The one caveat is that it displays your numbers as "UNKNOWN NUMBER" when it should use your Google Voice #, at least when I tried one time
I'm interested in the Mini, but cant tell if it will have a speaker or need to be connected to one like a Dot
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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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The one caveat is that it displays your numbers as "UNKNOWN NUMBER" when it should use your Google Voice #, at least when I tried one time
I'm interested in the Mini, but cant tell if it will have a speaker or need to be connected to one like a Dot
I am pretty sure I read that it links up to your GV, no? Think they also said they would show the phone number later this year
Very excited for the mini. Looks like it will have a speaker to me, but I also hope it can connect to an external speaker like the Echo with bluetooth. The current Home can only connect to phone bluetooth and become a speaker, but can't connect to another speaker without Chromecast audio
You have to change it in the Home app under Home's more settings->calls.
Thanks for this! I literally tried it one time and thought of it as useless as me and my wife refuse to answer unknown calls especially because my # was someone else's # before it got to me.
I mainly use this to turn on lights, electronics, play some music but I feel I've only scratched the surface
I'm on project Fi and it's worked fine for me. Weird.
Random Painted HIghway
Member
Google mini ordered. Just one for now. Could see the utility in a second. We have two homes already. Mini for master bed and kitchen.
Google is giving out Minis in some cities. If you don't win one you still get a free donut or two.
https://donuts.withgoogle.com/
Odds were good at mine like an hour after starting. I'd say a good 20%-30% of people seemed to be winning.
https://donuts.withgoogle.com/
Odds were good at mine like an hour after starting. I'd say a good 20%-30% of people seemed to be winning.
Jzero
Member
Damn lucky, I don't want to drive more than one hour just to get a donut though hahaha
Fortunately it worked out for me. I had drop something off near the event anyway so I just went a little earlier than I planned to. The wait was also a merciful 10 minutes. I was worried it would be slammed.
edit: Damn. I really like this thing. It's so fast and works great with my Nexus Player, Chromecast, and cast enabled sound bar.
How is the google mini in controlling video on a tv? I really want to be able to use voice commands to play shows on Hulu / Netflix / hbogo etc, bring up widget like items like a weather forecast or whatever, and seamlessly switch between them all via voice. I really want the bat cave computer
Cool that you can already set your phone number to show when you make a call. Correct me if I'm wrong but do you need a landline service for Alexa?
My absolute biggest thing is that you can check traffic to anywhere by asking. It's so damn useful
My absolute biggest thing is that you can check traffic to anywhere by asking. It's so damn useful
Voice commands to Chromecast / Chromecast Audio.
Jzero
Member
It actually works correctly? My Echo dot is literally collecting dust because it can't do shit right.
Don't unless you output it to a chromecast audio.
Supposedly a fair bit better than the dot, but not as loud.
RoadHazard
Gold Member
Chromecast (either a dongle, or built in if you have a TV with Android).
I walked into my living room this morning after waking up, told the Mini to play some music, and my sound bar came to life. I can get used to this.
It's not that good. There's no real high or low end. It does get louder than I expected from its size though in my living room.
It's not that good. There's no real high or low end. It does get louder than I expected from its size though in my living room.
Another one, voice recognition is becoming pretty big for me. For example, I can tell Home to show my photos on the big screen TV while my wife can show hers depending on who commanded it. Because it recognizes our voices, it knows whose work place it is checking traffic for, etc. Alexa has profiles but you have to tell it to switch.
Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be any voice support for Pocket Casts which is my preferred app, but you can cast to the speaker from within the app like you would to any cast device.
It works just fine if using Google Play Music for podcasts if you're not married to any specific app. Just say "Hey Google, play the latest episode of ______"
Dang, nah I do use Pocket Casts. Oh well, casting'll do just as fine I suppose.
I only just got mine and I was looking around last night and came across someone who said they might be adding support. I guess maybe because Australia got Home not too long ago. I also know they're a small team so it might just take a little while.
How is the mini connected to your soundbar?
killertofu
Member
Really have no interest in voice assistants but that $17 New York Times deal got me to buy one.
I'll probably use it as an alarm. How well does it work for that case? I'm a notorious "set 20 alarms just in case" kinda guy
I'll probably use it as an alarm. How well does it work for that case? I'm a notorious "set 20 alarms just in case" kinda guy
Works just like any other alarm. You can set as many as you want, snooze with your voice, etc.
It's a Vizio SmartCast model which is like having a Chromecast Audio built-in.
Hm, I have that too but it doesn't see the Vizio when the Vizio is powered off. Do you also have to say "cast music to vizio"?
I have it set as the default music device as per this image Jzero posted above.
I also have my sound bar in eco mode so that it's only ever asleep and not powered down.
Okay, so my full size Home just showed up and I can't decide where I'm going to put it and the Mini.
The speaker is way better on the full size so I'd kind of like to keep it in the bedroom where I don't have another speaker because any music streamed in the living room is going to come from my sound bar anyway.
However I'm also going to use the living room one much, much more and the microphone on the Mini is lacking in comparison. I can talk very low from 10' while facing the other direction and the full size is hearing me every time. I was sometimes repeating myself at a louder volume when facing the Mini from the same chair.
The speaker is way better on the full size so I'd kind of like to keep it in the bedroom where I don't have another speaker because any music streamed in the living room is going to come from my sound bar anyway.
However I'm also going to use the living room one much, much more and the microphone on the Mini is lacking in comparison. I can talk very low from 10' while facing the other direction and the full size is hearing me every time. I was sometimes repeating myself at a louder volume when facing the Mini from the same chair.
Home goes in kitchen, mini on bedside table, max eventually in living room.
Jzero
Member
Aw shit I wanted a mini for my bathroom but if it can't hear well there's no point when water is running
It can hear okay, just not as well as the original model. It has a little more trouble if there's loud audio playing, but only so that it might take another try and speak a little more clearly/loudly.
As a test I just brought it into my small apartment bathroom. I put it on the edge of the sink and turned the tap on full and it had no trouble recognizing me at all over the sound of the water. Then I turned on the shower which is only about 6' away and it could still hear me while standing close to it at the sink, but when I stood next to the shower it definitely had trouble. It only responded to maybe every 3rd or 4th request.
So using it while showering might be out, but anything else could be okay.
killertofu
Member
Tried to wait in line but had to drop my gf off at the airport :/
Got a nice pin tho I guess. I was speaking with one of the employees and she said maybe 1/3 would win?
Random Painted HIghway
Member
One mini in, may pick up some more. Haven't used it terribly much but the size is nice for a bedroom.
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