5 votes

Amazon makes Alexa-controlled microwave

15 comments

  1. [5]
    pseudolobster
    Link
    Offtopic, but I've tentatively tagged this with "video article" since the content seems to be in the form of an autoplaying video with no text equivalent. I feel like we need a tag for this, since...

    Offtopic, but I've tentatively tagged this with "video article" since the content seems to be in the form of an autoplaying video with no text equivalent.

    I feel like we need a tag for this, since a lot of people have limited data plans or view things on the bus without headphones etc. However I'm not sure if we've come up with a convention for what that tag should be.

    3 votes
    1. [4]
      EscReality
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      Just use "video" (I changed it for you). When I was posting this, I wasnt thinking I was posting an article but was just posting a video. The BBC just formats their videos oddly and doesn't give...

      Just use "video" (I changed it for you).

      When I was posting this, I wasnt thinking I was posting an article but was just posting a video. The BBC just formats their videos oddly and doesn't give the ability to direct link.

      "Video" as a tag is more widely used.

      2 votes
      1. [3]
        pseudolobster
        Link Parent
        Well, since we're fully off-topic now, my rationale for "video article" was that tags are not only used as context for the title, but they're also a filtering mechanism. The video tag might be...

        Well, since we're fully off-topic now, my rationale for "video article" was that tags are not only used as context for the title, but they're also a filtering mechanism. The video tag might be used for the medium of video; Talking about video formats, or the history of video itself. Whereas "video article" is specifically for news type articles in the form of a video. Maybe video.article?

        1. [2]
          EscReality
          Link Parent
          The 'video' tag is already widely used for marking links as videos. There are plenty of other terms that denote specific video related discussion (videography, filmography, broadcast, etc etc)....

          The 'video' tag is already widely used for marking links as videos.

          There are plenty of other terms that denote specific video related discussion (videography, filmography, broadcast, etc etc).

          Plus, an article by definition is a written composition, not a video. So to use that tag would just be confusing.

          1. pseudolobster
            Link Parent
            Good point. This clearly isn't the place to do so, but maybe we should have a talk about that. From the "video" tags in ~tech, by my count we've got five articles that are a video, and four...

            Good point. This clearly isn't the place to do so, but maybe we should have a talk about that.

            From the "video" tags in ~tech, by my count we've got five articles that are a video, and four articles that are text, about the format of video.

  2. [2]
    Algernon_Asimov
    Link
    People reading this thread might also be interested in this previous discussion: Amazon plans to release at least 8 new Alexa-powered devices this year, including a microwave, an amplifier, and an...
    3 votes
    1. EscReality
      Link Parent
      Not gonna lie, I actually have already preordered the subwoofer. One of the biggest things I use my Echo for at home is Spotify, news and podcasts. The audio quality is surprisingly good, but I...

      Not gonna lie, I actually have already preordered the subwoofer.

      One of the biggest things I use my Echo for at home is Spotify, news and podcasts. The audio quality is surprisingly good, but I would like it to be better.

  3. [5]
    EscReality
    Link
    I know its kinda dumb, but I really want this (and an Alexa controlled Roomba).

    I know its kinda dumb, but I really want this (and an Alexa controlled Roomba).

    2 votes
    1. [4]
      balooga
      Link Parent
      With a completely straight face, I must ask "why?"

      With a completely straight face, I must ask "why?"

      3 votes
      1. [3]
        EscReality
        Link Parent
        I am a professional Chef, having the ability to talk to my kitchen appliances sounds amazingly entertaining. Also, its a life long dream of mine to have a full smart house, Alexa is my Sarah...

        I am a professional Chef, having the ability to talk to my kitchen appliances sounds amazingly entertaining.

        Also, its a life long dream of mine to have a full smart house, Alexa is my Sarah (Eureka).

        Also, why not?

        1. [2]
          balooga
          Link Parent
          There are a lot of different angles I could approach that question from. I'll pick two: Smart home IoT devices aggregate an unprecedented amount of data about our online activities, physical...

          There are a lot of different angles I could approach that question from. I'll pick two:

          • Smart home IoT devices aggregate an unprecedented amount of data about our online activities, physical locations, spending habits, communications, and so on, to be used for undisclosed purposes by Amazon, its affiliates, and by extension, warrantless government requests, in perpetuity.
          • Less serious, but more practical: What's the point of talking to a microwave when you still have to load/unload it anyway, and it's probably faster to just press a button?

          When it comes to the IoT space in general, I'm really torn. I love the potential for this sort of technology to improve my life, but I don't want all the privacy invasion, data harvesting, and user commodification that invariably comes with it. I'd fill my house with every device imaginable if I could retain control of what they do, who they communicate with, what they collect and why.

          1 vote
          1. EscReality
            (edited )
            Link Parent
            As far as the privacy thing goes, there is no information they gather that could ever have any major effect on my life so I really don't care. People make that argument frequently when the topic...

            As far as the privacy thing goes, there is no information they gather that could ever have any major effect on my life so I really don't care. People make that argument frequently when the topic of smart home devices comes up. Some make it intelligently, some push it to the point of conspiracy theory craziness. The reality is, any actual important information I have is not stored digitally, so unless Alexa can suddenly open filing cabinets and read through documents, I have no issue. I could care less if she starts offering me discounts on pizza making equipment because I cook a lot of pizza.

            Do I want her gathering excessive amounts of information?

            No of course not, but that is not going to stop me from using the technology, it just means I will vote for laws that protect privacy. I do believe users need more control over data collection, but that needs to come at the federal level, not with Amazon.

            Is there a real point of any smart home tech?

            No, of course there is not. But hey, I get to walk into my house like I am in Star Trek and just tell it what to do and that is awesome. I do get a lot of use out of my Echo, I love the ability to dim lights when I am watching TV or ask her questions instead of taking the time to google them myself. I obviously wouldn't miss her much if she was gone but its still a fun convenience to have around. I will have to see what abilities the microwave has before I actually decided if it is worth it. I do have a coffee maker that is Alexa enabled and that has been really awesome, I can have her make coffee when I am still in bed or tell her while I am on my way home from work to put on a fresh pot and have it ready when I get home.

  4. hotcouch
    Link
    Flashbacks to the bug-in-the-microwave political memes.

    Flashbacks to the bug-in-the-microwave political memes.