Always surprised how little Alexa changed over the years from initial version.
Both on software and hardware there could have been so much possibilities and learning from years of user feedback.
Appstore and skills deserted from years of broken to unusable functionality.
Hardware remain stuck to initial speaker version where there was possibility to replace so many dedicated boxes around house each connected to power supply providing singular function - Access Point, routers, smart device gateway, streaming device, NAS for backup or private cloud, etc
Last one failure for entire BigTech where desire to maintain control prevented any form of standardization or interoperability to the point where hobbyist open source solutions are now leading on how to do smart home right way and not abandon user base in 6 months after release.
The way is to stop using user hostile products and encouraging others to use more open platforms. In Metas own words and many like it by using products/services you are consenting to being product for companies interest as they see fit.
Google wants more control by projecting itself as infallible trust authority on device.
Its standards are so high that if you are ever on other side of its automated tools first response usually is blame user rather than hire any human support team to investigate issues even if they may be coming from its programs. And then the reports keep coming on how it was error or mistake due to scale of operations its just rounding error. Next time it will be different. Trust us we are the only ones who knows this or able to do it right even if we sometimes do make mistakes you should only let us do it. No one is better than us.
Wonder what could be reasoning behind this. Is it they dont want disclose data collection practices or cant do from legal points.
Things like it could come from alexa, pc or any devices devices with forced opt ins that keep scanning all your neighbours wifi networks and mac addresses.
Believe there was also an initiative where amazon devices will provide adhoc internet connectivity by piggy backing on other amazon devices on different networks with connectivity.
So all the openness but without any controls. There should already be a better term for things like this.
Last one failure for entire BigTech where desire to maintain control prevented any form of standardization or interoperability to the point where hobbyist open source solutions are now leading on how to do smart home right way and not abandon user base in 6 months after release.