Google Home - The home of the future?
22.9.2017
Translation: machine translated
With its first smart speaker, Google is taking the connected home to a new level. Its advantage over the competition: the huge data advantage.
It is a speaker, search engine and personal assistant in one and goes by the name of Google Home. The speaker, just 15 cm high and with a timeless design, comes with an integrated Google voice assistant and is set to become an integral part of our lives.
We can ask it questions or have it do things for us. All we have to do is shout "Ok Google" - and it will
its full attention on us. But be careful: it likes to listen in the background if we don't switch it off.
To use Google Home, you first need to download the Google Home app and create a Google account
. must be created. Because: It wants access to all activities and data. This means: access to contacts, calendar,
search queries, etc. Makes sense, after all, the little box wants to know everything about me and my behaviour
. behaviour. So it always has the right answer to my question.
Voice commands
Google Home understands commands and questions based on certain keywords in the sentence. This means we don't have to memorise entire phrases, but can retain our usual language style in most cases.
Appointments, time and alarm clock
Google Home can read out your appointments, tell you the time at any location and set your alarm clock to a specific time. You can therefore ask the following questions or define commands:
- "What time is it in Zurich?"
- "Wake me up in an hour."
- "What's on the agenda today?"
Let's try it out right now: "Ok Google, what's on today?" - "Good morning, Cheryl. It's 07:02 in the morning. The weather in Schaffhausen is sunny and it's 12 degrees. The digitec brochure goes to press today at 12:00. Have a nice day!" Little slimeball.
Navigation
From the information in Google Maps, Google Home can tell you how far it is to a certain place or restaurant or when my train leaves:
- "How long will my commute take?"
- "Is there a traffic jam on the way to Schaffhausen?"
- "Where is the nearest Italian restaurant?"
Everyday problems
Who needs cookery books and calculators when a friendly voice from a tin can read your every wish from your lips?
- "What is 7 times 49 668?"
- "How many calories are in a pizza?"
Discover more functions
Control smart home devices, plan your day, write your shopping list? You can find all the information you need to set up and manage your functions here. .
Smart Home devices
Google can do even more - it can integrate the entire smart home. This makes it possible for Google Home to switch on the light at the same time every day with the corresponding additional devices and start your favourite Spotify playlist on the speaker in the bathroom at the same time.
Or simply: "Ok Google, dim the light in the living room."
For those who don't want to get up from the sofa, the online service "IFTTT" could be of interest:
Here, too, corresponding devices can be linked to Google Home, commands can be defined and actions can be executed.
For example, the home cinema speakers or TV can be switched on via the Logitech Harmony Hub with Google Home and IFTTT and a film can be played. If you set up the right lighting, it changes to the predefined colour at the same time.
Connect Google Assistant with IFTTT
Connect Logitech Harmony with IFTTT
Create applet to switch on the TV by voice: Turn on TV by voice
Connect Philips Hue with IFTTT
Multiroom function
Another feature of Google Home is the ability to address and control multiple Chromecast-enabled speakers in different rooms
and control them. Some speakers, such as the Raumfeld multiroom speakers from Teufel, already have Chromecast built-in integrated, which opens up almost endless possibilities with the Google Assistant.
Claudio Widmer, Teamleader Audio, has tested the Raumfeld One S, One M and the Stereo L. Click here for the review:
The Raumfeld line-up at a glance:
Home automation
Keep track of power consumption at all times or switch off connected devices directly from your holiday. Practical actions can also be defined via "IFTTT".
Cheryl Schlatter
Junior Editor
cheryl.schlatter@digitecgalaxus.chBeing creative is my number one passion – from cooking to shopping to home decorating and as a member of the marketing team. High-energy sports like snowboarding, wakeboarding or surfing push me to my limits. Electronic beats blow my mind.
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