Vyse The Legend
Member
So, uh, do we know when the reviews hit?
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Google Home |OT| - I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that outside of the U.S.
- Thread starter Jzero
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Same here. I don't see why most of its functions won't work outside of the us. Despite that Google support tweet.
Jzero
Member
Seriously wtf, it ships in 4 days.
outunderthestars
Banned
Quite annoying especially given that a bunch of Walmarts have already started selling the thing.
It'll end up being halfway across the ocean to me when the reviews hit.
Can't be all that bad, eh.
Jzero
Member
Don't do this to me, where? I'll cancel my fucking order if i find one near me.
Haha! I'm just saying since we don't know when the reviews will hit.
I ordered from Play Store so it's still just pending.
outunderthestars
Banned
I just want to know if it sounds close to the Amazon Echo. I love the sound quality of that speaker, but hate Amazon and want to use my Google Music collection.
Vyse The Legend
Member
4 days? It's shipping either today or tomorrow. Best Buy orders are already being charged and have entered "Preparing to ship" status.
Walmart has their stock already, but the system does not let you ring it up and buy it until the 4th.
I'm confident that, despite being smaller in size, the audio output will be as good if not better than the Echo. The preview event showed it had clear, crisp, loud audio.
This is what we currently have in our shared kitchen and it sounds absolutely awful:
As long as it beats this i'm happy.
Itshappening.gif
Squuueee!
Went to Ikea yesterday and got myself a little shelf and a plant for the Google Home. Now I just need the actual hardware.
And for my roomies to stop putting their shit on the empty shelf.
Jzero
Member
I'm surprised to say this but you were right. Mine just shipped
I'll try but it's not showing up in my Google Home app so it's probably not supported yet.
PeakPointMatrix
Member
Will wait on reviews. I at least want it to match my Echo in terms of functionality. When I can tell it to fire up an app on my roku as it turns on my entertainment center, I'll be sold.
Jzero
Member
They're getting delivered and we still don't have reviews for this thing? lol google.
Also mine is still on processing so fuck this.
So uh. He said 'hey, google' throughout this whole video. Can we do that?
Do you mean with our phones? I think you can with the Pixel and Android 7.1, but I don't think you can otherwise.
No I mean like from 03:00 and onwards he's speaking directly to it and using 'Hey Google,'
Edit: They mention it in the written review as well:
Vyse The Legend
Member
Yes, "Hey, Google" works.
Mashable did a Home vs. Echo head-to-head: http://mashable.com/2016/11/03/we-asked-google-home-and-amazon-the-same-questions/#SEgV3Uvf9mqx
Home crushes Echo on every single query.
Dunno if it's just me as a non-native speaker but that's way to easier to say than 'Ok Google'.
Just flows better.
What do people typically use these things for (this or the Echo)? The examples seem to be stuff like listening to music or asking googlable questions or turning lights on and off. Is there more in-depth stuff?
I guess I'm trying to figure out whether this is a cool novelty or something that's actually useful. Like, Siri was a cool novelty feature, but ultimately I only ever use it for minor convenience stuff--"call my mom," "set an alarm for 8:10 AM," "set a timer for fifteen minutes." It's nice that it saves me a few seconds here and there, but that's really all it is. It doesn't change the way I interact with my phone. Is this any different?
I guess I'm trying to figure out whether this is a cool novelty or something that's actually useful. Like, Siri was a cool novelty feature, but ultimately I only ever use it for minor convenience stuff--"call my mom," "set an alarm for 8:10 AM," "set a timer for fifteen minutes." It's nice that it saves me a few seconds here and there, but that's really all it is. It doesn't change the way I interact with my phone. Is this any different?
Jzero
Member
The difference is that you don't need to touch your phone anymore. When i'm washing clothes i can now just say "ok google, set a timer for 15 minutes" instead of touching my phone after touching dirty clothes.
It just launched so the features are not as good as what we may get in the future. Here's the current commands available though:
g.co/home/explore
eyeball_kid
Member
I'm going to use it primarily as a speaker in our shared kitchen. Which will function nicely since nobody has to touch it.
So music and then for hue lights whenever on/off doesn't do. (coloured lights etc)
I bought an echo dot and I basically use it as a bedside speaker/alarm clock. It's quite handy in the bedroom as I can ask it questions like 'what's the weather like' or set reminders and things while I'm getting ready in the morning.
Mostly it's just a Bluetooth speaker though, the voice assistant part is dumb and unreliable tbh. The bits that work show potential. Voice is a nice way to interact when it works.
