Google Home

Scam said:
Is it possible to set reminders on GH? If you're cooking a roast, rather than set a timer say "Ok Google, remind me to put the veg on at 6.30pm" ?

And different.. but even better "Ok Google, when I get to work remind me to call Sarah" ? :confused:

I had a quick look but only found a video of a guy trying to use IFTTT to set calendar appointments which wasn't great.
Click to expand...

Do you have any doubt that the answer to your questions is: it is on the way? With Google's work in machine learning and artificial intelligence and with their Developer Conference, I/O, next week, seems like there should be some significant advancements.
 
Pigeon_Killer said:
Mine's back in the box now. It's even worse than it was since my last rant and it rarely recognises 'Ok Google' now even though I'm only sat 60cm away from it.

I imagine it's like having a retarded PA that doesn't speak the same language as you and having to constantly repeat the same thing over and over again just becomes boring.
Click to expand...

I wonder if others are having the same frustration you had? I have had no problems at all with voice on GH. It works perfectly well with voices of other members of the family too.

At Google I/O yesterday, one of the first points Google keynote speakers made was that when they developed Home, a year ago they thought they would need 8 microphones to pick up voices from near and far but due to deep learning and something they call neural beam forming, they were able to achieve the same results that 8 microphones gave them with just 2!

Just last week Google announced a new service (first offered in the US) that they are able to now distinguish up to 6 different speakers in a room and deliver the tailored information unique to each. All this while the "word error rate" has fallen to 4.9% from over 6% in the past few months. And this has been achieved even in a "noisy" environment where many speakers are having natural conversation.

Anyone else having problems with voice on GH? And some of the new services look really good. I liked the introduction of hands free, voice calling as I had previously posted was rumoured. I also liked Proactive Assistant which notifies you of important messages. And Visual Responses (eg for maps and other visual data) that uses your other screens (eg large tv screen) seemed more sensible than introducing a GH with a small display screen.
 
sparkymark75 said:
The problem appears to be the UK get a fraction of the functionality the US (and Canada) get. The phone calling you refer to above, US and Canada only.
Click to expand...

Noted. You may have noticed that yesterday Google announced they are bring Google Home to 5 other countries this summer including a few in Europe. I expect this functionality to increase significantly as they gear up for this expansion.
 
sparkymark75 said:
I did, but there's equally the chance that by releasing in other countries, they spread their resources even thinner.
Click to expand...

I say doubtful. A company with more than $ 90 billion in cash would be hard pressed to "spread their resources even thinner" in an area of mission critical importance to their future.

Why? Here is my take away message from yesterday's keynote speakers......Google is trying to create an interface out of Artificial Intelligence. This is such a huge paradigm shift in the way we interact with information that it seems to me that Google is really just getting started here--but in a world where everyone expects everything instantly, this change will take time. This stuff is hard to do.

Historically and even now you mostly needed a keyboard or a mouse or touch to get to interact with your source of data or entertainment. Now the distance between input and output has shrunk. Soon you will do away with icons and text input boxes and swipes on your device. But my point goes even further than just using your voice in GA or GH as input.

It shows that Google can present its growing skills in AI and machine learning in the User Interface so that the result is just given to you immediately rather than you having to do anything with touch, keyboard, an app, etc. And by launching GA on the iPhone too, Google is basically saying that they are bringing voice interaction to everyone. Seems to me that while AI implementation is really hard to achieve, Google is laying the groundwork for GA's ubiquity (and hence functionality) in a very direct way. Saying they are now an AI company first, not a mobile company first is pointing the supertanker in an unmistakeable direction.

The signs of their push into AI and machine learning are everywhere at Google I/O. They have reduced their voice error rate dramatically in the last few months (4.9%). They have dramatically improved their AI/machine learning skills with the ProActive Assistant in GA to notify you of what they think you believe are important messages, they have opened GA to 3rd party developers, they have increased the number of smart home companies they are working with to more than 70 (eg recently LG and GE appliances), they have determined that they do not need to introduce a screen on GH (unlike what Amazon plans) because now Visual Responses uses the many screens you already have---phone, TV, etc, they have introduced Suggested Sharing into Google Photos, with Google Lens that have determined that their image recognition is better than a human's and can now have the human point their phone to an object to get better information than you already know.

For enterprises, they are making available to Google Cloud customers their Tensor Processing Units to infer information that companies can find valuable in interpreting their data. Their TPUs have dramatically improved performance in Google's own services including Search, Maps, YouTube, Google Play, etc.

Spreading too thin? I think not. Rather full charge ahead.
 
Scam said:
How long it did Android Pay to release in Europe after the US?
Click to expand...

Android Pay is probably not the best example to use to complain about the speed or lack thereof of Google rolling out a new idea outside the US because unlike say GMail or GPhotos, it is a service that requires Google to depend also on third parties, namely banks, retailers and card companies. For example, if you use Android Pay in a high street shop, Google provides the front end of the service but the middle and back end requires assistance from the retailer, the card company and a bank. Say you use it in PC World Currys:

it requires the retailer, the card companies and the bank to recognise Android Pay as a safe intermediary and from an app store free of malware or other defects/virus infections that could affect the retailer's computer system;

it requires PCWorld Currys to have the appropriate card reader (contactless) which some retailers still do not have;

it requires PC World Currys to accept Android Pay as a payment option;

it requires say Visa or Mastercard or a bank to accept your request, process the payment, check the limits on your account, be willing to guarantee payment to PC World Currys within seconds, credit PC World Currys for the net amount after deducting fees, etc.

And what if the retailer wants to offer loyalty points or discounts or special offers? These need to be recognised as having come via a payment on Android Pay and requires further code to be written.

