This weeks show is all about Smart Speakers in our homes: Google Home, Amazon Echo, and Home pod. I thought it would make it easier if I shared with folks my podcasting notes that I will be using when I do my demos on Google Home and the Amazon Echo Dot. Google Home Google Home is the first Smart speaker to be officially available in Australia. Physical description: mute on back of speaker to toggle mute microphone. Uses dedicated charger rather than micro usb cable (surprised). Sound is very very base. On touch surface of speaker: on left side draw half circle clockwise to increase volume and counter clockwise to decrease volume. 1 finger tap to stop or start audio. 1 finger press activate speaker without saying “hey google”. Turn Accessible sounds on for speaker listening within the Home app: i.e. after saying “Hey Google” will here traditional beeps to let you know that speaker is listening [...]
This weeks show is all about Smart Speakers in our homes: Google Home, Amazon Echo, and Home pod.
I thought it would make it easier if I shared with folks my podcasting notes that I will be using when I do my demos on Google Home and the Amazon Echo Dot.
Google Home
Google Home is the first Smart speaker to be officially available in Australia.
Physical description:
mute on back of speaker to toggle mute microphone. Uses dedicated charger rather than micro usb cable (surprised). Sound is very very base. On touch surface of speaker: on left side draw half circle clockwise to increase volume and counter clockwise to decrease volume. 1 finger tap to stop or start audio. 1 finger press activate speaker without saying “hey google”.
Turn Accessible sounds on for speaker listening within the Home app: i.e. after saying “Hey Google” will here traditional beeps to let you know that speaker is listening, say command, then beeps to let user know that speaker is processing command.
Setup the Google Home via the Home app on my Nexus 5 phone. Downloaded the Google Home and followed the instructions to setup the Google Home Speaker: i.e. joining local network, choosing Google account to use with the device etc.
Google Home seems to have inbuilt functions called Actions.
Comes with a trial subscription to Youtube Red and Google music.
Some useful commands:
Translate “phrase’ in to another language - “Translate What is your name” to Italian”. Doesn’t alway work.
What can I say.
What is the time.
When is Sun Rise.
When is Sunset.
What is the date.
What is the weather.
How long to get to work.
Turn it up or turn it down.
Roll a die.
Flip a coin.C
Where am I.
Set an alarm.
Cancel alarm.
Check alarm.
Snooze an alarm.
Set a timer (can do multiple timers).
Check timer.
Cancel Timer.
How do I make “dish name”.
Add “item” to shopping list.
Check shopping list.
Tell me a joke.
Tell me a knock knock joke.
Do calculations.
Convert measurements.
Open “6 Swords”.
Open Blackjack 21.
Open the Christal ball”.
Open Eliza (very old AI conversation app).
Open “The Temple in the forest”.
Open the Magic Door”.
Give me a random number between x and y.
Sing me a song.
Sing happy birthday.
Check my Calendar (Google Calendar).
Tell me the news..
Play podcast xxx (seems to be from Tune-in).
Play chill out music (if Youtube default music player will play from source). Can also say play chill out on Google Play Music.
Play aBC radio (plays local ABC radio Sydney).
Play Album name or category.
Whilst playing music - what is this song.
Play 2gb radio (plays from iHeart radio).
How do you spell the word xxx and have it spelled.
What is the definition of word and have it spoken.
Play Twit Live (plays on Tune-in).
What is the nearest restaurant.
What is the phone number for xxx restaurant.
No reminders or stop watch function.
Google Home app on iOS
Main screen can access:
Across top of screen: Menu button, Home title, and Devices button.
Menu button contains:
Signed in account name
Accounts button,
Close Menu button,
Google Assistant Heading
Things to Ask button,
Music button,
Home Control button,
More Settings button,
Devices button,
Account preferences button,
Offers button,
How to Cast button,
Google store button,
Help button,
Feedback button.
Below this - Listen and Discover tabs.
Listen tab appears to be App suggestions for use on iPhone.
Discover Tab - Voice Command History of your Activities button, heading
This weeks show is all about Smart Speakers in our homes: Google Home, Amazon Echo, and Home pod.
I thought it would make it easier if I shared with folks my podcasting notes that I will be using when I do my demos on Google Home and the Amazon Echo Dot.
