Richard Gunther, co-host of The Smart Home Show and host of Home: On, joins TMO Show host Ken Ray to talk smart devices, home automation, and Apple’s place in all of it. Does everything need to be a smart thing? Does the Matter platform matter? Does Apple’s Home app do what it needs to? Richard shares his insight on this edition of the TMO Show.
Google Home
Virtual Assistant Issues and How/Why to Mastodon - TMO Daily Observations 2023-01-30
T.D.O.O.G. Jeff Gamet has a bone to pick with the likes of Siri and Alexa. Basically, he thinks they should be better. He joins Ken to talk about how and why. Plus – Ken has questions about Mastodon. Jeff has answers.
Disappointing and Delightful Tech - TMO Daily Observations 2022-12-16
An OfCom study on smart speaker use prompts TMO Managing Editor Jeff Butts and Ken to talk tech that disappoints and tech that delights.
Smarthome Tech Matter(s), Crypto in a Down Market, with Jeff Gamet - ACM 563
Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Gamet dig into Matter, the smarthome platform that should make it easier for devices to work all the major smarthome platforms. They also talk about cryptocurrencies in a down market, and how and why Bryan is interested only in long-term prospects and possibilities.
Apple's Self Repair Program and Smarthome Pain Points, with Jeff Gamet - ACM 561
For a limited time, new users can get $10 in free Bitcoin when you sign up today at Coinbase.com/ACM
Smart Bulbs vs. Smart Light Switches, Digital IDs, with Jeff Gamet - ACM 555
Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Gamet dive back into smarthome tech, with a focus on using smart light switches instead of smart light bulbs. This includes Jeff’s recommendation for a smart light switch. They also discuss digital IDs and the perils and promise they offer.
Lawyers: Turn off Alexa and Google Home Before Confidential Meetings
Lawyers who are working from home are encouraged to turn off devices like Amazon Alexa and Google Home because these products may eavesdrop.
“Perhaps we’re being slightly paranoid, but we need to have a lot of trust in these organizations and these devices,” Hancock said. “We’d rather not take those risks.”
The firm worries about the devices being compromised, less so with name-brand products like Alexa, but more so for cheap knock-off devices, he added.
It’s definitely not just cheap knock-offs.
Should You Warn Your Guests About Smart Devices?
David Murphy asks if people are morally obligated to inform their guests that their home contains smart devices like HomePod, Amazon Alexa, and Google Home. Given the fact that these devices can listen to you, should you post a sign in your house that says, “Warning: This Area Under Surveillance?”
If you’re simply sporting a smart speaker, I think announcing its presence is less of a deal—overkill, really. But if a camera is recording me at any point, and that’s something you can view later, I think it’s the friendly thing to do to let me know before I start gossiping…or worse.
What do you mean by worse??
Apple Music on the Web, Voice Assistant Perspectives – TMO Daily Observations 2019-09-06
Charlotte Henry and Dave Hamilton join host Kelly Guimont to talk about the latest web interface from Apple, and voice assistant points of view.
Google Contractor That Leaked Audio Data Investigated
After a report found a Google contractor accessed and leaked Google Home recordings, the company says it will investigate.
Cortana no Longer an Alexa or Google Home Competitor
Microsoft no longer sees its Cortana digital assistant as a competitor to the more popular Alexa and Google Home. The company’s CEO, Satya Nadella, said that it should be further integrated with its rivals’ platforms instead, The Verge reported. Microsoft and Amazon already partnered for some Cortana/Alexa integration, and this is clearly where Microsoft intends to take the product next – more of an app or service across multiple platforms, not hardware to be sold.
CEO Satya Nadella revealed that Microsoft no longer sees Cortana as a competitor to Alexa or Google Assistant. “Cortana needs to be that skill for anybody who’s a Microsoft 365 subscriber,” explains Nadella, referencing Microsoft’s new consumer subscription push. “You should be able to use it on Google Assistant, you should be able to use it on Alexa, just like how you use our apps on Android and iOS so that’s at least how we want to think about where it’ll go.”
HomePod Getting Smarter but Still Trails Google Home
Apple’s HomePod is getting smarter, according to a new report by analysts at Loup Ventures, but it still trails Google Home.
This Voice Search Infographic Is Chock Full of History of Data
Check out this infographic from SEOTribunal.com on voice search that traces the history of the concept of voice search, and also has lots of stats on how people are using voice search today.
HomePod's Limited Market Share, Netflix vs In-app Subscriptions - TMO Daily Observations 2018-08-22
John Martellaro and Kelly Guimont join Jeff Gamet to discuss HomePod’s lack of growth in the smart speaker market, plus they look at Netflix’s plan to cut off Apple from in-app subscription purchases.
AI Limitations, iMac Pro Kernel Panic Problem, Bryan’s HomePod Experiment - ACM 472
In this episode, Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Gamet discuss the current limitations of AI, and what real AI in the future might be like. They also talk about Apple’s T2 kernel panic issue and follow up on Bryan’s dual-HomePod TV experiment.
The Voice Assistant War: Alexa and Google Assistant Versus Siri
We’re still in the early stages of voice assistant technology so we can’t declare a winner yet, regardless of which you prefer. Based on what we’re seeing, however, Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant are putting Apple’s Siri in a serious catch up position.
There Are Ways of Talking to Your AI That Are Dangerous
The subject of how tempted we are to treat artificial intelligent entities as real human beings has some up once again.
Paper Airplanes, Creepy Movie App Tracking, Voice Assistant Wars - ACM 452
In this episode, Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Gamet geek out on paper airplanes, or more properly, powered paper airplanes! They also talk about MoviePass location tracking and the voice assistant wars (spoiler, not all home voice assistants are equal).
Study Shows Consumers don't Use Smart Speaker Voice Control for Much
Loup Ventures just released a survey on smart speaker owners and it has two interesting points: HomePod is already gaining marketshare, and people don’t use their smart speakers for very smart stuff.
How We Use Smart Speakers, the Future of Companion Robots - TMO Daily Observations 2018-02-23
Andrew Orr and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to look at a survey showing how consumer use their smart speakers, plus they talk about the future of companion robots.
Inside Apple's Shareholder Meeting, Profiling Hypocrisy, and HomePod Isn't a Wiretap - ACM 449
Bryan and Jeff go inside Apple’s annual shareholder meeting, and talk about the things that seemed to get Tim Cook excited. A listener also calls them out for being hypocrites on ad profiling, and they talk about how Apple’s new HomePod isn’t a home wiretap.
Apple's HomePod Tech Specs - TMO Daily Observations 2018-01-31
Kelly Guimont and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to run through the HomePod’s tech specs and see how they compare to Amazon Echo and Google Home.
Tech Spec Showdown: Apple HomePod vs Amazon Echo vs Google Home
Apple HomePod, Amazon Echo, and Google Home can all stream music, but how do they stack up against each other?
Tim Cook: You'll Want HomePod for the Audio Quality
Amazon Echo and Google Home have squeaky sounding speakers, so that’s why you should buy a HomePod, according to Apple CEO Tim Cook.