Of course, we have all watched films in which a voice assistant comes to the aid of the main characters, and an ultra-modern smart home is shown. But if you suddenly have a desire to build something similar in reality, you will be faced with the fact that such systems are either:

• will require refurbishment and replacement of all wiring in the house
• cost crazy money
• suitable only for programmers who are ready to regularly “file with a file” and customize the circuits of their smart home with almost pure code

None of these options suited me, so the introduction of smart home elements is happening gradually (most often it coincides with sales in American online stores) and without much haste. Of course, my apartment is still very far from achieving the proud title of “smart home,” but some of its elements are already functioning successfully. This is exactly what I would like to tell you about today.

Okay Google

I started my acquaintance with the elements of a smart home with a smart speaker with voice control. At first it was Amazon Dot (first generation, then I bought it for almost $100 more,now it costs about $40).

A little later, Google released a competitor to this device - Google Home and I, as a devoted fan of the company, could not resist the temptation and switched to it. The cost of this device was about $100; on sale it was possible to buy it for $80.

Since I had the opportunity to compare both devices, a few words about their differences:

• Amazon Alexa is much more demanding of correct pronunciation, sometimes it recognized my English (yes, my pronunciation is far from Oxford) in 2-3 times;
• Alexa from music services only works with Amazon Music (of little relevance to us) and Spotify. Google Home, in turn, supports Google Play Music and Spotify;
• Amazon Alexa is much more demanding on the country of location - for normal operation it was necessary to establish a VPN connection with the States (perhaps the situation has changed now, because the device has entered the international market)

In addition to Google Home, I recently acquired several Google Home Mini , fortunately at sales they cost only $20.

Now I have a Google speaker in every room, ready to execute voice commands. If, of course, you speak English, support for the Russian language is announced for this year, but it is not a fact that it will immediately work in Ukraine. Unfortunately, there has been no news about support for Ukrainian yet.

Now in more detail about what Google Home has:

• Ok Google, play some jazz -Music control. Perhaps the most frequently used function. At your command, the device is ready to play any world music...if you can name it. But more on that later. Moreover, she performs commands like “Ok Google, play morning jazz”, “Ok Google, play Pentatonix” or “Ok Google, play Baby Shark” (my four-year-old son’s favorite command). The speaker plays music from Google Play Music (60 UAH per month for unlimited legal access to almost all world music) or Spotify (from $5 per month, if you “cunning” with family accounts in other countries). I use both services - Spotify has very good playlists and music recommendations. With Ukrainian groups it’s a little more difficult - Google Home recognizes only English, so it’s difficult to understand names in Russian or Ukrainian. After a while he can understand “O-k-e-a-n E-l-z-y”, but if the name is more complex, then he gives up immediately. True, there is a workaround - you can create “shortcuts” in the application on your smartphone - keywords for calling your favorite groups. Don’t worry about the availability of music - both services have a fairly rich collection, both “Dakhabrakha” and “Alone in a Canoe” will find it. As for the sound quality, even the Mini version has a quite decent speaker, which is enough for a 20-meter room. The large device was almost never turned on at full volume. In addition, each of them has a Bluetooth module, which allows you to connect to any existing acoustics in the house, and even if it does not have a “blue tooth”, it will come to the rescue Chromecast Audio for $20-30 . Also, if you have Google Home, you have the opportunity to broadcast any audio from smartphones or computers to speakers, which can also be very convenient.
• Ok Google, play radio roks from Ukraine – Radio . Thanks to integration with the global TuneIn service, you can listen to any of 120,000 radio stations from around the world. There are Ukrainian radio stations there too, however, be prepared for the fact that, for example, “Radio Rocks” is far from the only one in the world.
• Ok Google set timer for 30 minutes — Alarms, timers and reminders. This is especially convenient in the kitchen - when you can set a timer for any time without touching any surface, for example, when you are kneading dough. It's also convenient to set alarms - you can even specify which melody should wake you up. I also use this function when I need to take medications - you can set an unlimited number of reminders and timers. Another function of the device is a “sclerosis book” or a notebook for a forgetful person - “Ok Google remember that keys are in the wardrobe” - with a similar phrase you can record any reminder in the device’s memory and play it back at any time.
• Ok Google, broadcast “I love you”— Broadcasting. A very convenient feature, especially if you have a large house or several floors. Broadcasts the message to all devices on your network. Even more - you can send messages to your family from anywhere in the world - to all devices connected to your Google account. We often use it to gather children for lunch, get them out of bed, or simply wish each other well. Carefully! Children can sometimes respond by abusing this feature.
• Ok Google, who is the president of Ukraine? And who is his wife? And how many kids do they have? — Questions for Google. Sometimes there is a need to check a fact, find out something interesting, or clarify the size of something. Google Home can easily help you with this by reading an excerpt from Wikipedia or a search. Moreover, what’s convenient is that he understands the context of the questions and remembers what you asked before, so he can continue the dialogue.
• Ok Google, let's play game. If you're completely bored alone or need to entertain a small group, you can play word games with Google Home.He knows a lot of them - play, don’t overplay. From banal tic-tac-toe, believe it or not, to television intellectual shows like “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” Moreover, he can include several participants in these games and analyze their answers.
• Ok Google, what's on my day- Schedule. If you use Google Calendar, and (what if!) you keep it in English, then Google Home will read you the calendar for the requested date, check for traffic jams along the route, and can also read you an excerpt from current news. You choose the news sources yourself, however, again, only English-language ones for now. You can also easily add a couple of appointments to your calendar by voice.It is worth noting that you can connect several accounts of different users to one Google Home, and then it will tell you your calendar, and your wife - hers, recognizing the user by voice.

