Google Home FAQ

The high horse brigade

bk wrote: »

Just being pedantic, The Google Assistant that comes with Google Home and the Pixel is very different to the OK Google assistant that came with phones for years.

The GHome assistant is now being rolled out to all phones. But GHome was actually one of the first devices to have it.

True, I'm forgetting I've had Ghome assistant a long time ago on my OnePlus One using an Xposed module and I now have it on my OP5 by setting to USA english

ForestFire

The high horse brigade wrote: »

They have most of the same functions in fact when I say ok Google in the same room as the Google home my phone displays answering on another device. I can get the exact same information replies and can control my Hue lights, Harmony remote, Netatmo thermostat, Phlex TV etc all from Google assistant on my phone. The mini Google home that Google are proposing would not have a big speaker either like the dot. So to answer your question a phone is already like a dot

Okay Thanks, but I'll ask the question a different way.

What will the new rumored small Google home offer over using your phone?

It will be a fixed device in the room
It will have better far field microphones
Will it have a better speaker??

Is there anything else?

I have since installed Google assist on my phone and will start playing and exploring with this and try to get it working with google home when it arrives.

Thanks

ForestFire

Available in Maplin.ie now for €129.95 for anyone waiting to order in Ireland.

Still assume these are the UK versions as not official launched here?

Its showing stock in cork and limerick

https://www.maplin.ie/p/google-home-white-and-slate-a14xl?intcid=homepage:slider-1:google-home

the heathen

Interesting Google Assistant powered alternative to the Google Home (or perhaps it's more of an alternative to their dot equivalent if/when it arrives) on the way from Anker.

$70 - sounds like a decent option for rooms where you just want another Assistant but where the emphasis isn't really on a better quality speaker.

Can see myself getting one of these for rooms where I already have a decent speaker set-up with audio chromecasts - like the kitchen and living room - just to answer occasional questions etc - and I'll use my GHome in the bedroom where the sound from the its speaker is plenty good enough imo.

https://www.androidheadlines.com/2017/08/anker-announces-the-google-assistant-powered-zolo-mojo-speaker.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

This on the way too -

https://en.ticstore.com/pages/tichomemini-landing

TitianGerm

the heathen wrote: »

Interesting Google Assistant powered alternative to the Google Home (or perhaps it's more of an alternative to their dot equivalent if/when it arrives) on the way from Anker.

$70 - sounds like a decent option for rooms where you just want another Assistant but where the emphasis isn't really on a better quality speaker.

Can see myself getting one of these for rooms where I already have a decent speaker set-up with audio chromecasts - like the kitchen and living room - just to answer occasional questions etc - and I'll use my GHome in the bedroom where the sound from the its speaker is plenty good enough imo.

https://www.androidheadlines.com/2017/08/anker-announces-the-google-assistant-powered-zolo-mojo-speaker.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

This on the way too -

https://en.ticstore.com/pages/tichomemini-landing

The second one looks really nice but Anker make great products so I'd lean more to that one.

The high horse brigade

I've been waiting on the Nvidia Spot, promised early 2017 but not spoken about since. I wonder will the release of third party Google assistant devices be the push they need to release it

MentalMario

The high horse brigade wrote: »

I've been waiting on the Nvidia Spot, promised early 2017 but not spoken about since. I wonder will the release of third party Google assistant devices be the push they need to release it

I asked this on Twitter a few weeks back and Nvidia ignored me.

wexfordman2

Anyone get a message to unlink devices on their google home to perform a necessary upgrade ?

I did it, and now I can't reconnect my devices (nest therm and hue lights).

Assistant on my phone is fine, just my google homes have stopped working with them

The high horse brigade

wexfordman2 wrote: »

Anyone get a message to unlink devices on their google home to perform a necessary upgrade ?

I did it, and now I can't reconnect my devices (nest therm and hue lights).

Assistant on my phone is fine, just my google homes have stopped working with them

I've read that update is coming, not got it yet myself
http://www.androidpolice.com/2017/09/08/google-preparing-deploy-mandatory-assistant-update-forces-relink-smart-home-devices/

wexfordman2

The high horse brigade wrote: »

I've read that update is coming, not got it yet myself
http://www.androidpolice.com/2017/09/08/google-preparing-deploy-mandatory-assistant-update-forces-relink-smart-home-devices/

Yeah, I got a message when controlling my nest via voice that I needed to do it. I did, and couldn't relink them, and hue dissapeared completely, and wouldn't allpw me reconnect.

