Google and Alexa on CES

[LukeSavenije]

after all the leaks we already had the last while, it should be time for some heapy news!

as many know, CES is going to start on January 8th, and ther are many companies we might or are going to see some cool tech from. for today I'm focussing on Google and Amazon, assistant and  to be more specific. they are competing heavily in the assistant side, and they are about to release some really cool products (or products made cooler by the use of assistant. They seem to have the same products, but who's going to make better use of the assistants? That's at (or after) CES to tell. here is a list of upcoming products.

• C by GE smart lighting (you'll need a additional hub for Alexa, apple home will arive down the line)
• D-Link Battery Wi-Fi Water Sensor (google home and apple home only)
• Kohler smart bathroom (come in different models for both Alexa and Google)
• Gourmia 11-in-1 Deluxe Multicooker (both google and alexa)
• Vuzix Blade (starts with alexa, will have google assistant down the line according to devs)
• Asus Lyra Voice (Alexa only)

 

All of these products will be released, and the Kohler sounds really cool, a smart bathroom, but you'll have to burn some money for it... the other tech will be cheaper, but on some products the prices aren't availible yet. A fast overview of all products

 

C by GE

Quote

smart switches

• C-Start smart dimmer switch: Coming Q1 of 2019 for $50
• C-Start smart dimmer switch with built-in motion and light sensors: Coming Q1 of 2019 for $75
• C-Start smart on/off switch: Coming Q2 of 2019 for $40

color-changing bulbs

• C by GE color-changing A19 smart bulb: Coming Q2 of 2019 for $40
• C by GE color-changing BR30 smart floodlight: Coming Q2 of 2019 for $45
• C by GE color-changing rope lights: Coming Q2 of 2019 for $75

accessories

• C by GE smart wall plug: Coming Q2 of 2019 for $25
• C by GE battery-powered motion detector: Coming Q4 of 2019, price not listed

Full preview: https://www.cnet.com/news/ge-lighting-new-c-by-ge-smart-lights-works-with-google-assistant-amazon-alexa-apple-homekit-ces-2019/

 

D-link sensors

Quote

Smart sensors

• Water leak connector: This winter, $50
• Smart cameras: not listed
• Plug-in smart assistant plugs: not listed

Full preview: https://www.cnet.com/news/d-links-flexible-water-sensor-can-fit-wherever-it-might-leak-at-ces-2019/

 

Kohler bathroom

Quote

bathroom

• Numi intelligent toilet White: Q4 2019, $7000
• Numi intelligent toilet Black: Q4 2019, $9000
• Sensate Touchless Kitchen Faucet: Right now, $660-$830
• DTV+ Shower System: Right now, $3000
• PureWarmth Heated Toilet Seat: Right now, $160

Full preview: https://www.cnet.com/news/kohler-expands-smart-bathroom-platform-at-ces-2019/

@RorzNZ has a article that dives in deeper into the toilet, credit for the worst joke ever

 

Gourmia 11-in-1 Deluxe Multicooker

Quote

Cooker

• 11-in1 Deluxe Milticooler: Right now, $180-$300

full preview: https://www.cnet.com/news/gourmia-showcases-smart-kitchen-appliances-at-ces-2019/

 

Vuzix Blade

Quote

smart glasses

• Blade: Not listed, $1000-1200

full preview: https://www.cnet.com/news/vuzix-blade-test-drive-the-return-of-the-ces-smart-glasses/

 

Asus Lyra voice

Quote

smart speaker/mesh router

Asus Lyra voice: Q1 2019, $220

 

Main sources: https://www.cnet.com/news/google-assistant-products-ces-2019-new/ and https://www.cnet.com/news/all-the-new-alexa-products-from-ces-2019/

 

more coverage of CES on Cnet: https://www.cnet.com/ces/

 

don't be to harsch on me, this is my first article

[suicidalfranco]

am i the only one who doesn't care about these "smart" assistants?

[LukeSavenije]

Just now, suicidalfranco said:

am i the only one who doesn't care about these "smart" assistants?

I don't know. it looks kinda cool... scary too... but I want to keep this tread happy for one time

[LukeSavenije]

2 minutes ago, VegetableStu said:

do you have plans on adding smart appliances/outlets in your home? o_o

not right now... maybe some cameras with ifttt, but that would be about it for a while, but who knows...

[suicidalfranco]

1 minute ago, LukeSavenije said:

I don't know. it looks kinda cool... scary too... but I want to keep this tread happy for one time

having a hard time to find anything cool about them

the smart mirror could have been cool if it was something like this 

 

 

and not just a mirror with some leds, speakers and mic attached to it.