These are the main commands I use. In fact, the total number of available commands is more than a million. A special website has been created to catalog them - Google Assistant Explore . And new functions are added every day - after all, the platform is open, and any programmer can add his own programs for Google Home. Already now you can search and book air tickets, check train and metro schedules (in some cities around the world), find out stock quotes, manage your home budget, and more.

Work with other smart devices

But Google Home is even better when it connects to other smart home devices that it can control. I'm glad to tell you what smart devices Google Home controls for me:

• Google Chromecast. Google has been producing cheap (from $25 on sales, $35 usuallyfor the simple version or$70 for 4K version) Chromecast-branded devices that allow you to receive video from your devices. So, if you have such a gadget, or Chromecast support is available on your TV or media player (as in my case with Nexus Player), then you can command “Ok Google, play crazy frog on my tv"and it will play the video you need (or don’t need) from YouTube. And if you are a Netflix user, you can even start playing a particular movie.

• Logitech Harmony. I don’t know about you, but my audio system is connected to an audio-video receiver, and it is already connected to the TV. So even if Google Home turns on my TV, I still won't hear anything. In this case, devices from Logitech come to the rescue, which rightfully holds the palm for smart universal remote controls. I have a more expensive version at home Logitech Harmony Ultimate One (costing about $100) with a screen, but the simplest model is also quite suitable - the Logitech Harmony Companion, which can regularly be caught on sales for $70. I also advise you to pay attention to the version that comes with Logitech Hub. Thanks to the presence of this separate box, you can control your TV (and more - in total more than 270,000 different devices from 6,000 manufacturers are supported) from any smartphone. And not just a smartphone - your Google Home will also be able to turn on any of your devices and run scenarios, for example, turn on the receiver, TV, switch the receiver to the desired audio input, turn on the desired channel.

• "Smart plugs". Thanks to the appearance of these devices in your home, you will be able to remotely turn on and off various devices, as well as create a “schedule” for their operation. In practice, I bought the first device for a New Year’s garland. Teach Google Home the phrase “One-two-three. Shine Christmas tree!" failed, but on “One, two, three” he obediently turned on the New Year’s lights, which the children actively indulged in. After the New Year, the smart socket moved to the coffee maker - it takes some time to warm up before making coffee, now you can turn on its “warming” with the voice command “ Ok Google, make me some coffee" . Another place where I planned to install a smart socket was the boiler, but my wife nipped my plans in the bud, afraid that at the right time she would be without hot water.
  As for the device, the most affordable one in Ukraine is Smart Plug from TP-Link - HS100 . American sockets for the most part will not suit us - they have a different plug. You can order slightly cheaper options from China, but the quality and reliability of such devices may be significantly inferior. It is also very desirable that your outlet can be turned on/off manually - the voice interface is not always convenient.

