Lily: The 1st smart speaker that teaches Chinese

[markcarter]

Just came across this and, since I couldn't find a reference to it on this forum, thought I'd post it here. Note, the fund raising campaign dates back to January this year.

 

They raised 1.5million dollars (which is very impressive) and it looks like they're making steady but slow progress in getting the product in the hands of backers.

 

No idea if it's any good, or has potential. Anyone know anything more or have any thoughts?

 

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/lily-the-1st-smart-speaker-that-teaches-chinese/x/19977152

 

 

[roddy]

It's had passing mention, but it (she?) deserves its own topic. I find it an odd one. Fundamentally what we're looking at here is software. So why do we need the custom-designed speaker? Why not a desktop or Alexa app? Sounds gimmicky. I'd wager this does not, in the end, deliver. If they do - wow, that's awesome.

 

 

 

[∞保罗∞]

I bought that ages ago - must have been late last year so it is well delayed - I saw an update recently on facebook that they are hoping to ship everything by september this year.

 

Roddy good points - really shouldn't be making a big deal about the hardware. My kids already ask Alexa "how do I say XYZ in Chinese" - will be Interesting to see what it will do apart from that.

[Xiao Kui]

ads for Lily always pop up in my facebook. I just wonder where people are living that they don't have access to Chinese speakers, probably not places this product ships to.  Chinese people are such generous and forgiving language gatekeepers that interacting with a machine instead seems to be a real shame.  Then again, maybe to get a standard accent?

[Flickserve]

If it could switch voices saying the same sort of sentences, that would be cool. Separate speaker is convenient but why it needs a special design is a gimmick.

[roddy]

60% off just now, so £163 in rapidly-devaluing pounds, rather than £327. January 2020 shipping. If I'd paid full-price early on, then it'd been delayed, and then newcomers were getting 60% off... I might be annoyed. 

[889]

There's another big problem here. So far as I can gather, the app isn't a standalone: the real processing is done by Lily in the cloud. That is, if Lily can't make it as a going concern, you're left with just a pretty but useless speaker.

 

Lily, 你好！

 

Lily, 你哪儿？

 

Lily?

 

[roddy]

Production pictures in the latest update - I don't know enough about factories to know if I should be impressed or not. 

 

I'm not following this closely, btw, just see an ad now and then and have a look...

[roddy]

Missed update, delayed shipping, discontent in the comments. Doesn’t look good for those who invested. 

[roddy]

Me a year and a half ago:

On 8/2/2019 at 4:48 PM, roddy said:

Fundamentally what we're looking at here is software. So why do we need the custom-designed speaker?

Them now:

Quote

we’ve been working on adapting Lily from a smart speaker to an app while keeping the same voice-control experience.

Their commenters:

Quote

Come join our class action lawsuit against Maybe & Indiegogo.

That lawsuit actually looks halfway genuine and takes in another product, slidenjoy, which apparently, please don't send me a lawyers letter, I hate caving in so easily, shares both people and an amusing inability to actually produce a product.

[mikelove]

Meanwhile, Return to Dark Tower launched a year later than this and their App Controlled Bluetooth Speaker Thingy also spins around + shoots skulls at you, and they're more-or-less on schedule and close to shipping.

 

(they've even promised an API, so if I were a childless 20something with too much pandemic time on my hands I'd probably be whipping up a Pleco flashcard test mode that involves ominous red lights + skull-shooting; "Learn Chinese With Our Evil Mechanical Tower")

[889]

OK, you're not going to be learning Chinese from Lily.

 

But you are going to be learning how astonishingly easy it is to raise and pocket $1.5 million.

 

[roddy]

They've now officially pivoted to an app, which their funders are absolutely fuming about (although at this point, surely only the hopelessly angry and optimistic are still posting). I'm not sure why I keep checking in to see what they're up to, I suspect there's a shameful part of my brain that's thinking "Ok, so if I did a crowdfunding project for some wacky Chinese learning scheme which I know will never come to fruition..."

[amytheorangutan]

I was interested in this, though was never planning to invest but was interested to see the product once it comes out but with all these problems I highly doubt they will be able to deliver any semi decent product. They’ll be under lots of pressure to deliver and would have to do an even worse half assed job than they intended.