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To me, the biggest thing here is that it takes a completely different approach than what has been the traditional path for voice assistants. In the past, it was

by Shank 8y ago

To me, the biggest thing here is that it takes a completely different approach than what has been the traditional path for voice assistants. In the past, it was always the game of waiting either for a custom skill or app, or it was hoping that Google or Amazon would program in some logic for handling a particular case. Shortcuts enables basically any end user with enough devotion and dedication to short circuit this. It doesn’t require them to be an app developer and it doesn’t require them to learn code at all. The most basic shortcuts can be created without any if-then-else logic while enabling so much. I’ve seen my mom ask her Google Assistant to do things with “and” a lot and they just don’t work because command chaining hasn’t been implemented. But with Shorcuts, she could conceivably make a chain and designate a phrase to be conversationally equivalent with an “and” in the middle. Instead of having to explain to family why Siri can’t do X or Y, I can just make a Shortcut or show them how, and I’ve solved the problem rather than explaining why it can’t be done.

refulgentis 8y ago
Google has command chaining, as well as Routines - i.e. Shortcuts, but with intuitive UI. Apple is moving Automator to iOS, this isnt voice UI, its imprecise programming: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DhbmQJBX4AMEoho.jpg:large https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DhbmQJBX4AMEoho.jpg:large
- saagarjha 8y ago
  The "voice UI" part isn't shown on that screen: you can assign a phrase to use to trigger these Shortcuts.
- Shank 8y ago
  You can call Workflow/Shorcuts imprecise programming, but you're comparing apples to oranges. Routines don't let you arbitrarily group data and interact with it in a way that's friendly to non-programmers.
entropie 8y ago
> I’ve seen my mom ask her Google Assistant to do things with “and” a lot and they just don’t work because command chaining hasn’t been implemented it is implemented. It just doesnt work often (or at all) for foreign languages. I'am pretty sure this is the next big thing google is updating > Instead of having to explain to family why Siri can’t do X or Y, I can just make a Shortcut or show them how, and I’ve solved the problem rather than explaining why it can’t be done. At least with GA and ifttt you can as of late make your own phrases (and responders). Nothing for the nontechies, but some progress there.
- joshschreuder 8y ago
  Do you know if it's possible to get the Home to respond to some external event? Doesn't seem to be possible to use as a Then with IFTTT (for example "When I arrive home Then say Welcome Home") I found this: https://www.npmjs.com/package/google-home-push https://www.npmjs.com/package/google-home-push Which might let me write my own API to do something but it would be good if it were built in somehow.
  - entropie 8y ago
    > Do you know if it's possible to get the Home to respond to some external event? Iam actually not sure if this should be the feature of my google home assistent while, ofcourse i see the use cases. > https://www.npmjs.com/package/google-home-push https://www.npmjs.com/package/google-home-push The dependincies show that this uses the https://github.com/thibauts/node-castv2-client https://github.com/thibauts/node-castv2-client. So iam guessing this only allows one to use the chromecast api of the google assistent device. Iam pretty sure the google assistant api will not be open soonish.
- practice9 8y ago
  > it is implemented. AFAIK only for Google Home devices, not phones
- Shank 8y ago
  > Nothing for the nontechies, but some progress there. This is the important thing. I'm a fairly competent programmer and if I'm really missing out on something, I really don't worry about it. The problem is that most users aren't programmers! > it is implemented. It just doesnt work often (or at all) for foreign languages. Everyone has latched onto my comment because of command chaining, but this misses the point. The point was to give a concrete example of something that a user can now accomplish that they couldn't before. The Google Assistant cannot in fact build rudimentary constructions out of arbitrary system objects like Shortcuts can -- command chaining is just the example I picked.
sharcerer 8y ago
Have your tried Assistant Routines? They're in the Assistant Settings. Multiple actions get triggered with single command

by Shank 8y ago

refulgentis 8y ago

Google has command chaining, as well as Routines - i.e. Shortcuts, but with intuitive UI. Apple is moving Automator to iOS, this isnt voice UI, its imprecise programming: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DhbmQJBX4AMEoho.jpg:large https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DhbmQJBX4AMEoho.jpg:large

saagarjha 8y ago
The "voice UI" part isn't shown on that screen: you can assign a phrase to use to trigger these Shortcuts.
Shank 8y ago
You can call Workflow/Shorcuts imprecise programming, but you're comparing apples to oranges. Routines don't let you arbitrarily group data and interact with it in a way that's friendly to non-programmers.

entropie 8y ago

> I’ve seen my mom ask her Google Assistant to do things with “and” a lot and they just don’t work because command chaining hasn’t been implemented it is implemented. It just doesnt work often (or at all) for foreign languages. I'am pretty sure this is the next big thing google is updating > Instead of having to explain to family why Siri can’t do X or Y, I can just make a Shortcut or show them how, and I’ve solved the problem rather than explaining why it can’t be done. At least with GA and ifttt you can as of late make your own phrases (and responders). Nothing for the nontechies, but some progress there.

joshschreuder 8y ago
Do you know if it's possible to get the Home to respond to some external event? Doesn't seem to be possible to use as a Then with IFTTT (for example "When I arrive home Then say Welcome Home") I found this: https://www.npmjs.com/package/google-home-push https://www.npmjs.com/package/google-home-push Which might let me write my own API to do something but it would be good if it were built in somehow.
- entropie 8y ago
  > Do you know if it's possible to get the Home to respond to some external event? Iam actually not sure if this should be the feature of my google home assistent while, ofcourse i see the use cases. > https://www.npmjs.com/package/google-home-push https://www.npmjs.com/package/google-home-push The dependincies show that this uses the https://github.com/thibauts/node-castv2-client https://github.com/thibauts/node-castv2-client. So iam guessing this only allows one to use the chromecast api of the google assistent device. Iam pretty sure the google assistant api will not be open soonish.
practice9 8y ago
> it is implemented. AFAIK only for Google Home devices, not phones
Shank 8y ago
> Nothing for the nontechies, but some progress there. This is the important thing. I'm a fairly competent programmer and if I'm really missing out on something, I really don't worry about it. The problem is that most users aren't programmers! > it is implemented. It just doesnt work often (or at all) for foreign languages. Everyone has latched onto my comment because of command chaining, but this misses the point. The point was to give a concrete example of something that a user can now accomplish that they couldn't before. The Google Assistant cannot in fact build rudimentary constructions out of arbitrary system objects like Shortcuts can -- command chaining is just the example I picked.

sharcerer 8y ago

Have your tried Assistant Routines? They're in the Assistant Settings. Multiple actions get triggered with single command