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I own a Google Home and I struggle to answer this question. It can do lots of simple stuff sort of well. Activating light switches by voice feels hopelessly ine

by untog 10y ago

I own a Google Home and I struggle to answer this question. It can do lots of simple stuff sort of well. Activating light switches by voice feels hopelessly inefficient to me when you compare it to just using a light switch - especially when you factor in the cost of the hardware involved. Playing music is also fine if you know exactly what you want, but browsing is pretty terrible. Video is kind of cool ("play show X from Netflix on my TV!") but controls like pausing, rewind etc are also very difficult without reaching for the remote you could have used in the first place. When it's useful it's great. But it feels like a tool trying to find a purpose still.

tedmiston 10y ago
Not sure about the Google Home but I really wish Siri could handle a query like "set my office lights to blue 25%" or "dim my office and bedroom". I end up having to issue several separate commands in a row to get (close to) the result I'd hoped for with the Hue bulbs.
bradbatt 10y ago
Activating light switches by voice feels hopelessly inefficient to me when you compare it to just using a light switch Once you have several lights installed it's not inefficient at all. I can say "Alexa, turn on the downstairs lights" and 3 lamps, 2 different lights, and my over and under cabinet lighting all come on at the same time. From the living room I can say "Alexa, turn off the kitchen lights" and all the lights in the kitchen turn off, leaving the 3 lamps on. It's super convenient. Especially when compared to walking around and flipping on 3 lamps and several light switches.
Eridrus 10y ago
Why is pausing difficult?
- untog 10y ago
  Because I'm then talking over a video I'm supposed to be watching. Volume is a better example - I'm talking over the video and it isn't even about to stop. Worse, I'm likely making the request because I'm struggling to hear, and issuing the voice command only makes it worse.

by untog 10y ago

tedmiston 10y ago

Not sure about the Google Home but I really wish Siri could handle a query like "set my office lights to blue 25%" or "dim my office and bedroom". I end up having to issue several separate commands in a row to get (close to) the result I'd hoped for with the Hue bulbs.

bradbatt 10y ago

Activating light switches by voice feels hopelessly inefficient to me when you compare it to just using a light switch Once you have several lights installed it's not inefficient at all. I can say "Alexa, turn on the downstairs lights" and 3 lamps, 2 different lights, and my over and under cabinet lighting all come on at the same time. From the living room I can say "Alexa, turn off the kitchen lights" and all the lights in the kitchen turn off, leaving the 3 lamps on. It's super convenient. Especially when compared to walking around and flipping on 3 lamps and several light switches.

Eridrus 10y ago

Why is pausing difficult?

untog 10y ago
Because I'm then talking over a video I'm supposed to be watching. Volume is a better example - I'm talking over the video and it isn't even about to stop. Worse, I'm likely making the request because I'm struggling to hear, and issuing the voice command only makes it worse.