[jyl]

Does anyone have an Amazon Echo, or Google Dot, or other "voice assistant"?

How do you like it? What do you use it for? What don't you like? Is it a must have, a really nice to have, a nice to have, an okay to have, briefly interesting, wouldn't notice if it was gone . . .

Any (legitimate, researched) concerns about privacy?

Recommendations?

I am sort of interested in these. I don't really know what I'd use it for - telling it to play music, sure, what else - but perhaps it's something that you don't know you want until you have it. I don't have much home automation - Blink internet security cameras and a Nest thermostat. I could definitely see using a fair number of smart LED bulbs when they are significantly cheaper. However, these "connected home" devices seen to be Balkanizing, with Blink bought by Amazon, Nest by Google, and I'm unclear on how one can run them all in a single simple interface. I'm also distrustful of the security aspects.

I see Apple is coming out with HomePod next year. I've never been impressed with Siri. In fact, every time I try to use it, I'm frustrated by its limitations and puzzled why it isn't better. Is it so hard to let the user spell out a proper name or word? However, it can understand instructions about playing music, at least, and Home Pod is supposed to have good sound quality.