Slashdot Asks: Which Smart Speaker Do You Prefer?

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Slashdot Asks: Which Smart Speaker Do You Prefer?

Posted by BeauHD on Tuesday February 20, 2018 @10:10AM from the always-listening dept.

Every tech company wants to produce a smart speaker these days. Earlier this month, Apple finally launched the HomePod, a smart speaker that uses Siri to answer basic questions and play music via Apple Music. In December, Google released their premium Google Home Max speaker that uses the Google Assistant and Google's wealth of knowledge to play music, answer questions, set reminders, and so on. It may be the most advanced smart speaker on the market as it has the hardware capable of playing high fidelity audio, and a digital assistant that can perform over one million actions. There is, however, no denying the appeal of the Amazon Echo, which is powered by the Alexa digital assistant. Since it first made its debut in late 2014, it has had more time to develop its skill set. Amazon says Alexa controls "tens of millions of devices," including Windows 10 PCs.

A new report from The Guardian, citing the industry site MusicAlly, says that Spotify is working on a line of "category defining" hardware products "akin to Pebble Watch, Amazon Echo, and Snap Spectacles." The streaming music company has posted an ad for a senior product manager to "define the product requirements for internet connected hardware [and] the software that powers it." With Spotify looking to launch a smart speaker in the not-too-distant-future, the decision to purchase a smart speaker has become all the more difficult. Do you own a smart speaker? If so, which device do you own and why? Do you see a clear winner, or can they all satisfy your basic needs?

12 of 234 comments (clear)

Min score:

Reason:

Sort:

I like my dumb speakers by rrohbeck · 2018-02-20 10:13 · Score: 4, Insightful

Don't need speakers that eavesdrop on me. If I want that I'll use a microphone.

--
thegodmovie.com - watch it
1. Re:I like my dumb speakers by Anubis+IV · 2018-02-20 11:55 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  I too prefer dumb speakers, but for different reasons than you:
  1) For the sound quality, they're almost assuredly cheaper.
  2) In the tech industry's timescale, they essentially never become obsolete.
  Most of the smart speakers either sound like crap or else sound far worse than comparably priced dumb speakers. Even if you buy into the HomePod hype, unless you're hopelessly technologically illiterate or you have no way to fit a stereo set in your home, why pay $350 for a device that simulates stereo when you can have actual stereo from better speakers for the same price? Toss in a wireless receiver with a wired output and you'll have better wireless compatibility than what the HomePod has, without any of the lock-in to AirPlay or Apple's ecosystem.
  On the other side, my parents have had the same speakers since before I was born (34 years ago). The speakers still work just fine. The dumb speakers I have today will—barring an accident—still be working just fine when the kid I have on the way is as old as I am today. Even if the world were to switch entirely to wireless or those wireless protocols were to change, I could simply swap out the aforementioned wireless receiver with a different one. Meanwhile, if I had bought into the HomePod or Alexa or whatever, I'd have to scrap the entire speaker to get on the new protocol.
  No thanks.
  If nothing else, the ones that are staking their name on sound quality at least need to give me a line in jack. Until then, so far as I'm concerned, they're smart accessories, not smart speakers.
None by Jamlad · 2018-02-20 10:13 · Score: 5, Insightful

Why the hell would I want something so Orwellian in my home? Cellphones are bad enough.
Re:Alexa, obviously. by cayenne8 · 2018-02-20 10:16 · Score: 5, Insightful

I don't want to voluntarily "bug" my house, sending audio and possibly even video to strangers out in the cloud with these always on products.
And..if I want to listen to music at home, I'll play it on my more than capable stereo/AV set up through real speakers, amps etc...and get the full pleasure out of the situation.
Ok, sure, I might have to get up...and go over to configure the playlist, but hell, I have to get up from time to time to get a beer anyway, so, what's the problem?

--
Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
Nope. by PopeRatzo · 2018-02-20 10:16 · Score: 3, Insightful

I'm not as stupid as I look. I refuse to let Google, Amazon, Apple, or anyone put a smart speaker into my home without a FISA warrant. Christ, are people really dumb enough to pay any of these dick companies to spy on them?

--
You are welcome on my lawn.
The Dumb One by CanHasDIY · 2018-02-20 10:23 · Score: 5, Insightful

Seriously, I'd prefer all my output devices be as stupid as digitally possible.

--
An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
A corporation-controlled microphone in my home by mi · 2018-02-20 10:25 · Score: 5, Insightful

With Spotify looking to launch a smart speaker in the not-too-distant-future, the decision to purchase a smart speaker has become all the more difficult.
The decision is as easy as it always was: Don't!
Seriously, after talking about the dangers of eavesdropping and the big brother, having the computer's camera covered, who would possibly pay money to have a permanently-connected microphone installed in their dwelling?
You may think, you can turn it off, but you can not be certain. If the criminals and intelligence agencies manage to break into your computer, why would they not break into your "smart speaker"? Police too may find it much easier to gain the cooperation of the device's manufacturer to listen on you, than to get a warrant and then wire your house without you noticing.
Just say no and control your music the old-fashioned way — as we all did only a few years ago.

--
In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
I don't mind a smart speaker ... by bigjocker · 2018-02-20 10:29 · Score: 3, Insightful

... it's the smart microphone that is always listening the one I don't like.
It's just a matter of time until somebody gains unauthorized access to the microphone on one of those devices and starts recording every sound in your house. No way they are getting my secret lasagna sauce recipe.

--
Life isn't like a box of chocolates. It's more like a jar of jalapenos. What you do today, might burn your ass tomorrow.
Re:Alexa, obviously. by KiloByte · 2018-02-20 10:57 · Score: 4, Insightful

Your purchase history is yours to share. Every conversation you have, too -- that's your choice. But please, do warn me when/if I visit your house, so I know that no talk is private there.

--
The creatures outside looked from Alt-Right to Antifa; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
Re:Alexa, obviously. by slaker · 2018-02-20 11:07 · Score: 3, Insightful

Because I'm monitoring traffic on the relevant VLAN. It's pretty easy to tell what's going where. Unless you think that magic spying is happening on my network that I can't see for some reason.

--
-- I wanna decide who lives and who dies - Crow T. Robot, MST3K
Re:Alexa, obviously. by slaker · 2018-02-20 11:10 · Score: 3, Insightful

Pfft. This is Slashdot. Who in the hell has sex with a partner?

--
-- I wanna decide who lives and who dies - Crow T. Robot, MST3K
Re:Alexa, obviously. by RazorSharp · 2018-02-20 15:33 · Score: 3, Insightful

What are they going to find? That I talk to my cats?
This is the type of attitude that undermines privacy for those who actually need/want it.

--
"From the depths of my skeptical and rationalist soul, I ask the Lord to protect me from California touchie-feeliedom."