Does anyone use voice operated kit?

[Dave2002]

Recently I noticed some Amazon offers of voice operated kit, including the Amazon Fire stick and the Echo Note speaker.
I was curious, and slightly tempted. I asked a friend who has a Fire remote which he said was good, but then we discussed the voice activated remote, and he sent a transcript - somewhat edited - of a "typical" interaction which showed that it wouldn't actually work that well.

I have a voice operated remote in my car - which is hilarious if it's turned on. I have never really found it useful, and indeed I decided on one occasion to try it out and ended up using a whole bunch of naughty words to see what it would do. Information about the engine and maps and navigation flashed up at random! However, nothing useful happened.

Regarding the current wave of internet connected voice controlled devices, it seems to me that they must gather voice samples, and then send them to a remote server, where they might (!!!) be processed to good effect. For the paranoid (that includes me) that would also mean that besides covering up the camera on one's computer - as in a recent episode of Homeland, one also shouldn't have any voice operated software running - though my guess there is that any "decent" hacker or other service would be able to access it (the software or microphone) and get it working anyway.

Does anyone like this stuff?

[Stunsworth]

I occasionally use it on my Apple TV, usually to rewind a programme a few seconds if I’ve missed something.

Thinking about it I also use Siri to set a timer if I’m cooking something.

[MrGongGong]

NO
the only people I know who use these things reliably are a couple of blind artists I work with

[Dave2002]

Just found this - http://www.cruise.co.uk/bulletin/msc...bulletin230318

Voice activation may be thrust upon us - though starting with the richer people first I guess.

[Lat-Literal]

At a recent scan at an NHS hospital, the consultant appeared to indicate that she was writing my report of the assessment before I had even left the room. This seemed to involve her talking into some sort of microphone and her words coming up on a computer screen in front of her. Certainly it got to the GP surgery by the following day. I am a bit puzzled by this. I was bewildered at the time so may have misinterpreted what was happening. If I didn't, I am surprised perhaps naively that the technology exists. I would be even more surprised if the NHS could afford it. But it seems to me to be a good thing. Typing is getting harder on the body. It is probably more natural to speak with one's actual voice. How great it would be if typing on most home computers could be done just by voice. But clarification from technology people would be helpful. Is it likely that what I describe happened - or did I misread it?

[richardfinegold]

At a recent scan at an NHS hospital, the consultant appeared to indicate that she was writing my report of the assessment before I had even left the room. This seemed to involve her talking into some sort of microphone and her words coming up on a computer screen in front of her. Certainly it got to the GP surgery by the following day. I am a bit puzzled by this. I was bewildered at the time so may have misinterpreted what was happening. If I didn't, I am surprised perhaps naively that the technology exists. I would be even more surprised if the NHS could afford it. But it seems to me to be a good thing. Typing is getting harder on the body. It is probably more natural to speak with one's actual voice. How great it would be if typing on most home computers could be done just by voice. But clarification from technology people would be helpful. Is it likely that what I describe happened - or did I misread it?

That was probably using a program called Dragon, common in Electronic Medical Records. Interesting to see it used in the U.K., although it shouldn’t be that cost prohibitive. My last employer offered it to me but I preferred to type. I owned the stock but my broker kept nagging me to dump it so I finally did. The product is widely used here but the stock never did that well.

[Anastasius]

I use Google voice recognition when creating texts. Works very well and quicker than typing on a wee keyboard.

Our car also has voice recognition for things like changing radio stations which is also very good and much safer than trying to use one of those wretched touch screens in the car (which are going to and are causing a heck of a lot of accidents and should have been banned at the outset IMO). That was in an Audi. Yesterday I had a courtesy car while ours was in for a service - a brand new Honda Civic. The voice recognition on this was pants. I drove with the windows open as I couldn't get the voice control to turn the heat down. I know I'm digressing from the OT but when you get into a car that has a 706 page manual then car manufacturers really have lost the plot.

[Lat-Literal]

That was probably using a program called Dragon, common in Electronic Medical Records. Interesting to see it used in the U.K., although it shouldn’t be that cost prohibitive. My last employer offered it to me but I preferred to type. I owned the stock but my broker kept nagging me to dump it so I finally did. The product is widely used here but the stock never did that well.

Oh - thank you.

Very interesting.

[Dave2002]

We have now "invested" in a couple of Amazon Echo units - one Dot and one Echo 2. They are what I expect might be a short lived curiosity. Mostly "Alexa" is ignorant - and it's surprising how we ask questions which most humans would either be able to answer directly, or with a more extended conversation and interactions. Some things are moderately useful - such as "What will the weather be today?". However, once a response has been obtained indicating it will rain, the next question is likely to be "When will the rain start?" - which will most likely result in a repetition of the previous answer.

The audio quality from the Echo Dot unit is not great, though it can be fed out to a larger system. The Echo 2 is slightly better, but with the emphasis on "slightly". I haven't yet tried sending audio out using wire or Bluetooth to substantially better kit. We can get R3 and R4 by asking - supplied via Tunein I think - but apart from the inherent limitations of quality in the units, the data streams are probably only modest quality - though the potential is there for something a lot better. We haven't figured out if catchup is possible - seems not so far i.e. no iPlayer Radio.

Other questions such as "What's on at the Royal Festival Hall this weekend" get a response such as "I can't find a cinema called Royal Festival Hall".
Similarly for ROH and RAH! Come on - this is artificial stupidity, not intelligence!

I think it's possible to use the two units as intercom units, so they're probably not going to be totally wasted. Being able to set timers by voice has been quite useful so far. For use in a kitchen, where at least one person may have very sticky fingers, voice interaction does have potential and is clearly a benefit.

It's a bit frustrating, as it seems as though in the longer term this technology could be helpful - certainly saves typing or button pushing, but it's so hit and miss re getting a useful result that it is limited. Rather than the technology learning about how to interact with humans it rather seems that humans will have to figure out how to work round the limitations of the technology. Simple questions such as "Alexa - what was the last thing I asked you today?" get a "Don't know" response. So is she suffering short term memory loss - symptomatic of dementia? Huh!

[Anastasius]

I wonder how all those actors one struggles to hear on TV dramas will fair with voice recognition? Given their tendency to mumble their lines incoherently I suspect that they will struggle. As an aside, I think there should be a BAFTA for "worst mumbled lines". But then the competition would be too fierce.

[MrGongGong]

[Dave2002]

Scary stuff - and I do remember the film.

A bit more "dramatic" than not being able to get a BBC Record Review podcast featuring Beethoven or Bartók, which seems to be a current limitation of the Alexa system.

It is possible to get a Record Review podcast, but only so far seems to be the latest/last one.

[Dave2002]

I suppose following msg 11 I will shortly be unable to turn the power off at my sockets, or shut down my router.

Not so funny perhaps in years to come - probably a robot will come along and deal with me, and it.

[Dave2002]

Whatever happened to the apology?





How can I get the image to act as a hot link to the webpage? Obviously spent so long on this that the link will be wrong, anyway!

Might just work now - but link to the wrong programme!