• "Smart light bulbs." When choosing light bulbs, you need to pay attention to such points as the base - I was faced with the fact that I didn’t have many lamps left on the standard E27 base - all LEDs and halogens. Also, if you plan to hang several lamps in one chandelier, try to choose the same ones, since lamps of different types, although easily controlled together (usually, the application allows you to combine them into groups), but give a very different glow and color. Also, it is worth weaning yourself and your loved ones from using traditional switches, because if a smart light bulb is disconnected from the electricity, it will immediately “go stupid” and stop fulfilling your scenarios. In addition, I warn you - if your children suddenly decide to play with the switches (and so on three times in a row), they may accidentally reset all settings and your light bulbs will forget you and your Wi-Fi. Another plus of colored light bulbs is that they help children learn English colors using commands like “ Ok Google, turn on red.” Again, I note that there are many different models of controllable light bulbs on the market. And if in America Hue from Phillips has become the standard, then in our country, with Google Assistant support, mostly models from TP-Link are available. Moreover, there is a choice of four options:
• LB100 - the simplest model with an aperture of 600 lumens (the equivalent of approximately 50 Watts) - priced from 900 UAH:
• Xiaomi Yeelight (from 500 UAH), but I haven’t tried them myself yet. “Smart switches,” especially smart dimmers, are also of considerable interest, but, unfortunately, they are still very expensive (at least $50-$60 apiece).
  

• A doorbell, or rather a miracle bell button with a video camera. I think many people are now hearing about the Ring startup with one of its offices in Kyiv, which was recently purchased by Amazon. Their smart doorbell systems start at $150, which is definitely quite expensive. But, as it turned out, in the USA there are worthy competitors with completely different prices. So, a month ago I caught a video call system from the company at a saleZmodo - Ding for just $45 . It's certainly not as cool as Ring, and unfortunately it doesn't connect to Google Home (this is a slight departure from my project), but otherwise it has the functionality of more expensive calls, namely:
  — A wide-angle HD video camera on your landing, which records short videos (day and night) when any movement is detected in front of the bell camera and uploads them to the Internet (the first 6 months stores them for free for a week, then there is a small subscription fee depending on the duration of storage video in the cloud).
  — When you press the call button, a video call is made to your smartphone. That is, wherever you are, if you have the Internet, you can answer and see who is in front of your door, talk to him or play an answering machine message.
  — Included with the call is a Wi-Fi amplifier (useful in any household) and door or window opening sensors (2 sets), which will send you notifications to your phone if it is opened (more precisely, only when you instruct it to send such notifications ).
  One misfortune - it turned out that in the USA all doorbells are supplied with a low-voltage current of up to 30 Volts, but here we have as much as 220. Therefore, we had to go to the radio market and assemble a transformer + buy a special relay so that the existing mechanical bell continues to ring when the miracle bell is pressed. buttons.

So far these are all the smart devices I use with Google Home. In addition, I am looking towards “smart” door locks like August Lock, but their cost is still very high.

What do you use? What scenarios are included in your smart home? Share your life hacks in the comments.

The good news is that connecting Google Home is not a difficult job. However, you must train the smart speaker so that it knows each member of your family. Connecting your smart home has not been an easy task. You are just a few steps away from having a smart home where everything is connected and works like one big, well-oiled machine.

It all started with investments in smart technologies, including smart light bulbs, smart plugs, smart kitchen devices, to name just a few. Although you have already started automating household chores with them, managing them individually can be a hassle.

This is where smart home hubs come in handy. Think of them as a universal remote for your ever-expanding army of devices. Want to know which smart hub to get for your home? We recommend you narrow your search to these two: Amazon Echo and Google Home.

If you prefer the Google ecosystem, Google Home is the right choice. We'll show you how to use this smart assistant to manage your high-tech paradise.

1. Get to know Google.

First, know that your smart hub knows every family member and vice versa. Have everyone create a Google account (if they don't already have one) or sync them with the Google Home app. While you can still do a lot with your smart speaker even without syncing your user account, personalization greatly improves your experience with your device.

Once everyone's accounts are synchronized, go to the Google Hub, introduce it to all the voices, have each family member say the words about awakening several times. Once everyone has finished "training" the smart router to recognize individual voices, have everyone ask a question or command in Google Home. The house must be able to differentiate between each participant and tailor each response accordingly.

2. Place GoogleHomein the optimal location.

To get the most out of your Google smart home hub, you should place it somewhere within easy reach. This means that it is placed in busy areas where families usually gather, such as the kitchen or living room.