Bottom line: setting up Android Pay is not simply asking Google to pull a switch and presto, on comes the service. It takes time, money and investment in infrastructure and support from many parties.

The same constraints were faced by Apple when they launched Apple Pay. Writing the app into the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store is only one small part of the entire implementation process.
 
I understand that the UK will get some features later than the US.

Here is a link to what I think we should expect to arrive on Google Home in the near future. Some of these new features are really useful. My favourite is an alert when Google thinks you will need to know about something that changes your plans. And it tailors it to a particular individual which might be another member of your family.

https://www.yahoo.com/tech/google-homes-mastermind-no-intention-losing-amazon-162617512.html
 
How about the $ 2500 Japanese version of Google Home/Alexa known as Gatebox, marketed by the Japanese company to single Japanese men? Gatebox is an artifically intelligent character that lives in your home in a glass tube. The star character is a woman called Azuma Hikari that is both a provider of information as well as a companion.

Surely not thinking outside the box. Rather thinking inside the glass tube.

http://www.businessinsider.com/gate...se-company-named-vinclu-created-the-gatebox-1
 
Scam said:
That's brilliant. So you can say "ok Google turn on the radio" to load Tunein Radio on your Chromecast and play 6 Music (the only station I ever listen to) through your amp?
Click to expand...

it would seem yes if you explain your favourite radio station to GH and you have linked your Chromecast to GH.
 
I notice that GH is also improving in the area of helping you plan a trip. While this link below is US centric, I note that Google Flights gives GH a significant edge over Amazon and I look forward to using GH in planning future trips soon.

Examples: finding flights and tracking flight prices, giving directions and providing same-day updates on traffic to airports.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/31/travel/google-home-help-with-planning-trips.html?_r=0
 
I expect things in the Google Home voice activated digital assistant market in general to heat up starting next week because of the rumour that Apple will launch its Siri-based version of Google Home at its annual developer conference.
 
sesevans said:
I expect things in the Google Home voice activated digital assistant market in general to heat up starting next week because of the rumour that Apple will launch its Siri-based version of Google Home at its annual developer conference.
Click to expand...


Rumour proved correct. Apple announced a December 2017 launch of the HomePod. Apple's approach seems to focus on music and less on Artificial Intelligence/digital assistant. Does this indicate that Apple believes it is far behind Google Home and Amazon Echo on AI and hence putting its best foot forward with music? Seems more of an attempt to make Sonos obsolete. However unlike Google Home, the HomePod only enables Apple Music and does not enable Spotify and other music services. Seems to be aimed at Apple Music users.

Announced at $ 349 per HomePod, compared to the US prices of $ 179 for Amazon Echo and $ 110 for Google Home. Apple HomePod buyers are being asked to pay more than 3 times the cost of Google Home, in order to keep Apple margins high.

I must say I am more than satisfied with the quality of the music speakers on Google Home!
 
Last edited:
According to researchers at New York-based 360i, Google Home is far more intelligent that Alexa, after putting the two Home speakers to the test.

Their conclusion: "Google Home is six times more likely to answer your question than Amazon's Alexa."

360i's proprietary software asked both devices 3,000 questions and Google Home won "mainly due to its unmatched search abilities". It seems Alexa fell down especially in that it requires more specific keywords to be of assistance.
 
AndyCr15 said:
I don't have Shortcuts in my 'More settings' menu? Is there a beta version I should sign up to perhaps? **EDIT** Oh, I found a Google page that says this is US only :(

I like I can say 'Play Better Call Saul, on Netflix, on Main TV' but it surprises me I can't say 'Play Game of Thrones, on Play Movies, on Main TV' :(
Click to expand...

In the UK, I have Shortcuts in More Settings under Services, the last but one on the list. I am not clear whether you found it or not? Hope you did as it is fun to use.
 
Good news.

Multiple Users now supported on Google Home in the UK!

Feature, introduced a couple of months ago in the US, is now available here, according to Android Police blog post tonite.

You should see the multiple-user set up card in your Google Home app and you should be able to set up GH as a shared device, to allow other family members or colleagues to connect to it as well.
 
sesevans said:
In the UK, I have Shortcuts in More Settings under Services, the last but one on the list. I am not clear whether you found it or not? Hope you did as it is fun to use.
Click to expand...

AndyCR15: Were you successful in finding Shortcuts? Did you find any interesting ones?

Since then there has been a firmware update 90387 replacing 88047 and they are now introducing Bluetooth support. This allows the Home to act as another Bluetooth device that can stream music from an Android or iOS device.

Device settings in the Home app will reveal a "Paired Bluetooth devices". Look for the "Enable Pairing Mode" button at the bottom of the page. After the pairing process, Bluetooth streaming to Home will work like any other speaker. Compared to Google Cast, it has the distinct advantage of not requiring an internet connection.

Look out for more features:
Proactive Assistance that provides notifications of useful information, like traffic alerts, and Hands-Free calling are still slated to arrive in the coming months.
 
lltfdaniel said:
Is there any difference between the north american version and European version?

The reason why i ask is because amazons alexia is like that the north american one does your lights etc whereas the European version does not.
Click to expand...

There are a few differences between the UK and US versions of Google Home in terms of allowable actions. However the UK often receives the updates soon after they are available in the US. Shortcuts is one example.

An example of actions that you can take in the US GH not yet available here are food ordering.

I recently read that there are more than 350 actions that can be taken on Google Home now but yes some are US only.

The example you gave about lights is one where GH works both in the US and the UK----in co-ordination with Philips Hue. I have Hue lights working nicely from my GH in the UK. I winter I have Nest Thermostat linked to my GH.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom