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Comment by gwbas1c | Hacker News Reader

I wonder if I'm weird because I don't want a smart speaker in my house? Then again, I still find voice recognition so sketchy that I just don't want to deal with it.

On the other hand, the real reason why I put smart switches in my home was practical. I hate that 3-way switches have no fixed "on" or "off" motion, so I started with smart switches to replace my 3-ways. Then I realized that the timers on smart switches are easier to program and adapt to Daylight Savings Time, so I put more in.

I'm an early adopter and I also approach new technology very conservatively. I can totally understand why the Amish don't rush out and adopt everything.

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I'm with you; you're not weird! (Or, maybe we're both weird!) I don't want a smart speaker because i can't see any worthwhile value that i get from it. I especially like your example of the 3-way switch...that seems a conscious decision that clearly added value for you without just trying new tech for new tech's sake, etc.

Adding voice control to lights is surprisingly handy.

This reminds me of I.O.L. Now *that* is a feature that everyone should have in every room of their home: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHoXX4QtY3s

(Sorry, could not resist ;-)

I have never understood the appeal of smart speakers. A smart speaker can't do anything that a smartphone can't already do, and I have that on my person at all times.

Spotify sent me a google home for free, and in a year I have only intentionally used it once or twice, and I think on one of those occasions my phone answered the wakeword first, so what even is the point? 99% of the times it waked were responding to me telling someone "okay cool", or my cat stepping on it. A few months ago it went in the old dead electronics pile, and a few weeks ago that pile went to a recycler, hopefully the metals in it can be turned into something actually useful.

I know several older people who refuse to reckon with modern phones (or, in one case, a cellular phone at all) but who have accepted "smart" speakers into their homes. I am not a fan of things that are always listening but I do appreciate the effort to bring "smartphone utility" to other objects/interfaces.

I got a Google Home Mini for the sole purpose of being able to turn off the lights when I'm on the couch, about to fall asleep.

Ok, I'm with you, but this is the thing that confuses me: why don't you use the voice assistant feature of your phone to do that? Why do you need an additional device?

That requires grabbing and lifting my phone, it also requires my phone to be in reach.

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