[gw98]

It's useful for trivial unambiguous tasks where you have your hands full or don't want to touch your device or it's dangerous to. That's all I can muster mine for.

"Hey Siri, add more toilet paper to the shopping list" (while pooping)

"Hey Siri, shuffle my music" (while driving)

"Hey Siri, countdown 10 minutes" (while shoving a pizza in the oven)

Anything else is a shit show. Anything where trust or accuracy is involved i.e. mutating data, spending money, absolutely no way can I trust it at all and never will.

[ciaron]

Agreed, but I find for even these simple tasks it's hit-and-miss for accuracy. My Google device will randomly not know what a "shopping list" is, or the interactions go something like this:

"Hey Google, put dishwasher salt on the shopping list" "OK, I added 'put dishwasher salt'" (strangely, this particular bug only manifests for dishwasher salt).

Timers are useful, but sometimes they can't be shut off by voice command.

[gw98]

Yeah it doesn't always work well. I say "hey siri add green milk to the shopping list". I want "green milk" added to the shopping list which in the UK is semi-skimmed milk. What does it do? Adds "green" and "milk" because it thinks I'm a weed smoker...

[sanitycheck]

Trust and accuracy is involved in the first and last of your examples - I'd end up having to check that the TP was actually added to the list, and that the timer had actually begun and was set to 10 mins.

Shuffling music, turning lights on, yes fine - because confirmation that the right thing has happened is instant and effortless. Anything else, I'll use a button or a screen.

[gw98]

Definitely agree with this. You get that confirmation with siri. I mostly use my watch for it and it will show me what it did on the screen without having to touch anything.

Confirmation is required when dealing with humans as well ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11fCIGcCa9c (this reminds me of Alexa)

[eternityforest]

Google is pretty good about that. It will say "Ok, your alarm is set for 7 hours and 40 minutes from now" and similar.

[muspimerol]

Not really - adding toilet paper to a shopping list is not clicking the "buy" button. And if you set up a timer you get quick confirmation that it has been set. If the timer is accidentally set for 100 mins it's easily corrected.

[ht_th]

I think the parent meant that you need to check if these commands are executed properly, otherwise you get into trouble later. For example, if the toilet paper isn't added to the shopping list, and you go shopping with this list the next day trusting it contains everything you need, you're not buying the toilet paper. Similarly, if the timer is accidentally set to 100, you only notice it after, say, 20 minutes when there's black smoke coming out of the oven.

[muspimerol]

I know, that's why I said you get a quick confirmation - "Ok, setting a timer for 10 minutes." is spoken back to you via the speaker.

[sanitycheck]

I just asked Alexa to set a timer for 2 mins, and you're right - she did then ponderously state that a timer for 2 mins was starting. Then she asked me if I'd like to hear tips about using timers? No. Then she told me I had two notifications, would I like to hear them? No.

Then I timed myself setting a timer on my phone, which took 9 seconds from pocket to running.

Adding to a shopping list isn't clicking the "buy" button, no - but if it's not on the list I won't buy it and then I will have no toilet paper. I would not need a list if I could simply remember everything.

[mikestew]

Then she asked me if I'd like to hear tips about using timers? No. Then she told me I had two notifications, would I like to hear them? No.

Are you saying this for comedic effect, or does the Alexa really do this? (I'd look it up myself, but good luck with that query...) To each their own, but I'd throw the device into the street if it pulled a stunt like that.

Then I timed myself setting a timer on my phone, which took 9 seconds from pocket to running.

To the Homepod or my Apple Watch: "hey, siri, tea timer for three minutes".

"Three minute tea timer, starting now."

I didn't think a product could screw that up. I would suppose it's a design decision between "assistant" and "servant that carries out my command without backtalk". There are times that I wish the Apple product were more "assistant" than "servant", but the Alexa product just sounds pushy.

[Crosseye_Jack]

I use Alexa for shopping lists, I get a “toilet paper added to your shopping list” confirmation after adding items to my list.

It’s not perfect though, for example when trying to add fruit and fibre cereal it will often add two items, “fruit” and “fibre”. But its close enough that when I get to the store and check the list I know what I intended to add to the list.

[jayelbe]

Mmhmm, I never handle my phone while pooping, no siree.

[Shank]

> "Hey Siri, add more toilet paper to the shopping list" (while pooping)

This is the main reason why I have an Echo in my bathroom! The one advantage Alexa has over everything else is that you can voice shop -- "alexa buy more toilet paper" solves the problem that much faster than a reminder for later.

[gw98]

I don't want that to happen because the price variation in toilet paper is huge based on deals and offers available, and Amazon is rarely the cheapest provider these days, so it's actually worth me spending a few minutes on it to save some money.

The reason Alexa exists is to sell you Amazon's prices, not necessarily a good deal.

[aflag]

Also, I think I'd rather just add stuff to my shopping list so that I can at a later time order everything together, rather than have multiple deliveries.

[ghaff]

The sort of consumables I might order on Amazon on a regular basis--like those that the Amazon Dash buttons were intended to address--can vary a fair bit in price and quantity. I'm not going to have Amazon just ship whatever.

And it's not even a very frequent thing. Mostly, every few months, I look through what consumables need replenishing and I fill up the car with plus-size packages from Walmart.

[sambeau]

Lights on lights off is also useful, especially when in bed or carrying a basket-full of washing.