Google is miles ahead in terms of a conversational assistant.
There is a lot of friction in using voice activated services. If I have a choice of typing "Weather in XXXXX zip" in the address bar vs. asking an assistant, I choose the former. Therefore, every time I use anything else but Google, I am afraid it won't recognize my command and I immediately feel like throwing that thing out of the window.
I need to be 100% sure that I will get a return on my time invested when it comes to searching or asking for information. When a Google search fails in a browser, at least I have something to bite on.
For other things such as timers, calendars, game scores, home lights, music - assistants are nice.
When I'm rushing out of the house and would prefer to multitask tying my shoes and checking my phone, my new Google Home makes two things incredibly easy: weather and train times. That along with a good speaker connected to Spotify has been super worth it. Bonus points for connecting to Chromecast.
I'm an iPhone / Mac person and the Chromecast / Home combo has made me consider what a life in the Google ecosystem would look like. Not yet ready to switch but it's priming me. Then I remember how terrible an Android is for my current setups. If they solve that issue for me, they have me.
I got a google home solely because it came w/ a hue package and tried to show it to my family. The Home couldn't hear me over itself (music) across the kitchen...
My alexa can hear what I'm saying down the corridor with the shower on and much louder.
I think a big reason why people chose the dot is the price. With a home mini you need to also buy a chromecast to use your speakers, while an echo dot has that aux out already.
Music is the universal killer app of these devices. My relative after talking to me basically chose the dot because of the above reason.
For myself, thats what I ended up using the dot for in my house. Music, weather, traffic & turning off some lights.
While those devices are far from perfect they are an evolutionary step in how people are able to interact with technology.
My mother in law does not use a computer or smartphone at all, but she loves to use the Echo because it provides a familiar interface (speech) to services she would use (music, weather, casual information search).
And interacting with voice assistants is a two way street in my opinion. They will get better at understanding what we want and we will adapt to phrase our questions in a way the software understands.
And while I doubt us folks would use a voice assistant to query a solution for an error message on stackoverflow it still provides a convenient way to control music, lights, shutters while our hands are occupied in other ways (cooking, drawing, crafting, ...)
I trust Amazon more than Google, though; I both expect products to be less aggressively discontinued, and data collection to be less rapacious with Amazon. Amazon also have a known and reasonably moral means of making money. Advertising OTOH is mass manipulation. And Google have too much other information on me especially from search, I need to keep things distributed.
I'm one of the people who bought my partner a Dot. It works very well for the things we've used for so far.
Agree. Had an echo since late 2014 when it came out and now several Google homes. The echo requires rigid language or basically commands you have to memorize to use.
The Google home supports natural language for most things.
I think of the Echo like a command line interface and the Google home like a GUI.
Are there any assistants that aren't connected to the web? Or at least aren't by default. Here are some things I'd love to be able to do that don't need the web.
Set a timer
Set a reminder for something in X minutes
Take a voice note
Create lists (maybe could be pushed to phone via bluetooth)
Maybe some home auto stuff
I imagine most of this stuff could be shared to my phone via bluetooth if I needed it on the go (like a shopping list).
The biggest challenge is the voice recognition. There are a variety of open source projects. The Mozilla one is likely the most promising option at the moment. Kaldi and Sphinx are a couple of others. It's probably fair to say that nothing in the space is a "product" at the moment and would likely require a full PC to run as well.
I played around a bit to see if I could put together a standalone timer but didn't get very far.
If you want to roll your own server I believe there is a plugin for Home Assistant that can take voice input. https://home-assistant.io/
But I don't think either the Echo or the Google Home will connect to that. If you are running home assistant on a raspberry Pi, you could probably build that right into your own speaker.
Google might be ahead in some conversational things, but functionality wise, Alexa is way better.
Probably has something to do with being on the market first, but developing a skill is a much better experience than it is with Google (imo). I think that's a big reason why.
I've developed a number of skills for some big companies, and I'm fighting Amazon right now about getting my open source one published (https://github.com/m0ngr31/kodi-alexa)
I am concerned about the IAM policy you're choosing - Administrator access should basically never be given out or used. I would highly recommend figuring out what your actual dependencies are and restricting the policy to just what's necessary.
