Google Home is a lineup of voice-activated speakers by Google that uses the company’s AI(Artificially Intelligent) bot called Google Assistant. It is similar to Amazon’s Echo lineup of devices. The family consists of three devices. Google Home, Google Home Max, and Google Home Mini. You can also use the Google Assistant on your Android or iOS smartphone along with cars powered by Android Auto.
The original Google Home is a WiFi-enabled speaker that doubles up as a smart home control centre and a personal assistant for the entire family. In 2017, Google expanded the Google Home line to include the Google Home Max and the Google Home Mini. The Google Home Max is a very powerful Bluetooth speaker that runs Google Assistant. On the other hand, the Google Homi Mini is a compact and affordable speaker that runs Google Assistant.
All these are Wi-Fi enabled speakers that have a microphone. It needs to be connected to a power outlet at all times and is not battery powered. To ask Google something you just have to use the phrase”OK Google” followed by a task or question and the Assistant will respond. Since it is Artificially Intelligent and is linked to your phone which in turn is linked to your Google Account, it already knows everything about you. It can answer context related questions too. The Assistant can string questions together in order to determine the context and serve up the right information.
With the help of the microphone, you can ask the Google Assistant a question or ask it to perform a task. If there are multiple people in a house using the same Home product, the Assistant is smart enough to recognize who is speaking to it. Thus it can reply to that person specifically. If you have more than one Google Home product then you can use them as a multi-room speaker system.
It can stream music, answer questions from Google Search, set reminders and even take phone calls with the help of a built-in speaker. You can also use it to control various other devices that are connected via your smartphone such as your television. You can ask the Google Assistant for the weather outside and even the status of your flight. There also some third-party apps that are made for the Google Assistant.You can control your smart lights too. You can not only set a timer but also set alarms. You can ask the Assistant for the scores of your favourite sports team as well as the nutrition value in your food.
It can translate sentences for you and also look up meanings of words. It can perform both complex and basic calculations and even tell you the stock prices of a company. There are also built-in games which test your knowledge with trivia. If you have lost your phone then you can use the Assistant to ring your phone even if it’s on silent. You can get traffic conditions and even add items to your shopping lists. The Assistant can also read you the latest news along with your calendar events. If someone messages you, the Assistant can not only read out the message to you but you can also reply to the message directly via your voice.
The Google Assistant is one of the most advanced bots on the market and knowing Google they will keep adding new features and expand its functionality even more.