What if HomeKit could use HomePods as a Doorbell Chime for Ring/Nest/Arlo and other smart doorbells.
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iOS 14 Can Notify Users About Sounds Like Fire Alarms and Doorbells
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But Hey Siri is listening for one specific phrase. This is listening for a bunch of different patterns and trying to match against all of them.
Like every time bloody Siri informs me "Sorry, I didn't understand that" when some actor asks if someone was Serious about something...?
Which surely are just as trained via the neural engine as “hey Siri” is. These MIPS microphones are going to have NO notable difference in power consumption.
While prob not the intended use, I can see this being useful where people wearing headphones are oblivious to sounds/voices directed towards them.
Oddly this was something that I legit wished for, but never really expected. 
I usually zone out with AirPods on while working, and for the life of me can't hear the damn doorbell. This would be perfect at such situations.
I usually zone out with AirPods on while working, and for the life of me can't hear the damn doorbell. This would be perfect at such situations.
This seems like it could be great, if you could set it to your preferences. Like why have it alert you about the doorbell if you already have an app for it? But I think setting your phone to blare while your fire alarm is going off in the wee hours of the night could be life saving.
Likewise. I live in an apartment and cannot hear the buzzer if I’m on my balcony or in another part of the building. I’ve missed multiple deliveries for this reason.
My HomePod is only 3m from the buzzer, so…
“Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.”
― John Adams, The Portable John Adams
Yikes, I don't know where to start. I'll just sum it up as breathtaking ignorance.
I'll ignore the troll who has been addressed several times. But I have been known to sit 10 feet away from the door with my hearing aid on, while expecting a knock.. and *still* not hear it.
So yes, this is a godsend for more than a few people.
So yes, this is a godsend for more than a few people.
For most of human history the basic definition of succeeding at life was making enough money to not have to rely on "hard labour, muscle, perseverance, and sacrifice", and really big success was enabling your heirs to not have to work either. Your ancestors might be jealous, and perhaps there'd be some sour grapes, but unless they were Amish or Mennonite, I bet they used whatever labour-saving tools and conveniences they could afford, or hired servants to do things for them that we can automate.
This is an excellent feature, not only for people hard of hearing. Now you can put on your ANC headphones and not worry about missing out on finished microwaves, door knocks or cats wanting dinner. OK, maybe I’ll still ignore the last one...
This is a feature for those who are deaf or very hard of hearing. I doubt they play lots of hiphop.
Not true. Plenty of people in the Deaf community enjoy music with a heavy beat they can feel.
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Great, I wonder what it would say for a screaming parrot.
I also suffer from tinnitus in both ears (and greatly reduced visual acuity due to macular degeneration) — and having accessibility options like this provided for free on a device I already own is just a bonus. This isn't a deep reach into our pockets for another device, this is a value-add.
On the vision front, while I don't have need for an alternative input device or a screen reader (yet?) you'd damn well better believe I value features such as VoiceOver and have learned to use features such as the Rotor now, preemptively.
The OP, Northern Man, needs to flex their empathy muscles a little.
This is just plain ignorance by someone who clearly is not hearing impaired himself.
I, on the other hand, have profound hearing loss, almost to the level of being actually deaf. I wear hearing aids because I rely on them as much as you rely on your legs and arms. Without my hearing aids, I cannot understand what people say, unless they use sign language.
Gimmick or not, I will certainly use this feature for detecting my door bell. It’s one of the things I can’t hear without my hearing. I think it’s really worth testing. As with everything Apple develops, it’ll become more reliable in the future.