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Comment by mmmmmbop | Hacker News Reader

Nah, I'll have to disagree with you there. I don't know about Siri, but I am one of those people using the Google Assistant to set timers and reminders, and for me at least, this is reliable (enough), and definitely faster than by hand.

The obvious use case is setting a timer while cooking, when the phone is at the other end of the room and your hands may be dirty, but I'm using it even in non-cooking settings.

In fact, I just tried it and timed both approaches for setting a reminder. Results:

* Assistant: "Hey Google, set a reminder 10 days from now to file my taxes.": 4.5s to say it (I'm free to focus on other things after this point), 7.5s until reminder is created.

* Manual (pick up & unlock phone, open app drawer, open Calendar app, find the day 10 days from now, click on that day, click create a reminder, type in "file my taxes", save): 17s

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So Apple pumps more than a billion dollars into developing and marketing a virtual assistant which fails the vast majority of the time and you’re proud of it because it can set a timer by voice?

I’m just going to say - i’m underwhelmed

He was referring to Google assistant.

But I can second his point of view from a Siri user standpoint. I use it almost every day for two insignificant task, but yet it work and I use it everyday:

- Shutting down the remaining alarm clocks (I'm really not a morning person)

- Setting up timer when I cook

At some point I also used it to control smart lights but I haven't set up the system again in my new flat. And I'm seriously considering reverting to a purely physical and traditional light-switch interface instead of relying on IoT. (Take ages to set up right, rarely changing setup afterwards, waiting for updates to switch light on, flashlight mode when electronic become damaged, etc).

Again, the only feature i’ve seen mentioned as a positive is controlling a clock/alarm

You’re even acknowledging how cumbersome iot is

Is that really the pinnacle of virtual assistants - billion dollar alarm handlers?

They weren't defending virtual assistants. Relax and read more carefully the context of the thread.

I just read it again and I never read them express pride in the tool or say they were using Siri. The comment is about the impact for them on using a voice-based interface to set a timer. Bad faith argumentation.

> reliable (enough)

This is the key thing, and the formula's different for everyone. I know that my strategy of "look at the clock and remember" will work until I'm senile, as will "panic-check the mail every day until my last tax form arrives and file that night"

> I know that my strategy of "look at the clock and remember" will work until I'm senile

I'm glad you have that option but understand that for many people this will not work and there's nothing they can do to make it work.

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