 

[LukeSavenije]

Just now, suicidalfranco said:

having a hard time to find anything cool about them

the smart mirror could have been cool if it was something like this 

and not just a mirror with some leds, speakers and mic attached to it.

It would have been cooler, agree. something for CES next year maybe?

[Taf the Ghost]

"Smart Devices" are useful for business-type locations. Being able to program auto-functions is nice. In-home? Orwellian Nightmare is what they are.

 

And, as much as Linus was having fun with The Clapper stuff against Home Devices, it's functionally the same. Even if it's cool tech, none of the companies are trustworthy. It's like Facebook's Portal. That's absolutely a useful & interesting product. And I'd willing break someones if I was in a place with it active.

[LukeSavenije]

3 minutes ago, Taf the Ghost said:

"Smart Devices" are useful for business-type locations. Being able to program auto-functions is nice. In-home? Orwellian Nightmare is what they are.

 

And, as much as Linus was having fun with The Clapper stuff against Home Devices, it's functionally the same. Even if it's cool tech, none of the companies are trustworthy. It's like Facebook's Portal. That's absolutely a useful & interesting product. And I'd willing break someones if I was in a place with it active.

For some more expensive hotels it would be nice.... or just people that are that rich and lazy that they need it in their home. Tho i kinda like the idea of those leak sensors...

[Taf the Ghost]

1 minute ago, LukeSavenije said:

For some more expensive hotels it would be nice.... or just people that are that rich and lazy that they need it in their home. Tho i kinda like the idea of those leak sensors...

Devices that are extension of things like Key Cards and Door Logs, those have already taken over high-end hotels. They log when all of their doors are opened/closed. (It's great for liability insurance and bad for the occasional Divorce Court subpoena.) That's useful security tech.

 

Connected sensors that extend further than Fire Alarms, able to detect fires & other dangers before they get more active? Great! Good safety features.

 

Now, what's the use of a 60USD light bulb? It's a 12USD bulb they're charging you 5x as much for. Oh, and they're massive security risks, along with generally phoning home information to the company. If something is important, and your home definitely counts, it should be as much hardlines as possible, isolated from wireless and as much encryption as feasible. 

 

IoT has legitimate uses, but "Smart Home Devices" isn't one of them. Those are just gimmicks. It would also help if they didn't basically want to install HAL 9000 in your home at an exorbitant price.

[LukeSavenije]

21 minutes ago, Taf the Ghost said:

Devices that are extension of things like Key Cards and Door Logs, those have already taken over high-end hotels. They log when all of their doors are opened/closed. (It's great for liability insurance and bad for the occasional Divorce Court subpoena.) That's useful security tech.

 

Connected sensors that extend further than Fire Alarms, able to detect fires & other dangers before they get more active? Great! Good safety features.

 

Now, what's the use of a 60USD light bulb? It's a 12USD bulb they're charging you 5x as much for. Oh, and they're massive security risks, along with generally phoning home information to the company. If something is important, and your home definitely counts, it should be as much hardlines as possible, isolated from wireless and as much encryption as feasible. 

 

IoT has legitimate uses, but "Smart Home Devices" isn't one of them. Those are just gimmicks. It would also help if they didn't basically want to install HAL 9000 in your home at an exorbitant price.

fair enough... but those leak detecting devices for exaple would be a really function. but everything that's electronics, is hackable in some way, so it really depends on what a hotel thinks is useful, not for us...

[EnergyEclipse]

Numi intelligent toilet Black: Q4 2019, $9000

 

[LukeSavenije]

1 minute ago, EnergyEclipse said:

Numi intelligent toilet Black: Q4 2019, $9000

yeah.... for some reason the black one is expensive for a reason... don't know what reason it is...

[Commodus]

1 hour ago, Taf the Ghost said:

Devices that are extension of things like Key Cards and Door Logs, those have already taken over high-end hotels. They log when all of their doors are opened/closed. (It's great for liability insurance and bad for the occasional Divorce Court subpoena.) That's useful security tech.

 

Connected sensors that extend further than Fire Alarms, able to detect fires & other dangers before they get more active? Great! Good safety features.

 

Now, what's the use of a 60USD light bulb? It's a 12USD bulb they're charging you 5x as much for. Oh, and they're massive security risks, along with generally phoning home information to the company. If something is important, and your home definitely counts, it should be as much hardlines as possible, isolated from wireless and as much encryption as feasible. 

 

IoT has legitimate uses, but "Smart Home Devices" isn't one of them. Those are just gimmicks. It would also help if they didn't basically want to install HAL 9000 in your home at an exorbitant price.

