r/mildlyinfuriating • • 8h ago

Ruined by Technology When we’re not looking, Alexa displays the wrong time. I finally caught her on video.

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u/notworkingghost 7h ago

I got scared. I replaced her twin sister in the kitchen, and she knows she’s next. I don’t know what she’s capable of.

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u/Vondarrien 6h ago

What’d you replace her with?

I hate Amazon for pulling a bait and switch with the Echo Show showing constant ads now. Been researching the HomePod to replace mine.

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u/SoulWager 5h ago

At least get something that you actually control, like home assistant instead of something on the cloud.

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u/Porridge_Cat 4h ago

Or stop trying to live like temu tony stark? No ones lives are enhanced by "alexa play achy breaky heart" or "alexa when is the next halley's comet?"

Giving up massive amounts of privacy and data for some extremely minor, pointless convenience...

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u/Ohmec 4h ago

You're an idiot for reacting without knowing what the person suggested. Home assistant is entirely local, run by you. It doesn't give data out, because you run it.

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u/nopunchespulled 4h ago

What are good home assistants, I want to ditch my Alexa all I use it for is turning off and on some hue lights and the time

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u/PM_ME__BIRD_PICS 4h ago

home assistant

The software is literally called Home Assistant. It's open source and you'll need to set it up yourself or have a professional do it for you. You just install it on something like a raspberry pi or if you have it a home server/lab.

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u/Darkchamber292 4h ago

Please NOT a rpi. They are dog shit. If you do a RPI do NOT use an SD card unless you want to be reinstalling within a couple years.

Get the cheapest mini-pc you can get. You're far better off

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u/PM_ME__BIRD_PICS 3h ago

Home Assistant recommends it as a first, sorry bro I trust them over a reddit stranger.

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u/diabetic_debate 2h ago

No that guy is correct. I own 10s of Pis and have been running HA for ~5 years now. Mini PC is the way to go for HA. Pi is fine (especially Pi5 with an nvme SSD) but SD cards are terrible. They die frequently due to wear.

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u/SoulWager 25m ago

I'd personally use a small ssd and a couple HDDs, serve double duty as a NAS/NVR.

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u/PortugalTheTram 2h ago

A couple of years sounds pretty fine for most tech.

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u/Darkchamber292 1h ago

Are you delusional? I have HDDs that have been running 24/7 for 5-6 years. SSDs even longer

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u/nopunchespulled 3h ago

Thanks, I didn't realize it was software.

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u/[deleted] 3h ago

[deleted]

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u/SoulWager 3h ago edited 2h ago

I think you're missing the point of home automation. For me it's either replacing some external service, like monitoring a security system/cameras, or doing stuff that could be put on a timer, but with more flexibility in exactly how it works. Maybe you want the HVAC to prioritize different rooms at different times of the day. like in the evening it's using the temp in the living room to control the thermostat, but at night it's using the bedroom temp.

Can also have it do something you'd otherwise have to regularly schedule time for, like check the forecast and soil moisture level, and decide how much to water the plants.

Automation isn't to do stuff you can't do, it's to do stuff you don't want to spend the time doing, but want done nethertheless.

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u/Waiting4Reccession 2h ago

Basically useless for the average person.

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u/SoulWager 2h ago

Depends on what your definition of average person looks like. If you rent, and don't give a shit about privacy or security, then yeah, it's probably useless for you.

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u/TunaNugget 3h ago

Sure, but I'm an idiot that doesn't have to get out of bed to start the coffee grinder.

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u/cptawesome11 1h ago

For me it's just fun figuring everything out. Home Assistant is super powerful and putting together automations with the troubleshooting that comes with that is tons of fun for me. I've learned a lot about a side of tech that I wanted to get involved in but didn't have a good opportunity. Now I have a home Proxmox server with Tailscale, Adgaurd, and a bunch of other shit.

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u/Ohmec 1h ago

Who the hell said I cannot manage my home without a computer? You can also get to work without using a vehicle, why don't you do that?

I love how this conversation went from condemning people who give their data and privacy away for convenience, to shitting on people who take their data and privacy seriously and have taken actual steps to provide alternatives. Who the hell are you arguing against? The actual concept of home automation?

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u/PortugalTheTram 2h ago

I can manage a lot of things without a computer but why deny myself the convenience?

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u/rjnd2828 4h ago

You can always just replace it with nothing at all

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u/cyrustakem 4h ago

don't buy amazon spyware

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u/gobbleself 4h ago

You might want to wait a few days for the alleged new Apple home product o

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u/DesignerFearless 4h ago

The Echo Show has constant ads now?? Just the new model, or all models??

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u/FanClubof5 4h ago

If you are willing to dive into the self hosted world then home assistant has a "local assistant" setup that can be as good or better than Alexa or Google home with none of the spying or data collection.

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u/profstotch 2h ago

Omg it's constant ads. Was wondering if it was just me. I have all the options for the home carousel turned off except photos and it never displays our photos. Most of the time lately it just has an ad telling me to buy a new echo device

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u/DontAbideMendacity 2h ago

My Show 8 usually shows a clock and the local weather. Recently it started showing ads and bullshit. I said "A-word (that's what we call it behind it's back), please display a clock." And it did. Some minutes later, the ads were back. "A-word, show the clock and keep it that way." It replied "I do not have that function." What? "You did 20 minutes ago, show the clock." "I do not have that function. If a clock displayed, it was a glitch." Now the fucking thing is gaslighting me.

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u/jwelshy19v2 42m ago

Her hotter twin sister Alexis

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u/cyrustakem 4h ago

I don’t know what she’s capable of.

spying on you and reporting all your data to lex luthor jeffery kisses

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u/Photoshopdoge 5h ago

I wouldn’t worry about it until she starts asking where the Alexa went…

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u/PlsDntPMme 5h ago

Do you still have the old echo show? If it’s a gen 1 or 2 I’d be happy to take it off your hands! You can flash it with a custom Android OS or standard Alpine Linux and customize the hell out of it. I’m looking into using one with home assistant for a fully local setup!

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u/foidluv 2h ago

LMAOAOAOAOA

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u/Quiet-Owl9220 1h ago

You seriously have this bitch listening to you in multiple rooms of your house? Some of you deserve to have your data mined and leaked

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u/Ardal 45m ago

Looks like you're sleep screen has a different setting to your awake screen.

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u/Ok_Rate361 18m ago

What do you use an Alexa for and why do you need more than one?