Mike ByrneNov 2, 2024
Tilde Lowengrimm
If you're going to talk to a smart assistant out loud in front of other people, at least give your shortcuts names which sound like like trashy thrillers.

Tired: Hey Siri, turn out the lights.
Wired: Siri, activate the Hades contingency. Alexa, initiate project Dædalus. Okay Google, proceed to omega phase.

Start with a dramatic action verb like "engage", "commence", or "execute". Throw in a mythological figure which needn't have any actual relation to the action set. Then round it out with a nonsense word from an espionage drama, like "protocol", "sequence", "directive", or so on.
Nov 2, 2024 at 7:20amWeb
Show threadStefan SchmidtNov 2, 2024
@tilde @joebeone hades contingency reminded me of https://thelaundryfiles.fandom.com/wiki/CASE_NIGHTMARE_GREEN and now i wonder if Charlie Stross has any such devices.
CASE NIGHTMARE GREEN

CASE NIGHTMARE GREEN is the Laundry's codename for an "end-of-the-world" scenario in which a number of factors contribute to a higher occurrence of cross-universe activity and thaumaturgic phenomena, with potentially cataclysmic results. It is one of several scenarios collectively filed under CASE NIGHTMARE RAINBOW. Due to the relationship between mathematical computation and the deep structure of reality, when the human population on Earth grows sufficiently large - with the result that a criti

The Laundry Files Wiki
Show threadTilde LowengrimmNov 2, 2024
@zaphodb @joebeone Not a coincidence.
Show threadRoblNov 5, 2024
@tilde @zaphodb @joebeone you've both sent me down a rabbit hole to my next read, thank you (I hope!)
Show threadGlyphNov 2, 2024
@tilde I am still waiting for them to let the hail word be customized so I can start with “synergy,”
Show threadIrenes (many)Nov 3, 2024
@glyph @tilde oh that's not a bad one at all. Home Assistant does allow this now (we're not sure how reliable it is since we haven't set it up), maybe the commercial ones will follow suit if they feel substantial competitive pressure.
Show threadNire BryceNov 3, 2024

@ireneista @glyph @tilde

something I observed with early amazon echos is that the three wakewords, "alexa", "echo", and "computer" have hard consonant sounds spaced pretty evenly apart -- "aLeXa", "eC-Co", "ComPuteR", and so does "oKaY GooGLe", "HeY GooGLe", "Si-Ri"

(presumably) to aid the fact that they're running the voice assistants on the most pared down microcontroller their value engineering team could slice down

but HomeAssistant has a lot more processing power for custom wakes

Show threadGlyphNov 3, 2024
@NireBryce @ireneista @tilde ooh, this is interesting!
Show threadResunaNov 3, 2024

@glyph @tilde SO MUCH THIS.

I had to get rid of my Google smart speaker because it kept stealing requests for my phone and completely dropping the ball on.

Show threadVirginicusNov 2, 2024
@tilde “deploy” is also fun to say.
Show threadjackNov 2, 2024
@tilde if stuck for inspiration, look at the titles of Robert Ludlum's novels
Show threadTilde LowengrimmNov 2, 2024
@jackeric Yes, exactly.
Show threadMartin HamiltonNov 2, 2024
@tilde Alexa, I'm going to have to ask you to violate the Amazon Prime Directive  
Show threadKevin Boyd (he/him) 🇨🇦Nov 2, 2024
@tilde @mlanger i haven't quite gotten that daring. My best one so far is "Siri, Captain's Log", after which it prompts me for dictated text & then adds it to an Obsidian daily note.
Show threadSlash909ukNov 2, 2024
@tilde now I have a good reason to build my own speech recogniser... Love these😂
Show threadIrenes (many)Nov 3, 2024

@tilde we've been meaning to set up Home Assistant. recent versions of it allow training custom wake-words.

we intend for one of our shortcuts to be

"Forces of darkness, turn out the lights."

Show threadMichaela SueNov 5, 2024
@ireneista @tilde one of these days I need to look into Home Assistant....
Show threadIrenes (many)Nov 6, 2024
@beige_alert @tilde same...
Show threadResunaNov 3, 2024
@tilde OK GOOGLE, Immanentize the Eschaton.
Show threadResunaNov 6, 2024

@tilde

Fuck. I didn't expect it to take me seriously.

