Smart home, dumb problems: The enshittification of Google Home is real

[trparky]

I have an Alexa Echo Dot with a clock - I needed a radio alarm clock and it was prime day so pretty much the same price. Works fine as an internet radio alarm clock and will also give me a weather update if I request it. Don't have any other use case for it.

Yeah and it’s listening to everything in your house. Needless to say, I won’t ever let one of those things in my house.

 

[OortCloud]

Rancid company - all their products have been enshitifying for years.

 

[trents]

My analog light switch works - and just like I expect it to - every time.

 

[Tyler Dur Den]

I have yet to understand why so many supposedly intelligent able-bodied people feel the need to use ANY product from Google. It was obvious from their early years that they needed some way to make money from search, so I always avoided them. I got a clue when they wanted everyone to use their Google account to sign into other websites. After enough time passed it became apparent that Google was tracking everything and that YOU are the product. You and your data are being sold.

 

[tipstir]

Like I said you all have the needs or not, I just want it to work. I see Alexa Early Access can't turn on my Fire TV 2024 TCL 58-inch on or off now Odd she said she did turn it off but it's still on. I do not want to press the power on and off. I like to give her instructions to turn it off and the lights in the room too. Alexa Early Access is fun but there are time she has to wait give me a sec I'll help you in a bit. What are you serious? We are all tech's here should be fun to use these devices daily. On my 85" TCL Q6 series with Google TV Hey Google Assistant can't get one thing right when I ask it to look up a channel on YouTube it gets confused LOL...

 

[bbutle01]

I have yet to understand why so many supposedly intelligent able-bodied people feel the need to buy this "sheet". Are you all too lazy to get off your backside to switch on a light, or adjust a thermostat? Or is this all in preparation for humanity to evolve into something incapable of doing the simplest of physical things?

Necessary? Heck no. Convenient? Heck yeah. To be able to schedule my lights to go off every night at 10pm without me forgetting about it, for the last 5 years, has saved a ton of getting up and down. And having the front porch light come on for me when I get home instead of fumbling with the keys in the dark is also nice. And being able to open the garage door remotely when the kids lock themselves out of the house. And having a cheap way to play the same audio in the living room, kitchen and back patio when I'm working or having a party is a lot cheaper with Alexa than with Sonos.

I had two 'old style' programmable thermostats that cost the same amount as a nest when they were new. Programming that thing takes 15 minutes standing there in front of a faded LCD screen. 4 temp changes per day, Weekday, Sat, Sunday. Change it once every few months as the weather changes. No thanks, throw in a new programable one and I can do both in 3 minutes from my phone, and I set it for the temperature I desire, not the temp it should come on and off at, so it figures out how to get it there, meaning no more adjusting every few months based on the season. And btw, don't take the free one from the power company or they'll set you to 76F in the summer and you'll end up being 86F because it can't keep up.

The biggest thing to consider, started with 'smart bulbs' not for the automation, but so I could change the colors for holidays. I started with echo's just as a music streaming device. The garage door opener came with Alexa when the motor died on the last one. It comes built in to all new TVs and stereos. I didn't spend a dime up front fot he automation part. It all came free, so why the heck not?

So yeah, looking at it as getting up to turn on a light would seem dumb. Add it all together and it's worth the effort.