I've got one home working now by doing a factory restore and configuring again, but the other two still need to be done.

Bit of a pain this.

bk

Looks like we will be getting a Google Home Mini soon, a competitor to the Echo Dot:

https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2017/9/19/16334972/google-home-mini-leak-smart-speaker-echo-dot-50-dollars-assistant

flangemeistro

bk wrote: »

Looks like we will be getting a Google Home Mini soon, a competitor to the Echo Dot:

https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2017/9/19/16334972/google-home-mini-leak-smart-speaker-echo-dot-50-dollars-assistant

It won't be an echo dot competitor it will be an echo dot killer as I'm getting more and more infuriated with Alexa telling me she can't help me with that or that she doesn't know the answer to that.
Bing is an absolute joke of a search engine I'm surprised they didn't use Ask Jeeves!!

jogdish

flangemeistro wrote: »

It won't be an echo dot competitor it will be an echo dot killer as I'm getting more and more infuriated with Alexa telling me she can't help me with that or that she doesn't know the answer to that.
Bing is an absolute joke of a search engine I'm surprised they didn't use Ask Jeeves!!

I'm on the other end, getting seriously annoyed with GH telling she does not understand this or that. While I heard nothing but good things about Alexa ( source: guardian and tested podcast )

eg.
Q: what is the time in Pyongyang
Cant do it
Then:
Q: What is the capitol of north korea
Gives me the correct answer,
follow up Q: And what is the time there
Gives me the correct answer


I initially assumed google used local servers to pull the local time, and with north korea being north korea it had no local google server. But given that it gets the answer right second time, It just "knows" the times. I also checked my GH app to see that I had pronounced "Pyongyang" correctly, I had.

This really irks me, it's google. They always boast about machine learning and AI etc etc and the GH is somehow "intelligent" compared to Alexa's "skills" (pre programmed to answer certain Questions), yet the above example kills it.

Another example, ( i cant remember the exact phrasing ), but I ask
Q: Is the Tesco open
A: Yes, and the opening hours are from x to y
Of course its actually closed when I ask, but the opening hours given are correct. If you pick a very slightly different way to ask, it works fine.


Intelligent my ass. sorry for the rant

Black_Knight

jogdish wrote: »

Another example, ( i cant remember the exact phrasing ), but I ask
Q: Is the Tesco open
A: Yes, and the opening hours are from x to y
Of course its actually closed when I ask, but the opening hours given are correct. If you pick a very slightly different way to ask, it works fine.


Intelligent my ass. sorry for the rant

This works for me. I've asked Google what time woodies is open until, and it tells me woodies closed X minutes ago. Or it tells me the opening hours

OldBean

jogdish wrote: »

I'm on the other end, getting seriously annoyed with GH telling she does not understand this or that. While I heard nothing but good things about Alexa ( source: guardian and tested podcast )

eg.
Q: what is the time in Pyongyang
Cant do it
Then:
Q: What is the capitol of north korea
Gives me the correct answer,
follow up Q: And what is the time there
Gives me the correct answer


I initially assumed google used local servers to pull the local time, and with north korea being north korea it had no local google server. But given that it gets the answer right second time, It just "knows" the times. I also checked my GH app to see that I had pronounced "Pyongyang" correctly, I had.

This really irks me, it's google. They always boast about machine learning and AI etc etc and the GH is somehow "intelligent" compared to Alexa's "skills" (pre programmed to answer certain Questions), yet the above example kills it.

Another example, ( i cant remember the exact phrasing ), but I ask
Q: Is the Tesco open
A: Yes, and the opening hours are from x to y
Of course its actually closed when I ask, but the opening hours given are correct. If you pick a very slightly different way to ask, it works fine.


Intelligent my ass. sorry for the rant

Strange - I just went through all of those with my GH and it got them all right first time round.

jogdish

OldBean wrote: »

Strange - I just went through all of those with my GH and it got them all right first time round.

...:eek:... Now I'm sad, I tried the above infront of my family and got what I reported ( with the tesco opening times, I needed to try it when the shop was actually closed to "expose" the error above )
Will try again and report back.

ForestFire

Have made my First addition to my GH with the following purchase:-

http://uk.jbl.com/bluetooth-portables/JBL+PLAYLIST+150.html

There is a 15% discount available with the following code:- JBL10-MEMBER.

Using Address-pal for delivery.

This is to extend the music downstairs in the livingroom(GH) and Dining Kitchen area (JBL)

jogdish

ForestFire wrote: »

Have made my First addition to my GH with the following purchase:-

http://uk.jbl.com/bluetooth-portables/JBL+PLAYLIST+150.html

There is a 15% discount available with the following code:- JBL10-MEMBER.