A central gathering place may be ideal, but you can place it in your bedroom. However, if you have a larger home, you'll need more Google Home units for optimal coverage.

3. Sync smart devices with GoogleHome.

The initial installation process using the app is required for each of your smart home devices. You'll need to create an account through the Nest app if you have a Nest thermostat or the Philips Hue app if you have Philips light bulbs. While these partner apps will walk you through the initial setup, you'll need to set up an account for each member of your family (are we talking about family or is it about devices? on a per-device basis). Luckily, Google Home can take that burden off your shoulders.

Once your IoT devices are successfully connected to the internet, open the Google Home app. Tap the hamburger icon located in the top left corner and then select Home Controls. Select the "+" button in the bottom right corner to start syncing your Google account with your smart device's partner apps. You'll soon start importing devices.

Keep in mind that you must list every connected device you add to Google Home. You can play with names, but make sure they are short and sweet.

4. Name the devices in each room.

Let's say you have smart light bulbs in every room in your house. How can you tell one from the other? Click on the "Room" tab in the "Home Control Settings" menu.

Just add the name "table lamp" to the living room so that Google Assistant knows what to do when you ask it to turn off the living room lights, i.e. turn on the table lamp. Place smarter lights in one room, and now you can instruct Google Home to turn off the living room lights when you're about to leave.

The Room feature helps you control devices through Google Home without remembering all the names. Say “set off the kitchen smoke alarm” and Google Home will know not to turn on any other alarms you have in your household.

5. Start using it!

With the launch of Google Home, you will live in a fantastic dream home, a smart home with voice. Tip: Don't buy random smart devices. Start with a few smart gadgets that you'll use frequently and make sure they're part of your Google Home compatible list. Once you're happy with your smart home setup, all that's left for you to do is call the shots.

Smart home hubs like Google Home and Amazon's growing list of Echo devices have opened our eyes to the possibility of having a smart home without tearing down walls or replacing electrical systems. What's even more impressive is the fact that anyone can easily build a futuristic home on the cheap using smart speakers. If you want to get the most out of your smart home, we recommend you try IFTTT Smart Recipes.

However, be sure to keep your IoT devices safe from cyber attacks. Luckily, Luma Guardian can help you protect your home network.

We decided to split the post from Google's latest event into two parts. Artem Lutfullin will talk about the new Pixel smartphones, and I will talk about everything else.

Search and voice control

The first part of the presentation was devoted to the work of search using neural networks. Google boasted that the accuracy of their searches had improved. So, if previously the search engine was only able to provide general descriptions for the images found, now they have become more detailed and advanced.

Neural networks are also used in Google Translator. Recently, he has begun to more accurately determine the context and use more natural phrases when translating.

We also remembered about Google Allo, a messenger with a built-in assistant. Google noted that voice search is now more intelligent; the assistant remembers your past queries and “understands” the context based on them.

Many examples of his intellectual work have been cited. You can find a restaurant and reserve a table immediately.

DayDream VR

Along with smartphones, they showed a new VR headset with DayDream support. Interestingly, the accessory is made of fabric to make it more comfortable to wear for a long time. The helmet comes with a small remote control with a gyroscope for easy control in the interface.

One of the nice features is the announcement of the game “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” based on the novel by JK Rowling.

The cost of the glasses will be $79, sales will start in November.

Google Wifi

For those who lack standard Wi-Fi coverage, Google has introduced a smart network repeater, and also a router. Google Wifi looks great and can be controlled from a smartphone. The router automatically detects network congestion and can independently switch to freer frequencies.

The cost of one router is $129, a set of three is $299. A bit expensive!

Google Chromecast Ultra

I'm a big fan of the first Chromecast, I use it quite often, primarily for watching YouTube and Amediatek. The first generation has two drawbacks: firstly, the resolution is limited to 720p, and secondly, mediocre Wi-Fi reception; if the router is located far away, then the Chromecast may not catch its signal. The new Chromecast Ultra gets rid of both shortcomings, has acquired 4k support and a built-in Ethernet port, which looks relevant, given the amount of data when streaming 4k.

True, the price of the new product has increased significantly: Chromecast Ultra costs $69 - twice as expensive as the first generation.