Google Home
Google Home is the first Smart speaker to be officially available in Australia.
Physical description:
mute on back of speaker to toggle mute microphone. Uses dedicated charger rather than micro usb cable (surprised). Sound is very very base. On touch surface of speaker: on left side draw half circle clockwise to increase volume and counter clockwise to decrease volume. 1 finger tap to stop or start audio. 1 finger press activate speaker without saying “hey google”.
Turn Accessible sounds on for speaker listening within the Home app: i.e. after saying “Hey Google” will here traditional beeps to let you know that speaker is listening, say command, then beeps to let user know that speaker is processing command.
Setup the Google Home via the Home app on my Nexus 5 phone. Downloaded the Google Home and followed the instructions to setup the Google Home Speaker: i.e. joining local network, choosing Google account to use with the device etc.
Google Home seems to have inbuilt functions called Actions.
Comes with a trial subscription to Youtube Red and Google music.
Some useful commands:
Translate “phrase’ in to another language - “Translate What is your name” to Italian”. Doesn’t alway work.
What can I say.
What is the time.
When is Sun Rise.
When is Sunset.
What is the date.
What is the weather.
How long to get to work.
Turn it up or turn it down.
Roll a die.
Flip a coin.C
Where am I.
Set an alarm.
Cancel alarm.
Check alarm.
Snooze an alarm.
Set a timer (can do multiple timers).
Check timer.
Cancel Timer.
How do I make “dish name”.
Add “item” to shopping list.
Check shopping list.
Tell me a joke.
Tell me a knock knock joke.
Do calculations.
Convert measurements.
Open “6 Swords”.
Open Blackjack 21.
Open the Christal ball”.
Open Eliza (very old AI conversation app).
Open “The Temple in the forest”.
Open the Magic Door”.
Give me a random number between x and y.
Sing me a song.
Sing happy birthday.
Check my Calendar (Google Calendar).
Tell me the news..
Play podcast xxx (seems to be from Tune-in).
Play chill out music (if Youtube default music player will play from source). Can also say play chill out on Google Play Music.
Play aBC radio (plays local ABC radio Sydney).
Play Album name or category.
Whilst playing music - what is this song.
Play 2gb radio (plays from iHeart radio).
How do you spell the word xxx and have it spelled.
What is the definition of word and have it spoken.
Play Twit Live (plays on Tune-in).
What is the nearest restaurant.
What is the phone number for xxx restaurant.
No reminders or stop watch function.
Google Home app on iOS
Main screen can access:
Across top of screen: Menu button, Home title, and Devices button.
Menu button contains:
Signed in account name
Accounts button,
Close Menu button,
Google Assistant Heading
Things to Ask button,
Music button,
Home Control button,
More Settings button,
Devices button,
Account preferences button,
Offers button,
How to Cast button,
Google store button,
Help button,
Feedback button.
Below this - Listen and Discover tabs.
Listen tab appears to be App suggestions for use on iPhone.
Discover Tab - Voice Command History of your Activities button, heading “Related to your Activity, command suggestions, Settings button, and then more app suggestions.
To turn the Accessibility toggle (sound that plays to let you now Home is listening) from home screen - Devices button, the 2nd More options button, Settings button, Accessibility Start Sound on/off button.
If playing music, to start/pause music and adjust volume from main screen - Devices button: current track playing is listed followed by Pause button, and Volume button. Pause will start/stop audio. Volume button changes to a volume slider to adjust volume.
Available from JB Hi-Fi and other retailers. Approximately $200.
Amazon Echo Dot (and other Echo devices)
The Amazon Echo Dot can be accessed in Australia, but it is not officially supported which affects local service queries.
Physical description:
Squat and round with 4 buttons at 12, 3, 6 and 4. AT one side of Dot, micro usb port to plug in to power and 3.5mm audio jack. Can connect to Bluetooth.
4 buttons are: at 12 and 6 volume up and down, 9 mute mic toggle, and 3 action button (activate Alexa without saying “Alexa”.
As Amazon Echo not officially in Australia, was able to fully connect the Amazon Echo to my Wi-Fi network and access most of the features via the Alexa.amazon.com website including skills (apps for the echo).
Turn Accessible sounds on for speaker listening within alexa.amazon.com i.e. after saying “Alexa” will here traditional beeps to let you know that speaker is listening, say command, then beeps to let user know that speaker is processing command.
Amazon Echo has user added functionality through enabling skills (apps).
Amazon Prime music doesn’t appear to be accessible via my Australian Amazon account consequently I just use Tune-in as main music source.
Some useful commands:
Play “my last Audible book” or play book title from Audible”.
What can I say.
What is the time.
When is Sun Rise (have to say Gosford In Australia).
When is Sunset (have to say gosford Australia).
What is the date.
What is the weather (have to say Gosford Australia).
Turn it up or turn it down.
Roll a die.
Flip a coin.
Set an alarm.
Cancel alarm.
Check alarm.
Snooze an alarm.
Set a timer (can do multiple timers).
Check timer.
Cancel Timer.
How do I make “dish name” used with the All Recipes skill.
Add “item” to shopping list.
Check shopping list.
Tell me a joke.
Tell me a knock knock joke.
Do calculations.
Convert measurements.
Open “6 Swords” (after enabling it).
Open Blackjack 21 (after enabling it).
Open the Christal ball (after enabling it).
Open Eliza (very old AI conversation app) (after enabling it).
Open the Magic Door (after enabling it).
Give me a random number between x and y.
Sing me a song.
Sing happy birthday.
Check my Calendar (can tie the Outlook skill to Alexa).
Tell me the news (flash briefing)..
Play podcast xxx (seems to be from Tune-in).
How do you spell the word xxx and have it spelled.
What is the definition of word and have it spoken.
Play Twit Live (plays on Tune-in).
Open “stop watch” (after enabling).
Playing music from Tune-in is a bit of a pain. Also trying to get a local radio to play via tune-in is quite difficult, although triple plays fine.
Alexa.amazon.com website:
After logging in with Amazon account, gives the following tabs:
Home page - new AAlexa suggestions, shows what you last used/spok to Alexa, and useful links.
Select the Navigation menu to bring up the following Alexa app tabs:
Home tab 1 of 11,
Now playing tab 2 of 11.
Music and books tab 3 of 11
Lists tab 4 of 11
Timers and Alarms 5 of 11
Skills tab 6 of 11
Smart home tab 7 of 11
Things to try tab 8 of 11
Settings tab 9 of 11
Help and feedback tab 10 of 11
Not David sign out tab 11 of 11.
My favourite Alexa apps
My most used Alexa skills and activities are:
What is the time.
What is the date.
What is the weather in Gosford.
Use of multiple timers when cooking.
Set an alarm for 6am.
Flash briefing.
Spell word.
Twitter.
Chillout.
Check my calendar (Outlook skill).
Fitbit skill.
Netatmo skill.
Audible skill.
Kindle skill.
Wemo skill.
Play 21 Blackjack.
Play Rock Paper Scissors.
unofficial Zork.
Pig Dice.
Play Vision Australia Radio Melbourne on Tune-in.
Play Vision Australia Radio Adelaide on Tune-in.
Play MacBreak Weekly.
Play the MacCast on Tune-in.
Add “item” to Shopping list.
Add “item” to ToDo list.
Open this day in history.
Can buy the Amazon Echo devices usually from eBay related retailers in Australia. Approximate price for the Echo Dot is $100 or so. Hopefully Amazon actually coming to Australia in 2018.
Home Pod
Physical description: cylinder style speaker with a touch surface top to touch for start/stop music, and adjust the volume. Top also shows when Siri is listening. Not sure, but likely to have a lightning port to plug in to power.
Tied to Apple Music.
Uses Siri for voice interactions, and of course, use Siri to ask all sorts of questions.
Control Home Kit enabled accessories.
Supports Airplay 2. Can have to Home Pods in the same room where they will balance the music between both speakers. Home Pods in other rooms can e controlled by AirPlay.
A few functions that I hope Siri/Home Pod will do:
Allow the use of multiple timers,
Play iBook audio and eBooks,
Not sound to bass when playing spoken word content.
A Tweet noticed in the last week of July concerning the Firmware for the Home Pod emptied that Apple’s Accessibility features such as VoiceOver would be supported in the Home Pod: i.e. perhaps using VoiceOver to read out certain information.
Available from Apple stores and resellers December 2017. Will retail for round about $600-700 or so here in Australia.