Using Address-pal for delivery.

This is to extend the music downstairs in the livingroom(GH) and Dining Kitchen area (JBL)

How are you getting music? paid spotify?

ForestFire

jogdish wrote: »

How are you getting music? paid spotify?

Yes I am using spotify account (€5PM with Vodafone)

Black_Knight

That got me thinking. Just an FYI, but here's my setup to multiroom casting.

I got myself a cheap amp, a chromecast audio (during the deal in Currys) and I have an old Hi-Fi from when I was a kid with 2 good speakers.
All together it was about €50.

Speaker in the office is just an old JBL speaker I had from years ago too, and another chromecast audio.

Any further audio will probably be with Google Home mini's, depending on the sound quality.

bk

I do something similar. I've Chromecast Audios hooked up to the 5.1 in the living room, some lovely Audio Engine 5 powered bookshelf speakers in the bedroom that I've had for years and to a Logitech Boom speaker.

Cheap multiroom audio. Though I do think I'll pick up a second GHome eventually just for ease of use.

Black_Knight

bk wrote: »

I do something similar. I've Chromecast Audios hooked up to the 5.1 in the living room, some lovely Audio Engine 5 powered bookshelf speakers in the bedroom that I've had for years and to a Logitech Boom speaker.

Cheap multiroom audio. Though I do think I'll pick up a second GHome eventually just for ease of use.

GHome mini.

wexfordman2

bk wrote: »

I do something similar. I've Chromecast Audios hooked up to the 5.1 in the living room, some lovely Audio Engine 5 powered bookshelf speakers in the bedroom that I've had for years and to a Logitech Boom speaker.

Cheap multiroom audio. Though I do think I'll pick up a second GHome eventually just for ease of use.

I was thinking of an outdoor music zone and going the cheap amp/Chromecast audio on the shed and wired to outdoor speakers, either that or some outdoor Bluetooth speakers but they would need to be powered.

bk

Black_Knight wrote: »

GHome mini.

Yep. Though if the GHome drops to €100 again I think I might just splurge for that.

In the living room where I have both the GHome and the 5.1+CCA, I find that 80% of the time I don't bother with the 5.1 and just use the GHome for music, even though the 5.1 has better sound.

I'm thinking the same is true for the bedroom. I currently have an Echo in here along with those lovely bookshelf speakers, but again 80% of the time I just use the Echo for music. However I find Alexa poor overall compared to GHome, so I think I'll replace it eventually with a full GHome.

It is a bit of a trade off between quality and ease of use.

wexfordman2 wrote: »

I was thinking of an outdoor music zone and going the cheap amp/Chromecast audio on the shed and wired to outdoor speakers, either that or some outdoor Bluetooth speakers but they would need to be powered.

Well worth doing. This might interest you, turn your GHome into a portable battery speaker:

https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2017/9/20/16335670/echo-dot-google-home-battery-bases-portable-ninety7

the heathen

You can now set a reminder on Google Home! About bloody time!

wexfordman2

the heathen wrote: »

You can now set a reminder on Google Home! About bloody time!

Just tried it, it seems to be quite bad at recognising a name (eg bank meeting).

Also I did it with my phone in the room, and both devices started running, then ended out going into a loop and talking to each other. When my phone asked if i wanted to save, the Google home understood that as a command to save the reminder

Very patchy

the heathen

wexfordman2 wrote: »

Just tried it, it seems to be quite bad at recognising a name (eg bank meeting).

Also I did it with my phone in the room, and both devices started running, then ended out going into a loop and talking to each other. When my phone asked if i wanted to save, the Google home understood that as a command to save the reminder

Very patchy

I find that using 'Hey Google' triggers the Home but not the phone. Might be worth a try.

CGI_3

I set a reminder via the GH. It acknowledged. Got a notification on the phone, nothing on the GH itself when the time came around. Was expecting an alarm of sorts from the speaker.

How the reminder work for others?

Ludo

Tried it last evening and also got notification on the phone rather than the GH itself. Kinda silly really.

wexfordman2

Ludo wrote: »

Tried it last evening and also got notification on the phone rather than the GH itself. Kinda silly really.

Dunno it makes sense to me, remember it's a shared device multiple users and audible by anyone in the room. I don't think I would want it making announcements about reminders.

As well as that, if you had five users in it, the feckin thing wouldn't shut up ever with the amount of reminders she'd be spouting out.