After seeing an article on new voice-controlled appliances yesterday, I wondered how many DUers have and like them

[highplainsdem]

Not this brand's new products, but ones similar to them. Especially kitchen appliances.

The Verge did an article on these because they don't require apps, wifi or a smart home connection.

https://www.theverge.com/tech/850919/smart-appliance-emerson-smartvoice-ces

A new line of small appliances and devices from IAI Smart, billed as Emerson Smart products, are now available that will let you operate fans, heaters, smart plugs, and air fryers with your voice — with no apps, Wi-Fi, or smart home connection at all.

Using the company’s SmartVoice technology, the devices react to wake-up words for verbal commands, using built-in microphones. Most of the appliances will also offer a built-in speaker so that they can react audibly to the commands. IAI Smart emphasizes the ease of use that this offers. “Our guiding principle is simple: make smart home technology easier for everyone,” said Jason Jiang, CEO of IAI Smart. “Voice control should be effortless, and now it is.” And because everything is on-device, personal information never leaves the home.

The first devices with this technology include:

-snip-

SmartVoice Air Fryers may be the most interesting for cooks: available in 5.3-quart ($129.99) and 10-quart ($169.99) sizes, these kitchen devices will, says the company, come with over 1,000 voice commands and over 100 cooking presets, so you can call out “Reheat pizza” without having to move from the sofa.

I laughed when I read that, because I'm not likely to have pizza for reheating already in the air fryer if I'm in the living room...and if I've put some pizza into the air fryer to reheat, I'm not likely to wait until I'm in another room to tell the air fryer to reheat it.

And I have no idea why anyone would need 1,000 voice commands and over 100 cooking presets for an air fryer.

Anyone here own and frequently use appliances like this?

Btw, I'm not talking about voice control for music/TV. I can understand those appealing to some people, especially if they have mobility problems.

And this new line of voice control appliances deserves a thumbs-up for not requiring apps or wifi.

But I'm just amused trying to picture voice control for food prep being very useful.

[SheltieLover]

1. Absolutely not. No desire to talk to machines.

[Cheezoholic]

2. No microphones in my house. I keep my cell phone in a plastic container on vibrate. Call me paranoid I don't care ;) n/t

[Ocelot II]

3. For a voice-controlled air fryer or other cooking appliance to be really useful,

it would have to be connected to a robot that goes to the refrigerator, selects the food to be cooked and puts it into the air fryer, then takes it out when it's done, puts it on a plate and brings it to you. Or maybe your voice-controlled armchair could roll you into the dining room, where the voice-controlled robot has set a place for you and poured you the glass of wine you ordered.

[Spazito]

4. LOL!

[highplainsdem]

8. Funny! There probably are some people who'd like that (and they'd probably eventually need the

robot to carry them around).

[Hugin]

9. One word...

Cybernetics.

It’s one of Smuck’s ketamine fueled dreamboats. What’s that company he’s occasionally flogging called? Nerosomething…

[milestogo]

5. If I am cooking something I might ask Alexa to remind me in 15 minutes.

That's about the extent of it.

[mwmisses4289]

6. Technology is frustrating enough, don't need yet more tech that will cause more frustation.

[Hugin]

7. My dimpled darling has me...

“Peel me another grape, sweetie.”

[tinrobot]

10. I'm capable of hitting "start" on the air fryer

Adding voice recognition to the equation needlessly complicates it.

[flvegan]

11. Probably a great idea for anyone with mobility challenges.

Otherwise, no thanks. Besides, what could possibly go wrong? lol

[canetoad]

12. More things

To malfunction with no way of repairing them yourself. Not smart.

[3catwoman3]

13. My husband uses Siri on his phone all the time, to call friends...

...and family members, to get driving directions, and whatever else Siri can do.

I don't because it just feels weird to me to talk to a machine. Plus, as far as calling someone, I figure it is good for my brain to make it remember phone numbers, at least the ones I use most frequently.

I must say, if I could have a Star Trek food replicator, I would happily talk to it. "Earl Grey, hot." Maybe even in Sir Patrick Stewart's elegant British accent.

[Nittersing]

14. My Alexa ended up in a drawer after it started talking unprompted.

I can see some decent applications for people with mobility issues, but I'm not a fan.

[mike_c]

15. paraphrasing someone else about the IoT...

...it's millions of devices running vulnerable unpatched linux kernals, with internet connections, usually as root. What could possibly go wrong? Seriously though-- I don't want to have to debug my refrigerator's logic module rather than simply replacing a mechanical light switch, etc. Or to update the firmware to accept third party consumable resources, like water filters. If that's even an option. That's the future, folks.