Could not disagree more. We have and echo since it came out late 2014 and now several Google homes. The Google home is just a lot more funtional. The obvious answering questions and has mapping built in but it is also foundational. The GH supports natural language for most things where the Echo requires rigid language or basically commands you have to memorize to use.
My wife clicks a photo on her iphone and without touching an additional button walks into our family room later and will ask for fine details in photos and the TV turns itself in, input sets and the photo in 4k appears.
We also have a 4k Chromecast and this is just not possible with the Echo.
But the cool part setting it up was just buy, plug in and log in and that is it. Wife already used Google photos on her iPhone.
We started with the Echo but now have switched to Google Homes and unless going to do a lot of shopping on Amazon can not see any reason to get an Echo over the Google home any longer.
Oh this is fantastic, I'm going to deploy it when I get back home. Thanks for opensourcing it!
One question: Which sections in the kodi.cfg are necessary? I already have Kodi configured and don't want to just replace the file, or spend time changing options your skill doesn't need.
I find 3rd party skills a painful experience to use.
Having to open a skill like an app before asking what I want Alexa to do feels completely wrong. It leads to me basically never using any third party skills.
If I wanted to open apps I’d use my phone. I want something more natural.
Makes sense, but give me the Google Home. The Chromecast pairing is insane, a better speaker in the mini, and frankly, I'll invite Google to own my life before Amazon.
Alexa can control your Fire TV but yes, I agree. I have a Chromecast built into TV and I use Google Home to play music, Plex, YouTube, etc. on it. So nice.
It was pretty obvious a decade or two ago when everyone started buying cell phones. I don’t understand why techies are just freaking out about this now. I’ve had a potential listening device in my home since 2001, when I got my first cell phone. Most of you are in a similar situation.
Several times this last week I got essentially a "sorry, we're busy" message from my echos. I assumed quite a few must have just come online, but of all companies I expected Amazon to have made scale work.
As a Star Trek fan, it is pretty cool. I would not have bought it if "Computer" was not a wake word option. I showed my young girls a few clips from TNG when Geordi is asking the computer to play music and dim the lights. The experience is pretty similar. Aside from that, playing music and podcasts is how we use it. It beats having to find the song you want on a phone.
I got new tires, but didn't buy a car, so they are worthless.
That is basically what you are saying here. We both agree, it will tell you the weather, your commute, and play some music. Those are the things you grew tired of, but many people have their entire homes wired to these devices (me included). I don't use them daily, I use them hourly at home. It runs my sprinklers, lawn mowers, vacuums, lights, alarms, timers, starts my car, on and on. You have to invest in things to get the most out of them.
I have a gen1 Echo, and mostly I ask it the weather, the news, play music (through Spotify), and set timers when I'm cooking. Occasionally I'll ask her about my Amazon orders. I've also got it paired to my Fire TV so I can just say things like 'search for the Orville on Hulu' or something, which is easier then typing out what I'm looking for.
We got a regular Echo for the in-laws, and they absolutely love it, but mostly use it as a speaker. We got them a Spotify account as well, so my mother in law can just say 'Alexa, play Josh Groban' and it just works. They loved it so much we ordered them a tap as well so they can use it in the garden come spring.
So it all depends, personally I think $30 isn't bad even if you just use it as a wireless Spotify player, although you'll have to hook it up to good speakers.
Is it worth getting a Google Mini too? I’m told that it’s actually smarter. I’m going to set up my Echo so I can reorder all the stuff I hate to shop for.
We’ve been waiting half a century for “Voice as a User Interface”. Now we’re only a decade away?
Maybe it’s just me, but I find these products creepy and intrusive. When I think of entities I’d trust with a networked mic in my home, giant multinationals don’t readily spring to mind. Price is not the issue, much like price isn’t the problem with FB.
I use it to listen to the radio via TuneIn, to turn lamps on and off and to set timers. That's about it really.
Sometimes I use it to convert American imperial units to metric, which is handy when converting recipes in the kitchen (e.g. "what's 2 cups in millilitres")
I'm at my parents house at the moment, my Mum primarily uses it to set timers, and reminders (e.g. remind me tomorrow to do X). Although our pet dog absolutely hates it though, which is amusing.
Can we be absolutely certain that everything before “Ok, Google” or “Alexa” isn’t being recorded, by the companies or by back doors created by the security services? Seems too much like a telescreen for my liking.
