Re: OT: Is it just me ...

On 14/04/2025 15:19, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

On Mon, 14 Apr 2025 11:10:44 +0100, JAB <noway@nochance.com> wrote:
 

... who when I use voice commands holds it to my face like a walkie
talkie for no reason at all. Why do I do that?

 Nope, it's just you.... boomer ;-)
 I've no real appreciation of voice-commands. I usually find it --and
the resultant output-- too low-information for my preference. I'm much
happier going to a proper screen and finding my info using a keyboard
or mouse; it's not much slower, and the results are more to my liking.
But when I do use them, I just shout them into the air, like Captain
Picard, and expect the robot slave to serve me at my whims. ;-)
 

I generally don't use them as most of the time I find it easier to just do it manually - if I want to change the volume on the TV I'll just use the volume button on the remote.
I do use it for a few things though so finding a specific programme/film/channel on the TV and over on the mobile, location services and setting an alarm.
That reminds me I must change the setting on my phone so it goes back to using Google Assistant and not AI.

Except I still need to go press the button first. I may accept
voice-commands in my life, but I'll be damned if I allow an
always-listening (always feeding corporate data-gobblers) to have full
access to my life. Even Picard knew to double-tap his comm-badge first
;-)
 

I don't trust them not to misuse the audio either, indeed Amazon have already been found to be keeping parts of it for 'training' purposes in breach of our data protection laws.
The one I think is frankly rubbish (it's even been tested as such) is that it secretly listens to your conversations so it can spoon-fed you adverts. Of course that's not say that they wouldn't do it if they thought they could get away with it. Oh no, we were talking about holidays and now we are seeing adverts from holidays companies - well yeh, as you've probably been searching for them online as well.
I also assume that most national security authorities have already developed technology to do just that, well not the adverts part*, as our one in the UK did, and tested out on a large scale, for activating webcams.
*Our economy isn't doing that well at the moment so maybe an idea for an additional revenue stream!