Alexa, Can You Write My Blog?.....
We've all seen sci-fi movies where characters interact with a speaking computer. "Computer, set course 245!", Captain Kirk would say. Maybe the most famous speaking computer in the movies was HAL, from the old classic 2001: A Space Odyssey. HAL even went rogue and met his demise at the end of that movie. These types of computers were thought to be items from the distant future in these movies. Well, maybe the future is now as I recently welcomed a speaking computer into my house: Alexa.
Over the holidays we got an Amazon Echo, also known as Alexa. There has been a adjustment period involved, just like if you brought a new puppy into your house. Although fortunately you don't have to clean up behind it.
Speaking computers have been sneaking up on us the last few years. There is Siri on Apple devices, Cortana on Windows, and even OK, Google will answer questions. I've never used those application much. They usually don't exactly understand what you're asking and you have to repeat commands frequently. I can actually use voice commands in my car. But it rarely works right. Maybe you have to speak German to it.
Alexa looks like a black can that sits on a table in my house. (You can also get white, but I thought black looked more authoritative.) It also has a cool blue light on top that lights up when it speaks. It connects to your household wi-fi. So what does Alexa do? Well, first of all you have to call it Alexa. It turns on and pays attention as soon as it hears it's name. You can ask it questions like, "Alexa, what's the weather forecast" or the news or sports headlines. It can also act as a radio. One of the best features is it can plays millions of songs from the Amazon music library. I've tried to stump it with no luck so far.
What amazes me is that it replies to you almost immediately. Imagine the technology involved to hear and understand speech, and reply with the answer so fast. That's incredible.
You can have it turn appliances on and off. You can even play Jeopardy with it. So you can ask normal questions, But what about complex questions? To test it I said, "Alexa, what is the Theory of Relativity?" It answered, " The Theory of Relativity in Physics is the theory that states that space and time are relative concepts and not absolute concepts." That's it. Nothing more. I guess if you want details you should go to Wikipedia.
Amazon says that over time, Alexa will learn you better, and will be enhanced with new abilities. But the question remains if Alexa is a helpful household tool, or merely an interesting gadget. I think the answer to that depends on the user. You can use it to set alarms and make shopping lists. It will even order items from Amazon. Imagine that! In my house right now, it's an entertainment device. But I could see using it for other things in the future,
We have heard of other intelligent devices such as cars and trucks that drive themselves. Even drones delivering packages. It makes me wonder what everyday life will look like in about 20 years.
Around the time of the turning of the 20th century, America went through the Industrial Revolution. Society changed from a rural agricultural society to an urban industrial society. New tools were invented. It was the dawn of the age of electricity.
Perhaps we are truly on the dawning of the age of robotics and artificial intelligence. I can hear the old-timers complaining now. "I remember when you had to drive your own car!"
We've all seen sci-fi movies where characters interact with a speaking computer. "Computer, set course 245!", Captain Kirk would say. Maybe the most famous speaking computer in the movies was HAL, from the old classic 2001: A Space Odyssey. HAL even went rogue and met his demise at the end of that movie. These types of computers were thought to be items from the distant future in these movies. Well, maybe the future is now as I recently welcomed a speaking computer into my house: Alexa.
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| HAL from 2001, had an attitude. |
Speaking computers have been sneaking up on us the last few years. There is Siri on Apple devices, Cortana on Windows, and even OK, Google will answer questions. I've never used those application much. They usually don't exactly understand what you're asking and you have to repeat commands frequently. I can actually use voice commands in my car. But it rarely works right. Maybe you have to speak German to it.
 |
| Alexa |
What amazes me is that it replies to you almost immediately. Imagine the technology involved to hear and understand speech, and reply with the answer so fast. That's incredible.
You can have it turn appliances on and off. You can even play Jeopardy with it. So you can ask normal questions, But what about complex questions? To test it I said, "Alexa, what is the Theory of Relativity?" It answered, " The Theory of Relativity in Physics is the theory that states that space and time are relative concepts and not absolute concepts." That's it. Nothing more. I guess if you want details you should go to Wikipedia.
Amazon says that over time, Alexa will learn you better, and will be enhanced with new abilities. But the question remains if Alexa is a helpful household tool, or merely an interesting gadget. I think the answer to that depends on the user. You can use it to set alarms and make shopping lists. It will even order items from Amazon. Imagine that! In my house right now, it's an entertainment device. But I could see using it for other things in the future,
 |
| Self driving car - available today from Tesla. |
We have heard of other intelligent devices such as cars and trucks that drive themselves. Even drones delivering packages. It makes me wonder what everyday life will look like in about 20 years.
Around the time of the turning of the 20th century, America went through the Industrial Revolution. Society changed from a rural agricultural society to an urban industrial society. New tools were invented. It was the dawn of the age of electricity.
Perhaps we are truly on the dawning of the age of robotics and artificial intelligence. I can hear the old-timers complaining now. "I remember when you had to drive your own car!"
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