Hacker News Reader

Comment by _dain_ | Hacker News Reader

Reading this thread is kinda bizarre to me. Do people actually ... talk to their phones? Like for real, not just in cringeworthy scripted adverts? I've never used any of these voice assistant things and nor does anyone I know. It always seemed like a huge gimmick to me. Am I just in a bubble?

View on HN

All the time:

"Text $WIFE_NAME I'm on my way home"

"Directions to $DESTINATION"

"[Set a] Timer [for] 15 minutes"

"Call $CONTACT" or "Call $PLACE"

etc.

These are usually done while I'm driving or on the move, or otherwise don't feel like scrunching up my thumbs to type or to look at a screen

It's just faster to say "OK Google, navigate to work" than pulling out a keyboard and opening apps. Even though for some reason I still can't time when Google is going to start listening after all these years, and have to repeat myself a lot. I think it was fine-tuned for American voices at first and got worse when expanded worldwide.

why don't you know the way to work?

This made me spill my drink laughing.

Some people need the best route given traffic conditions.

When people hand their thinking over to machines to set themselves free, it lets people who control the machines control them.

Because I got to where I am by saying "restaurants near me" or "ice skating near me" and I don't know the way back. Also when I'm in a different state for a few weeks I sometimes set "work" to the place I'm staying.

Although I hate my Audi Q7, one thing I do like is that you can hold the voice command button on the steering wheel and tell android auto what you want to do (like go home, or play your music of choice).

Simple things through voice are good, and a lot better than fiddling with your phone while you're trying to drive.

I definitely exist in a bubble, but it's especially useful while driving. Or for searches "Hey Siri, what is the capital of Zambia?" is faster than typing it, and you don't even need to reach for your phone. (Of course Siri is awful and can barely do basic things.)

We use it quite a lot.

You are in a bubble. And these changes also apply to Google Home devices which are in millions of homes.

s.o. and i both own iphones but never talk to siri. recently we spent a week at an airbnb with an alexa thing so we used it for music and couple more stuff, it was sometimes good, other times so bad it was funny

anyway, we came back home and still don't use siri

Reply on news.ycombinator.com