Alexa's platform is really, really bad in 4 dimensions: it's antiquated with limited fixed action patterns, it just doesn't work correctly, its skills aren't adequately maintained, and it's developer hostile.
On the first part, if a skill doesn't support a precise sentence structure, it becomes difficult to use or simply doesn't support features users expect to use using natural language.
On the second point, not all Alexa devices work with IPv6. I have an Echo Show 15 here that simply refuses to play BBC News and other "Flash Briefing" items when IPv6 is enabled. Really? It's 2024 now. Did the whole factory reset, reboot, and so forth dances.
An LLM startup with enough partner biz dev/sales talent could combine IoT API integrations from enough manufacturers to side-step the boring and limited Apple Siri, Google Hello, and Amazon Alexa oligopoly hegemonies and self-destructive platforms like IFTTT to execute on a compelling, competing replacement making good on all 4 points. However, I don't think giving away computing resources for free is necessarily a scalable business model but it's fair to charge a reasonable micropayment subscription to host and run your code and data.
On the first part, if a skill doesn't support a precise sentence structure, it becomes difficult to use or simply doesn't support features users expect to use using natural language.
On the second point, not all Alexa devices work with IPv6. I have an Echo Show 15 here that simply refuses to play BBC News and other "Flash Briefing" items when IPv6 is enabled. Really? It's 2024 now. Did the whole factory reset, reboot, and so forth dances.
An LLM startup with enough partner biz dev/sales talent could combine IoT API integrations from enough manufacturers to side-step the boring and limited Apple Siri, Google Hello, and Amazon Alexa oligopoly hegemonies and self-destructive platforms like IFTTT to execute on a compelling, competing replacement making good on all 4 points. However, I don't think giving away computing resources for free is necessarily a scalable business model but it's fair to charge a reasonable micropayment subscription to host and run your code and data.