Funny, I actually find the opposite true. When friends come over, voice commands become a bit of a conversation starter—especially if I've built some custom DIY integrations.
Interesting take, but honestly I find voice commands a bit gimmicky when guests are around. Sure, it can spark curiosity at first, but after the initial "wow" factor wears off, it feels a little awkward—especially if the system mishears you or doesn't respond right away. I'd rather just quietly press buttons and keep things smooth and seamless. Plus, not everyone wants to pause their conversation just so I can yell at my TV...
I get what you're saying about the awkwardness factor. I've had a few cringe moments myself when Alexa completely misunderstood me in front of friends... But I'm curious, do you think it's more about the tech itself being unreliable, or is it just that we're not fully comfortable yet talking to our devices in social settings? Maybe it'll feel totally normal in a few years, who knows.
I wonder if it's less about the tech itself being unreliable and more about how unnatural it still feels to talk to an object in front of other people. At home alone, I'm fine asking my smart TV to switch channels or turn up the volume, but as soon as there's company around... suddenly it feels kinda silly? Like, recently I had a client over to discuss some design ideas, and I casually tried to ask my TV to pull up a specific YouTube video showcasing some interior concepts. Of course, it misunderstood me completely and started playing some random cooking show instead. It was awkward enough that I just grabbed the remote and pretended nothing happened.
But even when the tech works perfectly, there's still this weird hesitation. Maybe it's because we're so used to interacting with screens silently—clicking remotes or tapping phones—that speaking commands out loud just feels off? Or maybe it's because voice commands still feel like you're performing for an audience, even if that audience is just your friends sitting on the sofa.
I'm skeptical it'll ever feel completely natural, honestly. Sure, maybe we'll get more comfortable with it over time, but there's something inherently awkward about issuing orders out loud to your furniture or appliances. It feels like we're all secretly worried our devices will embarrass us by misunderstanding or ignoring us at the worst possible moment. Or is that just me?
