About a month ago I couldn't resist.
I have two Kenmore smart air conditioners and I ended up buying an amazon Echo (I don't remember the model, it's the square one with a big screen.
I bought it because the A/C was strictly for Alexa (not Google or Bixby)
It ended up that it's impossible to make the skill find the two air conditioners. Ok, at least i can still use the Kenmore app in the smartphone) (ok, someday I'll sit and restart the setup and MAYBE I'll make it work with Alexa)
But then I also bought a robot vaccum, Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo. Having a 4-legged daughter that sheds like crazy and make my laminate floors look like carpet in a couple of hours, the robot does an AMAZING, WONDERFUL, SPECTACULAR job.
It not only vaccums, it also mops the floor. I can literaly have the whole apartment vaccumed and mopped 3, 4, 6 times a day if needed. The amount of dog hair the robot picks up every day is so absurd that I wonder how Miele isn't bald yet.
Before that, I had to stop what I was doing and vaccum twice or 3 times a day
And there's nothing like saying "Alexa, ask Deebot to start cleaning."
Then I slowly started to get used and discover everything alexa has. For example, FREE calls to landlines, without using my phone.
The only thing would make Alexa much better was if it would integrate with google and allow me to make shopping lists at Walmart, Target or Food4Less.
I'm also seriously thinking about start shopping at Amazon (I never shopped at Amazon) Some prices are much lower than everywhere else and there is the convenience. Of course it's not like going to the store and "touching" things before i put them in the shopping cart but for silly stuff that we all have to buy constantly, like toilet paper, soap bars, etc, why not pay cheaper and have it delivered for free? It's better than that Amazon Panic Button.
The voice command is seen by many as "The Feature" alexa has, but no. It's just a new technology that we're slowly adapting to and it's very useful.
Somethign scary to try: Ask Alexa to call and make a reservation in a restaurant and keep the speaker on. Whatever restaurant! It's shocking how Alexa can talk on the phone like a human and really understand what the attendant is saying and reply.
The reminders are also brilliant!
Of course, the interaction with the microwave oven is kinda silly and it really looks silly.
But when you're in the kitchen super busy and doing things in a hurry, those 5 seconds you stop in front of the microwave to set the time and power are 5 seconds wasted. One can simply put the foot in the microwave and ask alexa. Not extremely useful for that silly daily use we all have but great when we're overloaded with several tasks.
Now something really useful is if you have a smart stove. You can follow the recipe usign alexa and she'll preheat the oven for you.
Regarding safety, depending on the command, if it's something that requires attention, for example turn on the oven. You can configure Alexa to require you to open and close the door (like we all do before turning the oven on to see if there's nothing stored in it) before proceeding.
Now one of the very best and useful features is "Alexa, call an ambulance".
What if you fall, are injured and can't walk to the phone? If you can at least speak this 4-word phrase loud enough for Alexa to hear before you faint, Alexa can save your life. Some cities have GPS-enabled systems and Alexa can send the exact coordinates for the first responders.
