Alexa Plus is better at running my home, but it’s not ready to run my life
The Verge Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Opinion — commentary, not a factual news event.
Alexa Plus controls the author’s smart home well enough to trigger emotional photo montages, but it also repeatedly frustrates them when it seems not to recognize who they are. After a year living with it, the experience swings between “seriously impressive” moments and ads that abruptly interrupt that flow, including a full-screen ad for a brown leather recliner. As a result, they conclude Alexa Plus is improved for home automation but still not ready to manage their life in a reliably personal way.
Why it matters
Of all the things Alexa Plus can do, I never expected it to make me cry. Since my son left for college, the Echo Show in my office has been making then-and-now photo montages: the toddler with his first tennis racket next to the captain of his varsity team; me hugging him as a tween […]