Drop-in is another great feature. If you have more than one echo you can use them as an intercom. You can also use it to make calls to/from it. This is very useful if you have kids at home that don't own a phone yet.
I bought my parents five Dots for Christmas to use as intercoms. They live on a farm, with multiple outbuildings, so if something happened, they can yell at the Echo in the building they are in for help. Any other use they get out of it (my dad uses the music feature a lot) is just an added bonus.
Given amazons spotty history when it comes to quality- product-piracy e.g. - this will be hacked and used to plan burglarys and during extended periods of absence. I shall be interested to see what PR Guns amazon has laying in store for that day.
I’m eagerly awaiting when either Google Home or Alexa show/display your query via projection on your various walls/surfaces in your house. The info appears/projects onto walls and other surfaces and remains for a few minutes.
They have the Amazon Show but you have to be up close and it’s only in one room. I want my digital info/queries to be seen and accessible by just looking up wherever i am in my home.
3 months from now, let's see how many of those purchasers or recipients use it for something more than "play a song", "what's new", and "timer, 2 minutes". I hope it's a lot.
Otherwise, we can imagine the next headline: "The Echo Dot was the most-returned product on Amazon this post-holiday season."
[+] [-] fermienrico|8 years ago|reply
There is a lot of friction in using voice activated services. If I have a choice of typing "Weather in XXXXX zip" in the address bar vs. asking an assistant, I choose the former. Therefore, every time I use anything else but Google, I am afraid it won't recognize my command and I immediately feel like throwing that thing out of the window.
I need to be 100% sure that I will get a return on my time invested when it comes to searching or asking for information. When a Google search fails in a browser, at least I have something to bite on.
For other things such as timers, calendars, game scores, home lights, music - assistants are nice.
[+] [-] dilap|8 years ago|reply
Google's products don't feel like they are designed by humans.
[+] [-] adjkant|8 years ago|reply
I'm an iPhone / Mac person and the Chromecast / Home combo has made me consider what a life in the Google ecosystem would look like. Not yet ready to switch but it's priming me. Then I remember how terrible an Android is for my current setups. If they solve that issue for me, they have me.
[+] [-] notyourwork|8 years ago|reply
This isn't too difficult. I know Google is well off in this space but Alexa is pretty damn good too.
[+] [-] smileysteve|8 years ago|reply
My alexa can hear what I'm saying down the corridor with the shower on and much louder.
It was embarassing
[+] [-] woolvalley|8 years ago|reply
Music is the universal killer app of these devices. My relative after talking to me basically chose the dot because of the above reason.
For myself, thats what I ended up using the dot for in my house. Music, weather, traffic & turning off some lights.
[+] [-] blensor|8 years ago|reply
My mother in law does not use a computer or smartphone at all, but she loves to use the Echo because it provides a familiar interface (speech) to services she would use (music, weather, casual information search).
And interacting with voice assistants is a two way street in my opinion. They will get better at understanding what we want and we will adapt to phrase our questions in a way the software understands.
And while I doubt us folks would use a voice assistant to query a solution for an error message on stackoverflow it still provides a convenient way to control music, lights, shutters while our hands are occupied in other ways (cooking, drawing, crafting, ...)
[+] [-] discodave|8 years ago|reply
Also, don't think for a second that they're lazing about and not trying to figure out how to surpass Google in the areas where they're behind.
[+] [-] fortylove|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] barrkel|8 years ago|reply
I'm one of the people who bought my partner a Dot. It works very well for the things we've used for so far.
[+] [-] jacksmith21006|8 years ago|reply
The Google home supports natural language for most things.
I think of the Echo like a command line interface and the Google home like a GUI.
[+] [-] dopamean|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ghaff|8 years ago|reply
I played around a bit to see if I could put together a standalone timer but didn't get very far.
[+] [-] camiller|8 years ago|reply
But I don't think either the Echo or the Google Home will connect to that. If you are running home assistant on a raspberry Pi, you could probably build that right into your own speaker.
[+] [-] sailfast|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] introspectr3|8 years ago|reply
You control what goes where.
[+] [-] raoulj|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] m0ngr31|8 years ago|reply
Probably has something to do with being on the market first, but developing a skill is a much better experience than it is with Google (imo). I think that's a big reason why.
