I think that people in general are used to quietly looking at human artifacts. People have always read books, studied art, watched tv, seen movies so introspection and observation is acceptible in society. However, while you may be comfortable talking to a human artifact alone, you will find that you're not as comfortable when there are lots of people watching. Have you ever tried using Dragon Naturally Speaking in an office cubicle with coworkers all around you? How do you feel about people yakking into their cell phones while you're waiting for a plane at the airport? The fact is in this society people are not comfortable when people are speaking to artifacts. I am of course, making wide sweeping generalizations.

I think when it comes to control of appliances, the best sort of interface is either a barely audible or not audible interface. Perhaps a slight nod, a wink, some sort of subtle body language, perhaps a whisper. But this isn't going to be any time soon.

Calvin