Mostly it's just a Bluetooth speaker though, the voice assistant part is dumb and unreliable tbh. The bits that work show potential. Voice is a nice way to interact when it works.
truthiness
Member
Does anyone know if the different bases are always going to cost $20 extra, or will we eventually be able to buy a Google Home with a base of our choosing for the normal price ($130)?
Right now it looks like everyone gets the standard white/grey color, and then if you want a different base you have to pay the extra money. I haven't seen it announced anywhere, so I'm guessing everyone ends up with the white/grey and then if you want to get a different color you need to pay up.
Right now it looks like everyone gets the standard white/grey color, and then if you want a different base you have to pay the extra money. I haven't seen it announced anywhere, so I'm guessing everyone ends up with the white/grey and then if you want to get a different color you need to pay up.
Many phones already respond to hands free commands.
As long as my iPhone can hear me say "hey Siri," I can wake it up. My Moto X responded to "OK Google" in 2014.
Septimus Prime
Member
Does anyone have this and the Amazon Echo? If so, any thoughts on which is better?
The big difference is that, with these, you can do it from across the room. Like, for example, I could be feeding my dogs in the kitchen and then ask the Echo in the family room how the weather for the day will be, or I can use it to buy things from Amazon. Or maybe I need to set a timer or do some unit conversions while cooking; I can just ask.
Yes. I only meant to say that hands free control is not exclusive to these devices. You don't have to touch a phone to use its digital assistant. I do wonder when we'll see far field mic arrays start to be included in phones.
Are the far field mics more useful than voice control for a phone for setting timers, playing music, or making lists? I usually just leave my phone nearby and use that to set timers or notes while I'm cooking.
Septimus Prime
Member
Hopefully they never implement far field audio recognition, unless they can get the device to recognize only your voice. I wouldn't want other people being able to command it when I'm out and about. And if it's a feature that you have to manually turn on, then it's not going to match the utility of the always-listening home devices.
The worst, ironically, are Amazon Echo commercials. It'll hear Alec Baldwin or whomever issuing a command and start to do it.
I've also once accidentally triggered both my Echo and my Echo Dot with the same command, but it wasn't a big deal.
Jzero
Member
Yea but you can't say "Hey Google stop the timer"
You still end up touching your phone, it's just feels better to have a stand alone device.
Believe me i know, I've owned nexus devices for a while now and having always on "OK Google" on a phone is not as convenient as it sounds when you still have to unlock your phone
I used to use "Okay, Google" all the time back when I had a phone that supported hands free voice commands when the screen was off and locked. Sadly, ever since it was required that I unlock the phone prior to saying the phrase, my usage of the feature is more or less zero. Pre-ordered this a couple weeks ago and am expected to get it next week! Super excited, as home automation is something I've always wanted to start getting into.
Will definitely be posting impressions here after some testing.
Edit: Just got shipping confirmation! Expected to arrive Monday!
Will definitely be posting impressions here after some testing.
Edit: Just got shipping confirmation! Expected to arrive Monday!
I didn't realize Android phones were required to be unlocked now. What the heck's the point then
Siri lets me do some things without unlocking.
RedNalgene
Member
Are any of you guys concerned that Google is listening to everything you're saying? For instance, what if you have some friends over and you start talking about about, say, hiking and then the next day you start seeing ads all over Google for tents. Is that concerning? At least I know that if I search for something it will probably show up in ads, but if everything I say in my home is tracked that seems worrisome.
I dunno if it's all phones, but my Moto X Pure sure as hell doesn't respond unless I unlock the phone first. So yeah, right there with you on "what's the point?" As a result I'll definitely be using Home often.
Honestly, they probably does that already, anyway. I feel like most people would have their minds blown by how much information centers like Google actually have about them.
Jzero
Member
I don't really care, as long as it doesn't start blaring stuff out like "Hey Jzero, want me to cast some more of that kinky porn to the living room TV?"
Btw your interests are already being tracked for ads if you use Chrome, or Amazon, or Facebook, etc.
Android does too, but it's turned off by default. All it does is prompt you to unlock your phone.
Your phone is constantly listening to you to say "Okay Google", but it doesn't record anything until you say "Okay Google". This will probably be the same.
Personally I think the bigger problem right now is someone in or near your house shouting "Hey Google, email my boss 'I quit'" Everything in your life is now attached to a completely open and authenticationless device. This to me is exactly the problem with Google Home, sure Google has lots of useful information on you, but it's about you, when these devices are about your home. That's part of the reason Echo works so well for tasks when phone assistants don't. Everyone switches the lights on and off, everyone plays music but only you should have access to your email and I'm not sure it makes sense to conflate those tasks.
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