Do you use any voice assistant in your house or smartphone? Alexa, Google Assistant, Bixby, Cortana?

[Anonymous]

I use only Bixby, lol.

Bixby

YESS!

And Bixby has come a long way than you can believe. Its learnt my accent, developed a special module for an Indian consumer. It is seemingly able to understand what I say in sleep. Lol!

Lock the screen? Yup! Turn on/off Bluetooth, screen (off only), wifi, DND mode, timer, alarm, switch off, flashlight on off, play a specific song on Spotify (partnership) through voice control, control things through IoT, and many more things. These are the ones that you are able to speak with Bixby. But it is far more than that.

If you have a Samsung, look into the Camera App and you see plethora of services under Bixby that do live in camera language translation, object detection and identification, similar object search, reverse search etc. Its like a gold mine for Samsung users, if they know how to use these services.

Google Assistant

I do not use Google Assistant in my smartphone.

NOPE?

Bixby, because, it can do the things Assistant cannot. With its hardware acceleration, Bixby is able to control the hardware of the smartphone itself, to a certain degree of course. And since it is by Samsung, I trust it.

Google assistant is also cool, but I just do not prefer it in general. Although, the services a Gmail account provides is quite awesome. Makes changing phones easy for me. But Samsung has its own system developed for it too lol! And its better than Google's for sure.

Alexa

Alexa is definitely out of the question for me. I already do not like Amazon Music, but I like the Kindle very much!!!

Alexa is cool to be honest, it is just that I do not trust Amazon that much, in this case.

A DEFINITE NOPE!

I used Cortana in my laptop, but they have discontinued it.

Updates

1 y

And did you know that the Alexa Echo has a transmitter, built in, that does not require the internet at all? To transmit your voice data to AWS servers for processing and storing there?

And just like Apple products, Echo devices form a network of their own within 500 m or ft, with which you are subject to being tracked with outmost precision, generating your profile with literally anything that can be used to serve you. Which is cool! But scary at the same time.

[TheorionMage]

Modern myopia is rampant.
As a culture we object to judgmental third parties invading our personal privacy visually and audibly perhaps by baby monitor cameras or hacking home security surveillance systems and yet voluntarily place hackible AI listening devices in our intimate living spaces.

A decade ago amateur hackers would activate home computer's video feeds and voyeuristically record intimacies and then taunt the victimized messaging: "I/We see you!" and when the shocked Victimized denied it, they were played back their recorded promiscuities~ '

Voice activation' is a 'gateway' for those seeking to pass judgement on the personal lives of others... no different to 'up skirting' or illegal search & seizure.

[MTC29]

No. I already have my SO trying to boss me around. I sure as hell don't need Alexa offering up suggestions.

[LivingExample]

Alexa, I start my day with “Good Morning.” She (voice) says that back and tells me the weather and a joke. I end my day with “Good Night.” She says it back and turns off the lights!

[melanieeeB]

Nope. I even wish I could delete this Bixby thing on my phone, so annoying.

[Asker]

That is quite understandable.
I was also like that with my assistant. I never had that problem with Google Assistant, but I take it as a good news as it means Samsung is not actually listening to our conversations secretly. If it had, then Bixby would already be ready. We use Google Assistant in many places, hence it works automatically.

The thing is you need to give some time to it. It is a machine and it needs to learn your voice and you. Explore the settings, give your voice samples to it, and it will learn your voice within a few weeks. You need to put a bit of an effort to it. Meanwhile you can have many custom settings in the Bixby Routines section of it.

I have had my A50s for nearly 2 ½ years now. My Bixby is working like a charm now.

[Anonymous]

I use Mac products so it’s a lot of interaction with Siri. I don’t do much with smart home equipment, it tends to be more expensive… I have a little more saved up, so I might be open to working more with Alexa, but I’m mostly partial to Siri.


Worked with Cortana a little bit, but not much. With Cortana you have to install the app, open the app on iPhone, ask the question or make the request… eh. Easier to just ask siri (or Alexa - but even Alexa had extra steps because I didn’t have the devices).


I offered to get mom an Alexa when she had early signs of memory issues and Alexa could set up pill reminders and things like that instead of making me do everything… like take time out of work to remind her… but she refused… and even if I got it for her, she’d refuse to learn it, so it would have been a waste of money at the time.


