Green Cross Code Man
Wunt be druv
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[Technology] Google Home
- Thread starter Green Cross Code Man
- Start date
Is it PotG?
Thrifty non-licker
Are these any good? Neither this nor the Echo will be featuring on my Santa list but just wondered what the pros and cons of the two robotic life arrangers were. Can somebody suitably kitted up ask Alexa or something.
boik
Well-known member
I think the limiting factor is that they are place specific. Maybe it's just us, but we live our lives in various rooms, summerhouse etc. I guess some people just slob in the living room all evening. We have an automated house, so the idea of Alexa interaction initially seems good until you think about how you might use it.
Personally I think mine is great. I have a Google home, chromecast audio and today received a GH mini. My standard GH lives in my kitchen and can hear me from my living room, I plan to put the mini upstairs. It serves a lot of purposes, some of them are:
- Playing music either from Google play music or spotify. This can be per room with device or multiroom audio using the chromecast audio.
- Listening to the radio.
- Weather
- Traffic updates
- Timer when cooking
- Setting reminders
- Turning my lamps on/off in my living/bedroom and controlling my under cabinet lighting in the kitchen.
- Boosting my thermostat.
Calling is also coming to the UK imminently
Sure some of these things seem lazy but having three kids under 4 (inc twins) it can be very useful to give out voice commands when your hands are full.
Green Cross Code Man
Wunt be druv
- Thread starter
- #5
All this, perfect answer really.
I like the control over the tv, sat down this evening with my hastily prepared dinner, 'Hey Google, turn on the tv, play Star Trek on netflix....'
Height of laziness but I deserve it after the day I had lol.
I think in the context of the living room, it is good to be able to watch a film or something without the inevitable 'Which film did I see her in before? How old is that actor?' etc etc, without whipping the phone out. I have recently bought 4 Yeelight smart bulbs and it is fun to mess around with those as well.
Normal Rob
Well-known member
My problem with this kit is that it does nothing that I can't do myself with the stuff i have already. I want to listen to Spotify. I put it on (3 seconds). I want to know the traffic situation I look it up on the net (5 seconds using phone with saved webpage) etc etc. Not worth the money or looking/sounding like a tool.
I'd have said the same before my Echo arrived today.
Alexa play the Killers in the living room.
Alexa play Noel Gallagher in the kitchen.
Alexa who is Anthony Horowitz?
Alexa what books did Anthony Horowitz write?
Alexa remind me to take the avocados out of the fridge on Monday morning.
What time?
8:15am
Alexa what time is it?
Alexa set a timer for 5 minutes
Alexa will it rain this afternoon?
Alexa fart (thanks [MENTION=21064]easy[/MENTION]10!)
It's now far quicker for me to play something on the Sonos in the house than it is for me to get out my phone, open the Sonos app and navigate their shit UI.
Green Cross Code Man
Wunt be druv
- Thread starter
- #8
This!
Hey Google, turn on the tv and play Mahler's 2nd symphony on Youtube.' It's on in a flash, way way quicker than using the phone to cast it.
Suddenly I feel very old but at least I'm still fit enough to walk to the table and have the strength to lift a pencil to add to my shopping list. And then go to shops.
Good luck to all of you that genuinely feel this is an aid to your daily life. It probably says much more about me that I can't be arsed but I'll muddle through, Old School.
Good luck to all of you that genuinely feel this is an aid to your daily life. It probably says much more about me that I can't be arsed but I'll muddle through, Old School.
Hmmmm. I feel in a bit of an ecosystem mess...
iPhones, iPads and MacBooks for everyone
AppleTV connected to the TV
Sonos for music (Deezer being our main source)
...and now the Echo.
The Echo can't control the AppleTV, although it can control the Sonos. But it can't do Deezer.
The AppleTV remote has Siri for voice control but you still need to pick it up and press a button to activate voice.
I suspect I should have just waited for the HomePod which is almost upon us.
Normal Rob
Well-known member
Really. Crikey. Perhaps I'm just not that stressed out to be bothered by saving the occasional few seconds. Or perhaps my dignity threshold is set to high.
I wasn't stressed out in the slightest either!
But I've been meaning to trial out an Echo for a while, I had a lump of Amazon gift credit left over from my birthday and the Echo was on offer so I took the plunge.
And my initial thoughts are it's a great bit of kit. No one needs one, of course, but very few people only get things they absolutely need.
So you don't use a tv remote then.
Before I had Alexa, I'd often not bother putting music on when I popped to the kitchen. Now I'll go in to make a cuppa and just ask Alexa to play something. Or my kids will ask her. We're listening to a lot more music than before.
Green Cross Code Man
Wunt be druv
- Thread starter
- #14
Yeah, know how you feel to a degree. I understand these companies are in direct competition, however I am miffed I can't as yet play apple music through Google Home as I have it free for 6 months on EE. Those kind of restrictions spoil what would be an even more satisfying experience.
Green Cross Code Man
Wunt be druv
- Thread starter
- #15
Looks as though, short term at least, you made the right decision.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2017/11/17/apple-delays-homepod-smartspeaker-launch-2018/
bluenitsuj
Listen to me!!!
Can you connect 2 or 3 phones to these gadgets and it will play music from any if these when requested. My wife and I use Google play and daughter uses Spotify
At least this stuff is starting to play together nicely now.
The most useful thing for me is Android for Auto in the car, voice controlled destinations, hands free calls and SMS. I am spending way too much time in my car these days.
I use TuneInRadio from an Android Tablet with a Bluetooth connection to a speaker, to wake up to the news. Son number two has Alexa deliver an alarm with voice cancellation, followed 5 minutes later by a news briefing and then he goes back to sleep again (that's what students do).
Misses for me include;
Controlling your heating. Tado is so smart I probably have to change things three or four times a year at most.
Controlling the lighting
Chromecast Audio - The videoplus audio versions are great, the audio is less useful with so many devices now supporting bluetooth. The Google Home, might make this more compelling.
Can't see it ever - the Internet fridge that restocks itself. An idea dreamt up by people who only ever eat grey food. It's a no from me.
You could get pretty close by using an Amazon dash: http://amzn.to/2hJMDHh
...and configuring it to your beer of choice: http://amzn.to/2hJqFUU
Open the fridge, see you're getting low, press the button and a case arrives the next day!
There's actually a Heineken dash: http://amzn.to/2jC1DY4
You don't have to use it to get Heineken though!
You don't have to use it to get Heineken though!
Green Cross Code Man
Wunt be druv
- Thread starter
- #20
You can set multiple accounts with Google Home. But I am having trouble with this. It is enabled by Google for the UK but the option to add another account is not there for me. I've unlinked the device and gone through the setup again but it still isn't possible. I want this as my wife's Google music is on a separate account. The GH is supposed to recognise different voices automatically without having to adjust settings each time. At least it is supposed to...
