I think I'm going Google. Reviews are kind of neck and neck but Google seems to have better voice recognition commands and deeper resources (tap into Google maps and web stuff). Plus my phones are Android so Google might make sense there.

Amazon won't let me buy a Google hub thingy though. Prolly pick one up at the local funny farm (Walmart) if they have a Google mini thingy in stock. Looks like many of the wizy-ma-jigs are both Google and Amazon compatible so either will work from that standpoint.

BuckyB93 wrote:

My elderly mother wants to set up a few Alexa around her house so that if she fall and can't get up, all she has to do is call out for help. Any thoughts on this?

rfenst wrote:

My elderly mother wants to set up a few Alexa around her house so that if she fall and can't get up, all she has to do is call out for help. Any thoughts on this?

rfenst wrote:

we got a Hey Google thingy a couple years ago, from DIL for Xmas... and used it mostly to play music on command....we had already installed smart switches with timers to turn on and off the exterior garage and driveway lights and the front family room light...it woulda cost us some money to retrofit light switches and outlets to smart ones to work with Hey Google..

I realized that it's prolly healthier for two past middle-aged, somewhat plump peeps to get off their azzes every once in while to turn something on and off...


the poor Hey Google thingy just sits in a cabinet now...it did have decent sound quality for its size...

delta1 wrote:

Any of you old farts use Amazon Alexa or Google Home at your shack?

I know this is the wrong forum and even the wrong audience since most of youze are still trying to decide if it's time to give up your flip phone but I thought I'd ask anyway.

Part of my current edumacation has got me thinkin' 'bout gettin' one of these new fangled do-hikies. Seems like it's the new thing all the kids are doing and I shud prolly learn 'em. I've faked my way so far but a bunch of my classes are about IoT, AI, cloud $hit stuff, and stuff... yet I ain't gots one in my shack.

Any advice? I'm leaning to the Google Assistant but I also have Amazon Prime and Music which kinda puts me in the Alexa corner too. What do you use (if you use any)? Looking for real world pros and cons from real world losers & users.

So any advice other than don't test an active electric outlet with a butter knife or try to shoot a raccoon when riding shotgun in a gocart?



Disclaimer: Let's put the "big brother" thing aside, that's a bigger topic all on it's own. I PM'ed RAM and Whistle but they couldn't help... neither of the mentioned home assistant's have the ability to change old fart diapers.

BuckyB93 wrote:

Can’t help. I thought this thread was about getting fingered.

teedubbya wrote:

I miss my flip phone.

frankj1 wrote:

Amazon Sidewalk is still an experiment but that experiment is set to go live in the US on June 8. Not only are all Amazon Echo and Ring devices eligible, they are actually enrolled by default. Users will have to explicitly change their settings to opt-out and Amazon is probably hoping that they will also fall back on their default behavior of not changing default settings anyway.