Alexa type machine
Thread Starter

Joined: May 2001
Posts: 538
Likes: 2
From: GUESS WHERE NOW
Hi
I am thinking of getting one but could anyone tell me Will it connect to any Radio Station that is on your computer.
I only ask because my wife being Irish likes to listen to Radio Kerry and Radio Limerick on the computer ???
I am thinking of getting one but could anyone tell me Will it connect to any Radio Station that is on your computer.
I only ask because my wife being Irish likes to listen to Radio Kerry and Radio Limerick on the computer ???
Joined: Nov 2022
Posts: 251
Likes: 81
From: SW England
These things are listening devices that relay all they hear after the keyword to central servers to decode. They can only detect the keyword. Once that's detected they transmit all the digitised audio back to their main servers. This then does two things. It will try and do a web search on what the servers think the question is and the data will also be used to target advertising, build up the service provider's profile of the user.
If you can find the internet radio station by typing a request into a search engine then these things should be able to do the same. I think calling them smart speakers is a misnomer. There's very little inside them. It's why they are cheap. Almost all the processing of what they hear is done overseas on powerful servers.
If you are concerned about privacy then it is worth reading the terms and conditions carefully. The providers of these things makes their money from the data they gather from listening to questions and conversations around them. Similar to the way search engines and internet sales outlets make money. Personal data is a valuable commodity. Targeted advertising earns more revenue than broad brush advertising, like that on a dumb TV.
If you can find the internet radio station by typing a request into a search engine then these things should be able to do the same. I think calling them smart speakers is a misnomer. There's very little inside them. It's why they are cheap. Almost all the processing of what they hear is done overseas on powerful servers.
If you are concerned about privacy then it is worth reading the terms and conditions carefully. The providers of these things makes their money from the data they gather from listening to questions and conversations around them. Similar to the way search engines and internet sales outlets make money. Personal data is a valuable commodity. Targeted advertising earns more revenue than broad brush advertising, like that on a dumb TV.


Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 315
Likes: 57
From: LONDON
Generally you would say “Play Radio Kerry” or “Play Radio Kerry on TuneIn”. (Or some other radio streaming service). Not sure why it’s not working for me? YMMV. I can play it from my iPad OK.


Joined: Feb 2006
Aviation Qualifications: LAME
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From: Falling off the end of the thread
In the UK I just asked my Google Home device to play Radio Kerry and it said “I can’t do that”.
Generally you would say “Play Radio Kerry” or “Play Radio Kerry on TuneIn”. (Or some other radio streaming service). Not sure why it’s not working for me? YMMV. I can play it from my iPad OK.
Generally you would say “Play Radio Kerry” or “Play Radio Kerry on TuneIn”. (Or some other radio streaming service). Not sure why it’s not working for me? YMMV. I can play it from my iPad OK.