I’m getting a new place, so I may set up some smart devices for the new place - we’ll see.


I’d kind of like to play with a Wheatley or GladOS system… as long as it wasn’t connected to neurotoxin release systems… the voices would be fun to use, especially being a fan of Portal… lol.

[Valso]

None. I don't trust these services enough to give them any access to my phone, let alone to the microphone. Especially since Fascistbook and Microshit 2 years ago somehow knew what I was talking about with some friends and after that kept showing me ads about the same stuff after that, so thanks but no, thanks! I don't trust Google either for the same reason. That's why I use the Duck as a search engine in 99% of the time. The less I give Google, the better.

A friend of mine uses voice dictation bc he's too lazy to write but it often writes complete bullshit that has nothing to do with what he meant to say, which is why I don't like it and prefer to write it myself.

[NathanDavis]

I see you're back to posting ads again... lol

[Asker]

Yup! This one time!

[NathanDavis]

that's again the rules of the site though...

[Asker]

This question just got selected as a Great question though.

[NathanDavis]

even though you admit that you're pushing advertising... lol

is this your job, do you get paid for it?

[Asker]

Nope! I do not get paid for it. In fact it is never my intention to create an ad regarding a product.
But if the product is that good, and my personal experience is that good, then I just feel like sharing it and just tell and ask other users.

Its you who wanted me to admit for it, hence I thought to just admit it for your sake. No point in prolonging the same discussion.

[ArtemisSilver]

I use it on my phone and PC but I don't like those always listening speakers.

[Asker]

Me too man. Just feel like somebody is listening to me always. I do not like it. But with phone, its cool! Somehow!😅

[ArtemisSilver]

To be fair it's probably listening too but at least I can put it in my drawer LoL

[maximumpower]

Don't use a voice assistant.
Am unfamiliar with many of the more recent options.
Sad testament for an IT guy...

[Asker]

I also forgot Apple's Siri.😅
It is just that, IT guys are so used to typing out things, I believe, that we do not wait for their responses.
I know many of the shortcut key patterns and now navigate across the Windows mostly through keyboard only. Word, notepad, and other applications too.

[Guardian45]

How about the grandmother of them all, Siri. It was developed as as a military weapon.

ALL of these AIs have HUGE potential for abuse. Tracking your personal information like preferences and locations and selling your information to advertisers or highest bidders.

VERY DANGEROUS! I've uninstalled ALL of them!

[midnightmoon05]

As long as we use a smartphone… there is no escape.

[WindAtMyBack]

Nope and I never will. I'm not going to intentionally invite Big Brother into my home to listen to everything I say. No, that's not paranoia. Those devices really are recording and archiving what you say. They have even been used in court.

[midnightmoon05]

We sold Alexa. She was becoming too noisy.. Don’t want any of them in the house.

[MaxRobespierre]

I don't want creepy corporations recording my voice.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/asVCBS2vO3w

[josephinelcajon]

I do use them. They do use them for marketing and law enforcement has used them as well. Just as annoying is their mistakes in understanding you. they have come a long way but have a long way to go!

[AndrésC64]

Google Assistant. I have a smart speaker and almost all of my lights and plugs are smart, so is my thermostat.

[Adam1978]

No I disable any such services, because they are unwanted. So buying one is unthinkable.

[DoctorSex]

Does a Mrs, count?

Kind regards,

DoctorSex

[Anonymous]

Hell no, not now and not ever.

Why the fuck would I want a literal evesdropping device in my house?

[Roseboy]

my phone has google assistant - dont really use it, at some point it just randomly started speaking japanese

[Jltakk]

I absolutely despise the engineering genius in having a random physical button near the volume buttons on my Samsung.

[Asker]

That is really understandable. I also hated that button when I saw them on my friend's phone.

[Asker]

But the software itself is good. It just requires to learn your accent as it is machine learning. The more you interact with it, the better it gives you result back.

[d3n0939]

Bixby is helpful to create alarms and reminders

[bolverk]

Use none of them,

I trust none of them, too much data logging as it is.

[OddBeMe]

I’d rather not have billion dollar corporations listen to me fck.

[Becca1998_]

I have few Alexa and car I use Siri.

[Asker]

Does Siri require some time to learn to your voice or something?