Google Home

This plump “candle” was already shown on Google, but once again they devoted an unreasonable amount of time to it. Almost half of the presentation was spent describing use cases for Google Home. No, don't get me wrong, the gadget is really cool: with voice control you can do many different things, for example, play music, use search, listen to your schedule in the calendar, control your smart home, etc. To be honest, most of the scenarios seem far-fetched, and I’m not ready to pay $129 for a column with voice search.

API for developers

Google is introducing expanded APIs and SDKs so that third-party developers can integrate their apps with the Assistant. It looked great, they showed how after “call me an Uber,” Uber “appeared” in the chat and asked where to go and what car to call.

Conclusion

To be honest, I was disappointed with today's presentation, there were so many rumors about Andromeda OS and new Pixel laptops, and in the end we spent half an hour listening to a smart talking speaker.

On the other hand, I was very pleased with the Chromecast update, I hope that in Russia there will be an adequate price for it, and the same Amediateka will start streaming TV series in 4k.

Google Home is the central unit of a smart home from Google, a development of the Brillo and OnHub projects. Google Home is very similar to a device like the Amazon Echo, and has tight integration with all Google products, including the new Assistant, designed to improve the voice interaction with Now.

A home-produced system of smart devices for the home, which today is represented by three smart speakers and one smart display, until some time ago remained something unattainable for users from Russia. And the point is not at all that the search giant does not supply its equipment to the domestic market, but because of the many restrictions that - wittingly or unwittingly - Google imposed on it. Fortunately, over time, such restrictions are becoming fewer and fewer.

Smartphones have become perhaps too commonplace. It’s hard to imagine a more important device for modern people than a smart phone, but the same enthusiasm is no longer there. But the industry continues to develop. New product categories are appearing on the market, although the leaders remain the same - Google and . And each of the well-known companies has already surpassed the other in an important indicator.

According to a new report, Google, which develops the operating system, will announce a number of new devices in 2018. And, in this case, we are not talking about smartphones. Some characteristics of one of them - a very unusual one - were reviewed on the Internet.

Back in May, Google unveiled a Bluetooth smart speaker called Home at its developer conference. Of course, now the manufacturer has presented this device again, but in more detail, and we will be happy to tell you a little more about it. Similar to , Google's box also waits for you to say the words "Hey Google" (instead of "Alexa") for the speaker to begin accepting voice commands and answering questions. The presentation, for example, showed how Google Home plays a single song or an entire playlist.

Google Home as a personal assistant

However, Google Home can serve not only as a multimedia center, but also as a personal assistant. For example, it is very impressive that Google Assistant can even understand “contextual” queries. In particular, when asked to “play Shakira’s song from the movie Zootopia,” the speaker will start playing the corresponding “Try Everything.” Even for questions like “What is the name of...” or “Who sings...” Google Home finds the right answers.

We also find it interesting that Home can warn about traffic jams on the way to work, get directions, create a schedule and a shopping list. However, we see the problem that the service is tied to a Google account. This means that only one person in the family can correctly use such personal data.

Voice control looks impressive, but in direct comparison to the Amazon Echo it's not particularly stellar. In addition, Home's voice still sounds very artificial. Anyone who has already had experience using Google Maps for navigation can imagine how the assistant talks.

Google Home as a smart home system control

In addition to providing the functionality of a personal assistant, Google Home can become the control center for your smart home system. Smart devices from Samsung (SmartThings), Nest, Philips Hue and the IFTT service are compatible with the speaker. Other manufacturers should join this list a little later.

Heating, lights and sockets are controlled using voice commands. Android TV and Chromecast are also compatible with Google Home. However, we cannot yet give an accurate assessment of the device in this area, because it is in this area of ​​application that the correct interaction of system components during everyday use becomes extremely important.

Google Home: cost and release date

Google Home will go on sale in November in the US for $129. The date of appearance on the Russian market has not yet been determined. But since Amazon Echo will appear in our country at the end of October, it is likely that Google will strive to adapt the product for the German market as soon as possible.

Google Home: Our Review

At the presentation, the gadget called Google Home made a fairly solid impression: the device itself looks elegant, voice control, it seemed to us, works well - at least in English. Linking to one account can greatly limit the use of a Bluetooth speaker as a personal assistant in a large family. In addition, Google has a very strong competitor in Amazon Echo, which - at least for now - has more flexible application options.