> set timers by yelling at the air rather than getting sticky foccacia dough in the cracks of my egg timer?

I know it's mainly in jest, but this always strikes me as an odd example of 'high tech'. It feels like a 'first you create the universe' solution to using an egg timer with doughy fingers. Egg timers are simple devices that clean easy and can handle dough transfer. They are (or perhaps only 'were ') built as fit for purpose.

Yes, it's just an extra thing the 'high tech' can do, but damn it's an awful example of the (reached) potential of high tech.

A better example could be:

I can ask the air to buy me a big mac and have it paid for and delivered to my house within 30 minutes all while I'm changing a nappy and putting the baby to bed. There's a whole stack of systems needing to communicate to make that thing happen.

I was expecting a much better example. Not many people are looking to micro-optimize their time. An app to do that (and maybe choose something cheaper and better than big mac) already exist. Whatever improvement is marginal.

Your example reminds me of the famous chatbots buying plane tickets. There is no demand of people looking for a chatbot to buy plane tickets.