What's the point? (Useless / Gimmicky Things)

My parents had a Teasmaid too, which I recall them using at weekends when they were having a leisurely lie-in.

I am willing to accept that for some people, Smart technology has its uses and can be beneficial for them. However, it does not appeal to me in the slightest. The idea of purchasing a smartphone that synchs, links (or whatever the correct terminology is) with a load of Smart gadgets and appliances fills me with horror.

For those of us who have the use of our limbs, I cannot help but feel this era of Smart technology just encourages us to be less active.

Now, because I don't own a smartphone, I know very little about them. Presumably, though, the apps one is required to download and install (for smart gadgets and appliances) take up memory on the smartphone (like with software on desktop computers). If the user doesn't have the memory available on their smartphone for the app(s), then am I right in thinking that their smart technology will be unusable, or that at least some of the functions will be?

Good shout! It's hard to imagine it being necessary but I got good sight so sometimes need to look at it from someone else's perspective. Gr8 point u made thanks.

One thing I do have is a hearing aid which boosts volume for me and I find this really helpful and useful. I need it most days at school.

I love ur username by the way it's so ausome

It's just FOMO, making money off fancy new tech that is obsolete soon after and goes to a landfill pretty fast. It's like Apple releasing a new iPhone every year for £1,000. Does anyone need it? No. Does peer pressure make people waste their money, anyway? Yeah.

Jess Morse said:

That sort of technology I love but some just makes me wonder why it's needed.

This feature of technology is actually potentially really useful for blind/partially sighted people. It can also be useful for those who want to tone down visual stimuli on their phone.

I like some technology but a lot of it seems a bit pointless to me. One cool thing I like is in my room my lights can change colours from pink to purple, a nice slow transition from colour to colour. 

My phone can adjust lighting brightness as well! ️ Total lifesaver when prone to migraines and need it darker quickly. That sort of technology I love but some just makes me wonder why it's needed.

GPK26 said:

Forgive me, but I'm not seeing how asking Alexa to boil the kettle is going to help much when you consider that the other things still need to be done (filling kettle, getting mugs, tea/coffee, milk, etc)

I understand that but at least asking Alexa to boil the kettle is one part of the process that the physically disabled person can be involved in and have control over. Little wins!

When you are physically disabled, having involvement in these seemingly trivial tasks is actually really important and enabling.

For example it could mean that a physically disabled person could help prepare (along with their Personal Assistant) hot drinks for guests coming to their house! This could be a huge achievement for an individual!

Dont get me wrong, I do like a bit of tech and home automation.

For example, our bedroom lights (1 small lamp, 1 large lamp and Philips hue lamp) are all voice enabled. Works great when in bed and want to dim or tunr off the lights. We also have an Alexa Echo that we listen to on a spoken timer when going to sleep.

BUT there are things (such as an Alexa kettle) that you do ask the question.....Why?
Is someting like that more likely to be more noticeable or even "bother" an Aspie rather than an NT? 

Thank you for your response

Forgive me, but I'm not seeing how asking Alexa to boil the kettle is going to help much when you consider that the other things still need to be done (filling kettle, getting mugs, tea/coffee, milk, etc). Maybe if there was a teamaking machine that did everything for you - now that would be great. I must admit that I rememer my parents having a bedside teasmaid back in the day.

I'm all for making things easier for both physically diasbled and able bodied people, but things like this seem a bit of a gimick to me. Please help me see sense

If the kettle was combined with a teasmade from years ago it would be able to pour the water too so for someone disabled maybe that would help. 

Regarding things going wrong lots of appliances with computers in could be more difficult to fix or for me to use in the first place. I like dials and buttons.

The kettle one had me confused as well cause u still got to fill it up and then get the cups as well so what's really the point?  My house has an interactive alarm system which is controlled by phones. My dad uses his phone to start the car as well. My family is tech mad.

GPK26 said:

Alexa enabled kettle....Why?
If I were to have the "convenience" of being able to ask Alexa to boil the kettle, a prerequisite would be to have water in the kettle in the first place.
So, ok I fill the kettle up after I used it last time, but at that time I don't know whether I would be wanting to make a cuppa for just myself or maybe others in the house as well.
I could put 4 cups worth of water in teh kettle, but that would no be energy efficinet if I'm only making 1 cup of tea.
The kettle isn't going to make the tea for me, so I already have to go to the kitchen, get the required number of mugs, a teaspoon, teabags / coffee, sugar - something that I could do whilst waiting for the kettle to boil (having just filled it to the required level using water "fresh" from the tap).

This function of Alexa is actually very useful for physically disabled people as is the see inside fridge.