gathered up almost a dozen pads of
> >>>>>>> paper with
> >>>>>>> notes on them.?? And Post-its.?? And other random scraps of paper.

> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> When I think of something, anything, that I want to remember, I
> >>>>>>> want it

> >>>>>>> all to go to one place.?? Pads of paper are nice, but I have to

> >>>>>>> keep that
> >>>>>>> pad of paper with me always, everywhere, if I'm going to keep all
> >>>>>>> my shit

> >>>>>>> in one place.?? NOT POSSIBLE.?? If I could direct ALL my notes to a

> >>>>>>> single
> >>>>>>> place, just by speaking it, THAT would be a super solution!
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Don't delay!
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/291923849839
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Voice recorders failed me, been there done that.
> >>>>
> >>>> Really? I can understand how Nelson and a pocket protector full of
> >>>> scraps
> >>>> of paper didn't really cut it, but how did you fail with a memo
> >>>> recorder?
> >>>
> >>> Well, for starters, voice recorders are not searchable, nor can you give
> >>> the recordings file names or tags or something....
> >>>
> >>> They need processing as a second step. I don't do second steps so
> >>> good....
> >>
> >> If your brrain can't store info, and dealing with information stored
> >> elsewhere is also too hard, you're just going to have to give up on this
> >> one.
> >>
> >
> > Working theory is ADD.


> For you?

That brings up a very interesting AI question. In order to make the
interactive AI voice human-friendly, how much behavioral disfunction
do they build in?

[barbie gee]

Well, there's a lot of apologizing... "I'm sorry, I don't know how to do
that.", "I'm sorry, I can't do that yet.."

[Bruce Esquibel]

barbie gee <boo...@nosespam.com> wrote:

> Well, there's a lot of apologizing... "I'm sorry, I don't know how to do
> that.", "I'm sorry, I can't do that yet.."

That's the box or .max you are talking about?

-bruce
b...@ripco.com

p.s. congrats to barb for doing the 1st post of 2018 on the chi.* groups.

[Cydrome Leader]

Darn. Hats off to barb.

[Chicago Paddling-Fishing]

Actually, since she writes them on little scrapes of paper, if she just
puts it in a pocket protector and remembers that every day she'd be like
me in the 80's... but like i said, as technology got better, I moved on
to better ways to take notes (I'm not even sure I could "write" a letter
to someone, i'd want to type and print it).

>I dusted off my tape deck earlier this week and played some 20 year old
>tapes. Looking for the older ones to try out next.

>The sound quality is poor, but they probably weren't all that great when
>recorded off the radio anyways. There seems to be some sort of CD to mix
>tape action in the pile of tapes too. I think it was 2001 when the real
>walkman finally wasn't worth fixing anymore. Mine had the stupid fucking
>plastic gear that molded around metal that split as the plastic aged.

You can probably find it all on youtube now,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEBwtATYOt8

[Cydrome Leader]

sorry, I didn't make that website and won't click the link. Looks scary.