So, Apparently Alexa is Scottish

[dannylion]

I like to watch cooking competitions, especially British baking shows.  Just now I was watching Flour Power, a baking contest that takes place in Scotland.  All of the contestants, of course, have Scottish accents of varying degrees of intensity.  A contestant with a particularly pronounced Scottish accent instructed her Alexa to set a timer for 26 minutes.  My Alexa, which is in the kitchen probably 30 feet from the TV in the family room, piped up cheerfully to announce that she had set a timer for 26 minutes followed by some tips on how to extend or alter the timer if that should prove to be necessary.  She seemed disappointed when I canceled the timer.  

Many times when I ask Alexa to do something, speaking clearly and in short phrases focused on the task, she will respond "I didn't quite get that," and I have to repeat the instructions.  I find this annoying.  Someone on TV with a pronounced Scottish accent, though, she understands with no difficulty.  

Does anyone else's digital assistant have any annoying quirks?  

[Tennesseer]

[happyhoix]

The blue tooth in my car either never understood me or always dialed the wrong number just to fuck with me. Finally turned it off.

[gs11rmb]

As a Scot I appreciated this take on a voice activated elevator:




Apparently, technology has improved since then 

[Deleted]

Siri and I have a mutual dislike of each other.  I get frustrated and start cussing and she doesn’t like cussing, she says “I won’T rESponD To thAt” or “thAt’s nOT NiCE”. So now, I’ve said biiiitch one too many times I guess. Because now she mostly ignores me. She literally will not respond to my voice most of the time, but will respond to Mister.

Mister says if I keep being mean to her she’s gonna drain my bank accounts. LOL!

[azucena]

Too funny.

When we got alexa dd was about 4 yrs old. She was leery of it and wouldn't request her my little pony songs herself. She'd ask big sis to do it. After a couple months, she forgot and I happened to hear her asking alexa to pay a certain song. Well she didn't get the title exactly right so alexa would say sorry I can't find that one. Dd took to speaking slowly and loudly like you would to someone hard of hearing. Didn't matter bc title still wasn't exact. Over and over. I laugh cried.

[Tennesseer]

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Oct 22, 2021 15:46:23 GMT -5 @pinkcshmere said:

Siri and I have a mutual dislike of each other.  I get frustrated and start cussing and she doesn’t like cussing, she says “I won’T rESponD To thAt” or “thAt’s nOT NiCE”. So now, I’ve said biiiitch one too many times I guess. Because now she mostly ignores me. She literally will not respond to my voice most of the time, but will respond to Mister.

Mister says if I keep being mean to her she’s gonna drain my bank accounts. LOL!

TD asked Siri what sized bra she wore.  Siri responded that she doesn’t understand his question.  Smart Siri…….

[NastyWoman]

Oct 22, 2021 20:51:51 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Oct 22, 2021 15:46:23 GMT -5 @pinkcshmere said:

Siri and I have a mutual dislike of each other.  I get frustrated and start cussing and she doesn’t like cussing, she says “I won’T rESponD To thAt” or “thAt’s nOT NiCE”. So now, I’ve said biiiitch one too many times I guess. Because now she mostly ignores me. She literally will not respond to my voice most of the time, but will respond to Mister.

Mister says if I keep being mean to her she’s gonna drain my bank accounts. LOL!

TD asked Siri what sized bra she wore.  Siri responded that she doesn’t understand his question.  Smart Siri…….

He better be careful. At one point this may qualify as electronic harassment and then where would he be. Chances are Alexa is storing proof in her memory

[garion2003]

That makes me think of this video that went viral a few years ago, where Alexa can't understand a Scottish accent:

[myrrh]

Alexa has a hard time hearing me as well (most of the time.) I have found I have to treat (her? it?) like she's hard of hearing, project my voice and enunciate slowly. The kids have to do this as well. Usually she has no trouble understanding DH. I always wonder if they used mostly male voices with generic American accents to "train" her. 

It makes me long for the Star Trek computers who always both hear you and understand what you want.  

[TheOtherMe]

Alexa overhears my phone conversations and tries to talk to me.   She did that when I was on FaceTime. Have no idea of what happened until I heard her say "so you want to have a conversation?"

[Deleted]

Nov 8, 2021 15:02:54 GMT -5 myrrh said:

Alexa has a hard time hearing me as well (most of the time.) I have found I have to treat (her? it?) like she's hard of hearing, project my voice and enunciate slowly. The kids have to do this as well. Usually she has no trouble understanding DH. I always wonder if they used mostly male voices with generic American accents to "train" her. 

It makes me long for the Star Trek computers who always both hear you and understand what you want.  

That's because the computer on star trek was actually Gene Roddenberry's wife Majel.   

You have to be a bit too much nerd to know that.  

[thyme4change]

Alexa is not great. I guess I am old and think we can all look at a clock, or a weather app, or walk over to the light switch. We do ask Alexa to meow a lot. And I do like setting multiple kitchen timers without dragging my raw chicken fingers across the stove control panel. But other than that - she is just spying on us.