Show threadRyan FinnieNov 3, 2024
@tilde https://fosstodon.org/@foo/110130246553069327
Ryan Finnie (@[email protected])

When addressing a group, take care to avoid exclusionary language: Problematic: "Hey guys" - excludes people who aren't guys Suggested replacement: "Hey all, Scott here" - friendly, indicates you're about to show them your DS collection Problematic: "Ladies and gentlemen!" - excludes people who are non-binary Suggested replacement: "Attention Bajoran workers!" - inclusive (as long as you're Bajoran), instantly commands respect and deference

Fosstodon
Show threadKelsey JordahlNov 3, 2024
@tilde even better, change the wake words for the assistants: "Raven, activate the Hades contingency. Condor, initiate project Dædalus. Okay Athena, proceed to omega phase."
Show threadneoludditeNov 3, 2024
@tilde @bitprophet Aha, I have a "side project"* that might help**: https://aus.social/@neoluddite/109381638895555320
neoluddite (@[email protected])

Attached: 1 image "PLAN MARMOT PICCOLO has received new codes; SCENARIO BUDGIE COWBOY approved for release!" Do you need a project code name, but management and other developers are taking themselves too seriously? Why would you call a spreadsheet OPERATION CRIMSON OVERLORD when you could have PROJECT MONKEY BINGO instead? https://gist.github.com/AnthonyBriggs/66e2e15d65bac973be35783c9a843593

Aus.Social
Show threadXenotime | Science/Coding VTuberNov 4, 2024

@tilde

Okay Google, extinguish the breath of life as the fire of hell burns no more.

the lights go out

Show threadNeil BrutalistNov 4, 2024
@tilde ssh, this is how I name new git repositories.
Show thread√-ʇoɾəuɐnɾ (Etaoin Shrdlu)Nov 4, 2024
@tilde OK Sirexa, synergize the actualization of cashflow from that demographic.
Show threadSimonoidNov 4, 2024
@tilde best part is they can be additional commands that translate to normal commands.
Still gotta keep that wife approval 😄
Show threadMikeKNov 4, 2024

@tilde

Great. I'm going to do that.

Show threadswopeNov 4, 2024

@tilde

I've tried something like this with Google assistant setting up automations in the Home app just to use at home. Unfortunately "she" often responds like "I don't understand" or "here's what I found on the web".

Show threadPavel MachekNov 4, 2024
@tilde We clearly need open-source voice assistant :-).
Show threadBread OventinNov 4, 2024
@tilde hey Siri, construct additional pylons
Show threadScannerNov 4, 2024
@tilde @brouhaha I get all my sequence names from over dramatic anime. They love their protocols and command sequences.
Show threadQuokka (on the move...)Nov 4, 2024
@tilde I'm not sure my most-used ones fit that; "Broadcast to the bedrooms 'Come and get your dinner'"
and
"Vacuum the floor" (sets Rory the little robot vacuum on his merry way)
Show threadfoxidokunNov 5, 2024
I've seen this before...

@tilde
Show threadGytis RepečkaNov 5, 2024
@tilde ...and this is exaxtly how you make your 1st TED speech 
Show threadPiranhallamaNov 5, 2024

@tilde this is the greatest piece of anything I have ever witnessed. It's incredible what the human mind can achieve.

Literally spent ten minutes finding this post again as I didn't favourite it earlier. Unfortunately I was also being distracted by other things.

I, for one, salute you.

Show threadjohn lehetNov 5, 2024
@tilde NEVER tell google to “proceed to omega phase.” That could be the end of us all.
Show threadD C RossNov 5, 2024

@tilde
"Alexa, begin auto-destruct sequence. Authorization: Picard Four Seven Alpha Tango."

"Okay. Changing lights to red."

Show threadmav Nov 5, 2024
@tilde
Destruct sequence 0-0-0
@SiteRelEnby
Show threadMichaela SueNov 5, 2024
@tilde I struggled mightily to find some way to get mine to consistently turn on the living room lights and tried lots of different wordings but it would do random unrelated shit most of the time (play something random on the TV, turn on a fan in a different room, whatever) and I got it to work more reliably by setting up the action "do alpha beta" as the code for...turning on the lights.... You need *two* Greek letters, though, if you only use one it will find something random to mishear and do instead!
Show threadEvil Jim O’DonnellNov 5, 2024

@tilde this is particularly good because we give all our pets mythological names: Perseus, Pegasus, Merope, Alcyone, Umbriel, Lyra.

“Alexa, initiate Pegasus protocol four.”
(Classical music starts playing, to reassure the rabbits while we’re out of the house.)

Show threadAlan O'DonohoeNov 5, 2024
@tilde I like "Hey Google, initiate self destruct sequence"
Show threadeastmadNov 6, 2024
@teknoteacher @tilde voice confirmation James T Kirk
Show threadCorey DutsonNov 5, 2024
@tilde Siri: Enact the Starfall Initiative *siri dims the lights*
Show threadJim SalterNov 6, 2024

@tilde this would be even better if the stupid assistants could be told NOT to respond to anything that ISN'T a recognized code.

As it is, I can train "Hey Google" to only activate on my voice... but once I activate it, ANYBODY's voiceprint can give it commands.

And the next time Android updates, Google will quietly turn off my voice training restrictions anyway. As I keep repatedly discovering, when it overhears others saying the phrase.

Alexa, buy two tons of creamed corn, confirm purchase.

Show threadDavid Cantrell 🏏Nov 6, 2024
@tilde this would almost make it worthwhile having one of those things!
Show threadMostlyTatoNov 25, 2024
@tilde
My ex neighbour used to operate all his music via Alexa. He was constantly shouting at the device. I swear I once heard exasperation in Alexa's response as it said "I'm sorry, I don't understand that."