I've developed a number of skills for some big companies, and I'm fighting Amazon right now about getting my open source one published (https://github.com/m0ngr31/kodi-alexa)
[+] [-] cthalupa|8 years ago|reply
I am concerned about the IAM policy you're choosing - Administrator access should basically never be given out or used. I would highly recommend figuring out what your actual dependencies are and restricting the policy to just what's necessary.
[+] [-] abbasaamer|8 years ago|reply
(full disclosure: I work on Alexa, but not on the team that handles skills)
[+] [-] jacksmith21006|8 years ago|reply
My wife clicks a photo on her iphone and without touching an additional button walks into our family room later and will ask for fine details in photos and the TV turns itself in, input sets and the photo in 4k appears.
We also have a 4k Chromecast and this is just not possible with the Echo.
But the cool part setting it up was just buy, plug in and log in and that is it. Wife already used Google photos on her iPhone.
We started with the Echo but now have switched to Google Homes and unless going to do a lot of shopping on Amazon can not see any reason to get an Echo over the Google home any longer.
[+] [-] StavrosK|8 years ago|reply
One question: Which sections in the kodi.cfg are necessary? I already have Kodi configured and don't want to just replace the file, or spend time changing options your skill doesn't need.
[+] [-] donatj|8 years ago|reply
Having to open a skill like an app before asking what I want Alexa to do feels completely wrong. It leads to me basically never using any third party skills.
If I wanted to open apps I’d use my phone. I want something more natural.
[+] [-] adjkant|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] lgas|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Viper007Bond|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ferongr|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Johnny555|8 years ago|reply
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/70/bc/c9/70bcc9ab4c2ab6e22e29...
[+] [-] mikeash|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] simonjgreen|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] francisofascii|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] hota_mazi|8 years ago|reply
And with Google Home Mini priced at $29, it's easy to speculate that it sold quite a few as well.
[+] [-] gruglife|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mulletbum|8 years ago|reply
That is basically what you are saying here. We both agree, it will tell you the weather, your commute, and play some music. Those are the things you grew tired of, but many people have their entire homes wired to these devices (me included). I don't use them daily, I use them hourly at home. It runs my sprinklers, lawn mowers, vacuums, lights, alarms, timers, starts my car, on and on. You have to invest in things to get the most out of them.
[+] [-] inoop|8 years ago|reply
We got a regular Echo for the in-laws, and they absolutely love it, but mostly use it as a speaker. We got them a Spotify account as well, so my mother in law can just say 'Alexa, play Josh Groban' and it just works. They loved it so much we ordered them a tap as well so they can use it in the garden come spring.
So it all depends, personally I think $30 isn't bad even if you just use it as a wireless Spotify player, although you'll have to hook it up to good speakers.
[+] [-] rubatuga|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] paultopia|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] melling|8 years ago|reply
https://h4labs.wordpress.com/2017/12/13/voice-as-a-user-inte...
Is it worth getting a Google Mini too? I’m told that it’s actually smarter. I’m going to set up my Echo so I can reorder all the stuff I hate to shop for.
We’ve been waiting half a century for “Voice as a User Interface”. Now we’re only a decade away?
[+] [-] JonDav|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] QAPereo|8 years ago|reply
...Then again I have a cellphone...
[+] [-] neves|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] djhworld|8 years ago|reply
I use it to listen to the radio via TuneIn, to turn lamps on and off and to set timers. That's about it really.
Sometimes I use it to convert American imperial units to metric, which is handy when converting recipes in the kitchen (e.g. "what's 2 cups in millilitres")
I'm at my parents house at the moment, my Mum primarily uses it to set timers, and reminders (e.g. remind me tomorrow to do X). Although our pet dog absolutely hates it though, which is amusing.
[+] [-] andy_ppp|8 years ago|reply
The problem is I would love one I could trust!
[+] [-] tinyhouse|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] garybro|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Pica_soO|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] WalterBright|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] paul7986|8 years ago|reply
They have the Amazon Show but you have to be up close and it’s only in one room. I want my digital info/queries to be seen and accessible by just looking up wherever i am in my home.
[+] [-] SN76477|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mwexler|8 years ago|reply
Otherwise, we can imagine the next headline: "The Echo Dot was the most-returned product on Amazon this post-holiday season."