Siri alexa and google are like living with toddlers.

I only use Siri for playing music on HomePods in different parts of my house. She does that extremely well.

For home automation I run the Indigo application by Indigo Domotics on a Mac Mini. Which has been running 8 years 24/7 without a hitch and provides loads of flexibility and control - and is easy to program.

I like the idea of having those systems separated. A right tool for the job sort of thing.
 
fooferdoggie said:
New toshiba microwave wont work with alexa. alexa sees it and when you say turn on microwave alexa asks for how long then gives you a error when you tell it.
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Seriously, how much effort is it to simply put the item(s) into the microwave and while one is standing right there go ahead and press the appropriate button to get the thing going???!!!'

Ditto for needing to turn a light on or off -- is it really that too much effort to get out of the recliner or the chair or off the sofa and walk over to the light switch on the wall? Or to reach up to a lamp and turn it on or off with its switch?

IMHO people are becoming too lazy on the one hand depending on gizmos that they can control with the click of a key on their iPhone and yet on the other many of them spend time and money in the gym to keep in shape.....
 
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Clix Pix said:
Seriously, how much effort is it to simply put the item(s) into the microwave and while one is standing right there go ahead and press the appropriate button to get the thing going???!!!'

Ditto for needing to turn a light on or off -- is it really that too much effort to get out of the recliner or the chair or off the sofa and walk over to the light switch on the wall? Or to reach up to a lamp and turn it on or off with its switch?

IMHO people are becoming too lazy on the one hand depending on gizmos that they can control with the click of a key on their iPhone and yet on the other many of them spend time and money in the gym to keep in shape.....
Click to expand...
when you're bind its far harder to run a microwave or use a touchpad device that does not talk. I doubt not pushing a button is going to give you a workout. I spend a hour or more a day on a bike commuting and for fun and exercise sometimes 40 miles a day daily. automation is jsut something thats fun. plus it can save money turning the heat on and off when not home or home all lights on and off when not home. making sure your doors are locked when not hole or being able to unlock a door for someone when not home.
 
fooferdoggie said:
when you're bind its far harder to run a microwave or use a touchpad device that does not talk. I doubt not pushing a button is going to give you a workout. I spend a hour or more a day on a bike commuting and for fun and exercise sometimes 40 miles a day daily. automation is jsut something thats fun. plus it can save money turning the heat on and off when not home or home all lights on and off when not home. making sure your doors are locked when not hole or being able to unlock a door for someone when not home.
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I don't understand how Alexa or Siri knows exactly which button to push on a microwave and even at that how a visually impaired person could be sure that they are actually pushing the specified button? If it all works, great, that's really good, it gives blind and visually impaired people some autonomy and lessens dependence on others to do this sort of thing.

The thing about which I was griping more, though, remains, and that is the people who are fully able-bodied and have no physical issues who are becoming more and more dependent upon their Alexa and their Siri and other gadgets to take care of what they themselves could do by simply getting out of their chair and walking to the item to take care of the desired task.

As for saving money turning the heat on or off -- I do that right here at home with my own little finger adjusting the thermostat as needed, and before I leave home I adjust it so that the heat pump is not needlessly pumping out heat that I don't need since I'm not here. Appropriate lights are on when I'm home, and when I'm not home, they' re not on....simple, eh? I also check the door when leaving the house to be sure that it is locked, and then use the key to additionally lock the deadbolt as well. There is no way I would ever unlock my door for someone else to enter my home when I am not there. That's just asking for trouble......

We all have our different lifestyles and ways of doing things, and I suppose I'm probably "old-fashioned" but I don't need or want some of the so-called "conveniences" which are available now.
 
Clix Pix said:
IMHO people are becoming too lazy on the one hand depending on gizmos that they can control with the click of a key on their iPhone and yet on the other many of them spend time and money in the gym to keep in shape.....
Click to expand...
Let's have a moment of silence for all those Americans who are stuck in traffic on their way to the gym to ride the stationary bicycle.
— Congressman Earl Blumenauer (d-OR)​
 
how can you drive a car when your feet or a bike will get you where you are going? we all use technology and wondering why someone else uses some we don't is a bit silly. why do you use an expensive camera when a iPhone will do it for you??? myself I get a kick out of everyone driving around in cars then having to worry about exercise.

Here is the old fashioned way my wife uses appliances. but its limited and she has to remember what each mark is for.
IMG_3733.jpg
 
While it is understandable why your wife doesn't drive a car, I have to admit that I've wondered why YOU don't.....

