I can’t believe tomorrow is November (already). The signs are everywhere: the holidays are coming. (Cheeses, the local grocery [chain] put out Christmas displays during the first week of October – that’s JUST WRONG… wasn’t the “thing” to wait, at least, until AFTER Halloween?
I am stuck in tradition. Like putting up Christmas decorations AFTER Thanksgiving. Traditions: like using turning signals while driving… at least, when intending to turn! I’ve been behind cars of the freeway, being driven by person(s) who apparently intend to make a turn: sometime. Their blinker has been blinking for the past 5 miles. Then there’s the opposite fool who takes technology too much for granted. You know the one – (s)he believes the technology will turn on the signal IN ANTICIPATION of her/his INTENTION to turn. C’mon folks – it’s not that difficult. Use the damn signal.
Speaking about technology and grocery stores: what are your thoughts re: the Quick Check line when the person in front of you, with 20 items, obviously cannot read the sign above the register that indicates “15 items or less”? And, to top THAT off, waits until the checker has finished before beginning the pay process. You know, swipe the club card, swipe the payment card, type the secret code … all while squinting at the device because (s)he forgot the reading glasses… I’ve seen people six deep in another checkout lane pass through before that old fart finishes paying. (And the chat (s)he’s having with the checker: I’m guessing this is the only time (s)he gets out to socialize and the checker is enabling her/him.) GRRRrrrrrrrrr …
It’s all changing however. Soon, we’ll be talking to the checkout device at the grocery store. “Alexa, pay the store the amount I owe.”
I have a “few” of the voice-first (voice input) devices: Amazon’s Echo, Google’s Home Assistant, Apple’s Siri, Microsoft’s Cortana, Samsung’s Bixby … and I’ve to say they’re getting better by the day. When I first had “Alexa” (Amazon’s Echo device), giving it instructions was like talking to a dog. “Alexa, kitchen light ON.” (Attention device [Alexa], location [kitchen], device [light], action [on]. It was THE method of providing voice-activated actions. Now, a mere 18 months later, it’s conversational: “Alexa, turn the kitchen light on” and viola’: Alexa, let there be light!
Hmmm, I wonder: will tablets replace laptops before voice-input replaces tablets?
What are your thoughts?