Why is Alexa so crap?

[klondike]

I'd just had a shower and was preparing to get ready for the gym when It occurred to me that there are a load of bank holidays at this time of year and I avoid the gym then as it is absolutely heaving. So this may not be word for word perfect but is close enough...

Alexa is it a bank holiday today?
Bank holidays vary across the regions of the UK... followed by a long list of dates for all regions then.. For England... 
Alexa stop
Alexa is it a bank holiday on 10th June?
While there are no bank holidays on 10th June it is National Nose picking day St Wibble's day...

I realise I wasn't certain of the date
Alexa is it a bank holiday on 11th June?
While there are no bank holidays on 11th June is is National bumscratching...
Alexa stop
Alexa is it a bank holiday on 9th June?
While there are no bank holidays on....
Alexa stop
Alexa why are you such a useless pile of festering shite
I'm sorry I didn't get that

Groan.

[Mups]

I just look at my calender.   

[Raven]

I just look at my calender.   

So do I both the wall one in the kitchen and my appointment App on my phone. I wouldn't give Alexa or anything like it house room. 

[klondike]

I don't have a calendar....

Had I been near my tablet I'd have checked that. I tend to avoid using the phone as my sausage fingers can make that a frustrating experience too.

My main use of Alexa is as an alarm and asking it the time sometimes if I wake up and am not sure if it is nearly time to get up. At this time of year the light level slipping through my blackout curtains is enough to know that.

[Scrumpy]

I write everything on a calendar that hangs up in my kitchen..
All my reminders of important dates are written on the calendar as soon as I start a new year..
 Birthdays.. Mammogram.. Dentist etc...
I don't bother too much about Bank Holidays .. Since the children have all grown up..
I do notice that the little school opposite my house is closed.. that tells me..
 My garage send me a text when Service/MOT is due..

I do have Alexa... she tells me that my Amazon delivery is on the way.. She also tells me when she thinks a regular purchase is due  'Would you like me to add it to your basket ?'
She's not too hot on the weather..

[klondike]

I use a small whiteboard for appointments and the like.
I have one with a screen too that links to my doorbell but if I waited for the picture to appeared the caller would most likely be gone. Amazon, Evri, et. al certainly gone. At least they all repeat the chime.

[Alex]

I'd be lost without Alexa, I use her to..
Listen to the radio,
Save a list of items for my shopping list,
Get me up in the morning if I need to be somewhere,
Remind me to put out the bins,
Remind me to do the lottery every Tuesday... I can't think of anything else, she's great ! 

 

[klondike]

Yes it can be a radio and it will take notes and give reminders bit like Scrumpy's calendar  and my whiteboard but ask for anything else and you are likely to be disappointed. It needs a bit of AI to be really useful.

[Alex]

Maybe because my Alexa is an Australian, she knows loadsa stuff     

[Mups]

I really must be more of a fossil than I thought.   

What on earth is wrong with keeping things simple,  same as  Raven, Scrumpy, and myself,  and just jotting everything down on a wall calender?    No gadgets to frustrate you then.

And as for getting up in the morning,  whatever is wrong with the good old fashioned alarm clock?

[klondike]

For  reminders like you I just jot them down but on a little A5 whiteboard not a calendar.

As for the alarm clock one of those won't chime when there is somebody at the door, needs finding and eyes to show the time and fiddly buttons to set the alarm.

Alexa does that alarm clock stuff ok just by telling it to. What it is useless for is the simplest thing that a browser will answer and not read out a load of superfluous garbage I didn't ask for. It may be there but I don't have to read it.

[Alex]

Wouldn't it be boring if we were all the same though  ?  Whatever floats yer boat

[Mups]

Wouldn't it be boring if we were all the same though  ?  Whatever floats yer boat

True.  

[Scrumpy]

I'd be lost without Alexa, I use her to..
Listen to the radio,
Save a list of items for my shopping list,
Get me up in the morning if I need to be somewhere,
Remind me to put out the bins,
Remind me to do the lottery every Tuesday... I can't think of anything else, she's great ! 

 

So, what you're saying is that you don't need to use your brain much... 

[Alex]

So, what you're saying is that you don't need to use your brain much... 

Nothing wrong with my brain Scrumps, I just don't trust my memory    I do have a kitchen calendar on the wall but sometimes forget to check it !!!