I am guessing that your wife can see those marks on the microwave? Or feel them, if they're taped on or painted on with something she can feel? That's cool, and if it works for her, more power to her!

We all have our limitations....since I have congenital hearing loss, that's one for me and a reason why I don't have HomePods playing music all around my house all the time since I often go without my hearing aids. I also don't use Siri or any other voice-operated device because those things don't seem to understand me and I can do just fine without them anyway.
 
the paint is raised so she can feel them. but our last microwave she could do more using Alexa. but the microwave uses an app and she can use that with VoiceOver to control it if needed. our new stove is a induction stove all touch panel. I had to label the lock button and the cancel button so when she cleans it she wont turn the oven on accidentally. but she has to remember what each mark does. so its easier for her to use her voice to do things if she can.
I never wanted to drive no clue why. but maybe my ADHD Would male it hard to pay attention.
 
That is really cool that you've been able to set things up so that your wife can use the microwave and oven independently without your needing to be right there.... Things like that make all the difference! :)
 
everything we buy I have to make sure she can use it of she is going to use it. automation and sir=I nd shuck gas a more more choices and more frustrations at the same time. she argues with every electronic thing we own and mechanical thing and the dog.
 
Chew Toy McCoy said:
I mostly have this happen with my Apple Watch because when I bend my wrist a certain way it hits the crown which activates Siri. To make it less annoying I have Siri set to the male Australian accent voice. It's hard to get mad when you hear it. If Trump used an Australian accent I'd probably feel he makes a lot of good points.
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I also use the male Aussie voice. It’s somehow comforting.

Have you tried wearing the crown on the left side?
 
Clix Pix said:
Seriously, how much effort is it to simply put the item(s) into the microwave and while one is standing right there go ahead and press the appropriate button to get the thing going???!!!'

Ditto for needing to turn a light on or off -- is it really that too much effort to get out of the recliner or the chair or off the sofa and walk over to the light switch on the wall? Or to reach up to a lamp and turn it on or off with its switch?

IMHO people are becoming too lazy on the one hand depending on gizmos that they can control with the click of a key on their iPhone and yet on the other many of them spend time and money in the gym to keep in shape.....
Click to expand...
I’d love an Alexa-controlled microwave! As it is, I have to press the microwave button, then press ok, then dial in the time, then press start. They’ve gotten complex.

As to the lights! I read in bed at night. With all the lights on. When I’m done, I just put the book down, snuggle under the blankets and tell Alexa “goodnight.” All 4 lights go out without having to get out of bed and find my way back in the dark. And there’s nothing better than walking out of the kitchen with your arms full and being able to tell her to shut the lights behind you. Same when you enter the dark house with the shopping.
 
Alli said:
I’d love an Alexa-controlled microwave!
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Why not a microwave controlled by some voice recognition/response system that is not Alexa, Siri or the other thing but just works on its own and does not connect to the internets?
 
Yoused said:
Why not a microwave controlled by some voice recognition/response system that is not Alexa, Siri or the other thing but just works on its own and does not connect to the internets?
Click to expand...
no siri ones I looked. I found one. often they will talk when buttons pushed for blind people but they are expensive.
 
fooferdoggie said:
no siri ones I looked. I found one. often they will talk when buttons pushed for blind people but they are expensive.
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Microwaves are the type of device that could be modular, where you could buy the magnetron, turntable, cooking box and control unit à la carte, but, sadly, we have become conditioned to buying a whole unit (not just with microwaves) and replacing the whole unit (often with something lesser) when it fails.
 
Yoused said:
Why not a microwave controlled by some voice recognition/response system that is not Alexa, Siri or the other thing but just works on its own and does not connect to the internets?
Click to expand...
We currently don’t have many choices. It’s Siri, Alexa, or Google. As soon as one of them is integrated with a microwave, I’ll be investigating.
 
I look at the directions on the package, see that they say "heat for 3 minutes," stick the thing into the microwave, press the "3" button to zap it for the necessary three minutes and then peel off the cover and stir or whatever the further instructions tell me to do, and if need be, pop the thing back into the microwave, with or without cover, according to directions, and press the appropriate button for the time to continue cooking the thing. After that, I remove the container from the microwave and pop in something else if I'm having another item in addition which also needs to be microwaved.

Voice-operated devices just don't work for me and I hope that microwaves never go totally in that direction.
 
Of those three Siri ironically is the best IMHO. My best course of action for all three is to turn them off :D
 

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