You've never really lived with this stuff, have you?

 

When the sun goes down, I just have to say "hey Google, evening" and my home lights up just the way I like it for the night.  I don't have to immediately put down heavy bags if I'm just coming home; I don't have to run from room to room adjusting switches.  When I go to bed, I can simply hop into bed and say "hey Google, goodnight" instead of dutifully switching everything off one at a time.

 

Security, privacy and prices are important, but just because you, personally, don't see the benefit of smart lights and other smart home gadgets doesn't mean they're useless.

[79wjd]

44 minutes ago, Commodus said:

You've never really lived with this stuff, have you?

 

When the sun goes down, I just have to say "hey Google, evening" and my home lights up just the way I like it for the night.  I don't have to immediately put down heavy bags if I'm just coming home; I don't have to run from room to room adjusting switches.  When I go to bed, I can simply hop into bed and say "hey Google, goodnight" instead of dutifully switching everything off one at a time.

 

Security, privacy and prices are important, but just because you, personally, don't see the benefit of smart lights and other smart home gadgets doesn't mean they're useless.

They definitely have a purpose -- I often find myself using my Google Home to control my Harmony (tv), but probably like 10-15% of the time it doesn't recognize my voice and I end up standing there having a yell-off until it finally stops complaining and does what it's supposed to do.

[D13H4RD]

Bleh. 

 

Call me old fashioned, but I still use switches. 

 

And I intend to keep it that way 

[PlayStation 2]

Very personally, I've never seen a purpose for these smart devices. Whoopity fuckin' do, a lightbulb that has Bluetooth capabilities to play music. Whoopity fuckin' do, a fridge that can show me recipes. There's, at least to me, better ways to do that and a smart device for that isn't one of them.

[Taf the Ghost]

40 minutes ago, Commodus said:

You've never really lived with this stuff, have you?

 

When the sun goes down, I just have to say "hey Google, evening" and my home lights up just the way I like it for the night.  I don't have to immediately put down heavy bags if I'm just coming home; I don't have to run from room to room adjusting switches.  When I go to bed, I can simply hop into bed and say "hey Google, goodnight" instead of dutifully switching everything off one at a time.

 

Security, privacy and prices are important, but just because you, personally, don't see the benefit of smart lights and other smart home gadgets doesn't mean they're useless.

As I said, they have great business use-cases. Which include support for the Aged, Infirmed or Mentally Handicapped. Their Home Market push has always, clearly been those without children. Hipsters with high amounts of Vanity & Disposable Income are a great way to make a killing in the early going of a market. (Though I do appreciate that they've brought Vinyl back to being a market again. It's really hard to beat the sound of a good record.)

 

The problems with "Smart Devices" has always been the same since techies were trying to homebrew Mesh Networks and digital surveillance cameras: Network Exposure is always going to be needed and you simply can never properly secure them. Being able to do it via Wireless Networking just makes the security risks insurmountable, especially for most of them being fixed firmware & Internet exposed.

[Taf the Ghost]

11 minutes ago, handymanshandle said:

Very personally, I've never seen a purpose for these smart devices. Whoopity fuckin' do, a lightbulb that has Bluetooth capabilities to play music. Whoopity fuckin' do, a fridge that can show me recipes. There's, at least to me, better ways to do that and a smart device for that isn't one of them.

A "Smart" Fridge is still a long, long ways off from actually being useful: which is telling you what is IN your fridge and the likely expiration date. Though the current "Smart" fridges is a good example of what most of the Home Use products have been: add-on, mostly useless Network-aware devices to upsell to unknowing buyers.

[Gullerback]

the water leak sensor is kinda handy.  I don't know bout you guys but i've come home to a flooded basement before.

[LukeSavenije]

24 minutes ago, Taf the Ghost said:

A "Smart" Fridge is still a long, long ways off from actually being useful: which is telling you what is IN your fridge and the likely expiration date. Though the current "Smart" fridges is a good example of what most of the Home Use products have been: add-on, mostly useless Network-aware devices to upsell to unknowing buyers.

true. but we all see the potential of the smart devices, or create what we want it to be. it's nice to see everyone has their own take on this, and all have their valid reasons for it. no wars, just valid argumenting. it's nice to see a real tech tread with a nice discussion. well done all!

[Nicnac]

Alexa, can we hit 1000000 likes?

[LukeSavenije]

1 minute ago, VegetableStu said:

"okay! sending message to botnet..."

target: op

[Nicnac]

7 minutes ago, VegetableStu said:

"okay! sending message to botnet..."

 

6 minutes ago, LukeSavenije said:

target: op

you mean T-series