Google Nest scared the hell out of me last night

[TrogL]

Craftygal is in a wheelchair/scooter and can't reach the light switches. I originally installed a couple of Kasa plug switches and left it at that. My daughter had Alexa and showed me what it could do but I figured I was already in the Google world (I had some Nest cameras before Google bought them) so I may as well go with Google Home.

I bought a bunch of networked lights for the ceiling fixtures but I still had two Kasa switches left over so I put one on a floor lamp in Craftygal's room and one in my room. Remember, they're just over glorified plugs, they have no way of knowing what's plugged into them. The Kasa switch with my light plugged into it is called "bedside". I've got it as part of my Bedroom zone but Google House is having trouble recognizing that, probably because it was added later. Hence Google gives the lengthy response it would give if I was turning off the kitchen zone lights from the Bedroom zone.

I work crazy hours so I don't have a set bed time, but the last thing I do at "night" is "Hey, Google...bedside off." Unless Google misunderstands me and starts ranting about something or other, the light goes out (ie. plug turned off) and Google says "OK, turning off the Bedside".

Last night it announced "Ok, turning off the Bedside...Good night".

I'm scared.

[dweller]

1. "Im under the bed"

Said Alexa …
😱




✌🏻

[grumpyduck]

2. I will never ever ever buy one of those things.

I understand some people find them useful, but I've made it to 71 without needing them.

[frogmarch]

3. Eek!

Reminds me of the time I was packing to move. When I turned off the bedside radio and unplugged it, a man's sorrowful-sounding voice coming from the radio said, "I'm toast."

[relayerbob]

4. ??? I don't understand

Was this just a joke? It knows what time it is and that the lights are going off. What's weird about it saying good night?

[TrogL]

6. I don't have set bedtime hours and it doesn't know what's on the switch

It could be a kettle or lava lamp or anything with a physical on-off switch or no switch.

I'm hoping that last night, because it was around midnight I'd decided to take a catnap between coding sessions it decided it was "night".

Otherwise it knows I have Thursdays off from my regular job every other week and knows to say it then rather than at 4-6 am which is my normal "goodnight".

I mean I've resigned myself to the fact that Google is tracking my every move - I told it to.

But what's next - thoughtcrime? (Another scary thing - that word auto suggested after 5 characters)

On edit - yes, it could be a joke. That's another reason I steered clear of Alexa. But if it can pull that good a prank, it's getting sentient.

[woodsprite]

5. Like Disney's "Smart House", which was made in 1999. nt