user-experience consumer-technology digital-services subscription-models

I Fired Google

theartofdoingstuff.com

June 16, 2026

5 min read

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

55/100

Summary

Companies are increasingly replacing simple, functional designs with complex systems that require ongoing support and subscriptions. BMW has implemented a subscription model for features like heated seats, which are installed in the car but can only be accessed after paying a fee.

Key Takeaways

Google Home transitioned to Gemini, which prioritizes caution over providing direct answers, often issuing warnings for medical-related queries instead of straightforward information.
Gemini provides overly verbose responses, failing to deliver concise facts when simple answers are requested, such as the number of tablespoons in half a cup.
Key features of Google Home, like identifying songs and providing current sports scores, have been removed or degraded in functionality with the introduction of Gemini.
Google Home no longer supplies basic factual information, such as the age of public figures, despite being connected to extensive databases of knowledge.

Read original article

View story →

Coverage & discussions

Hacker News · theartofdoingstuff.com

I Fired Google ↗

Community discussions

Hacker News discussion ↗

Historical count: 5 · 5 saved in sample · Historical sample

Analysis ready

Community Sentiment

Negative

Positives

The ability to create a local AI solution using Gemma 4 showcases the potential for personalized AI applications that can cater to specific user needs.
The integration of cross-session memory in custom AI setups indicates a move towards more context-aware and user-friendly AI interactions.

Concerns

The transition to Gemini has significantly degraded the performance of voice commands, making it frustrating for users who relied on its previous accuracy.
Voice assistants appear to have regressed in functionality, with users experiencing increased errors and misunderstandings in basic tasks like music playback and calling contacts.
The perception that voice assistants peaked years ago suggests a stagnation in innovation, leaving users dissatisfied with current offerings.