Ask HN: Does your Alexa or Google Home make you more productive? It seems like one of the main reasons to get a voice assistant is to increase productivity. Is it worth the cost? |
Ask HN: Does your Alexa or Google Home make you more productive? It seems like one of the main reasons to get a voice assistant is to increase productivity. Is it worth the cost? |
- Using it as a timer for cooking in the kitchen. - For music at home. - Listening to weather reports and news in the morning before we head out for work.
Before Alexa, we used our phone for all the above, but we found it to be much easier using a voice assistant. I wouldn't say it's a massive gain in productivity, but we are pretty happy we got it.
Probably the main thing I can do faster with Alexa than other things is check the weather, which I do maybe once or twice a day. Things like turning lights on and off I can do faster by just walking to the appropriate switches. Otherwise I just use it as a speaker for playing music.
There's a learning curve to the features and ideal audio conditions. Not great initially. But I work remotely and it's quite useful for timing breaks & lunches, reminders, music, and broadcasting.
There are far better ways to improve your productivity.
I pick up food ordered on time these days so that’s good.
"light" > I don't understand
"flashlight" > I can't do that
"why?" > I couldn't say
"open the flashlight" > google search
- “set a timer for X minutes”
- “play the latest planet money podcast”
- “play the album Moana”
- “pause the firetv”
- “what’s the weather tonight?”
- “what’s the news?”
It saves us a ton of time but also is a huge entertainer for our kids.
- checking the weather/time
- settings a timer
- having Alexa read me a bedtime story (Audible)
"I put this new gadget in my house so I can check weather once a day. Meanwhile, it records all ambient noise and even identifies the voices of everyone speaking in the room. Garsh! It sure is neat."
Better hang a disclaimer on your door for when friends come over. Warning: House equipped with a dipshit. By entering, you are giving up all perceived privacy. Do not discuss things that matter.