Google Home

[Pers]

So I really want to get one of these but no clue when it's out in the UK. I've found a place in the US who will sell for the 129$ and deliver for $40. It's not one of those agents you have to pay to get a US address with. Just straight up order and deliver.

Works out less than an echo provided the Spanish customs don't get me on delivery. One of the guys at work got one in Spain and seems everything works on it.

 

[sesevans]

So I really want to get one of these but no clue when it's out in the UK. I've found a place in the US who will sell for the 129$ and deliver for $40. It's not one of those agents you have to pay to get a US address with. Just straight up order and deliver.

Works out less than an echo provided the Spanish customs don't get me on delivery. One of the guys at work got one in Spain and seems everything works on it.

Interesting! I have thought about doing the same---in fact I was visiting the US recently. I have said previously that I would always choose Home over Alexa due to the superior search functionality, a major use for me.

There are two reasons I hesitated:

1. I own (and really like) the Pixel XL (purchased immediately upon release) and I enjoy using Google Assistant and its voice activation. The voice capabilities and functionality of Assistant keep getting better and it does incorporate therefore some of the Home functions. I believe Google's ability to "infer" intentions (eg follow up questions without the subject header) is a function of the years of effort they have invested in machine learning and artificial intelligence. In this regard, I believe they are a market leader.

2. In previous posts exchanged with Andy CR15, we both appear to agree that third party functionality will be very important to Home's success. The list of third party functions built into the US launch of Home keeps growing. As you will have read, this list includes turning on home appliances, dimming your home's lights, ordering your Uber, ordering home delivery of your pizza and much much more. Clearly Google is working on third party features in the UK prior to launch.

The other day you may have seen during the NFL Super Bowl game their new ad in the US for Home, and while this ad reminded me largely of the initial video they showed at Google I/O last year, there were a few new wrinkles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQn5wiDyUHo

Please share with us your impressions of Home if you elect to purchase.

 

[Pers]

Ordered it yesterday from https://www.bhphotovideo.com/ They have taken the money already so I hope they dispatch it today. Read some decent feedback on them so went for it. One of my colleagues also ordered one.

Sorry Mods if the link is not allowed.

I'll update once I get to test it.

 

[sesevans]

Ordered it yesterday from https://www.bhphotovideo.com/ They have taken the money already so I hope they dispatch it today. Read some decent feedback on them so went for it. One of my colleagues also ordered one.

Sorry Mods if the link is not allowed.

I'll update once I get to test it.

I look forward to your feedback.

Looking ahead what to expect Google Home to morph into in the UK when launched this year, I was surprised to learn that it now links through to shopping at the large number of shopping "partners" in the US. Google Express (local delivery service) now covers 90% of the United States---a much larger percentage than I had realised. So using Google Home in the US allows you to shop and use payment via your designated credit card. This creates head-on competition for Amazon I believe. Any thoughts on whether Google would try to launch Google Express here or work through a third party delivery service? I assume Google Express would be a prime target for Google to launch together with a possible autonomously-driven vehicle service:

https://9to5google.com/2017/02/16/google-home-express-purchases-retailers/

 

[Pers]

Finally got it on Sunday. Sadly Spanish customs jacked me €52 in tax
Had to change my phone to US language to get it working. Everything I've tested seems to work very well.
Connected to my Hue lights and works a treat. The only thing I have found an issue is if I change the brightness of my lights the Home loses it. You ask something and it says try in a few moments. Reboot sorts it and it's a known issue they are working on I read.
Had to subscribe to Google Play Music to play songs. Really like the Tune in radio bit. The sound quality seems decent. All in all I'm impressed.

 

[sesevans]

Google Home arriving in UK very soon!

According to today's Sunday Express, it is due very soon. Details to follow:

http://www.express.co.uk/life-style...home-amazon-echo-rival-uk-launch-release-date

I understand that Google Home is soon offering multiple users on the same device too.

 

[Scam]

I understand that Google Home is soon offering multiple users on the same device too.

How will this work? Voice recognition? E.g. if my girlfriend asks to play music will it be through her Google Play Music account? What's to stop her asking to see my calendar appointments? p).

I'd love to have one for the sake of it, but in reality beyond playing music ("OK Google, play the Foo Fighters") and asking questions I can't see much use.

 

[sesevans]

How will this work? Voice recognition? E.g. if my girlfriend asks to play music will it be through her Google Play Music account? What's to stop her asking to see my calendar appointments? p).

I'd love to have one for the sake of it, but in reality beyond playing music ("OK Google, play the Foo Fighters") and asking questions I can't see much use.

It was this article in Verge that caught my eye on multiple accounts.

http://www.theverge.com/2017/3/2/14795834/google-home-multi-user-support-possible-development

Perhaps this amusing Reddit list might help: https://www.reddit.com/r/googlehome/wiki/commands

For example, in my home I have Nest Thermostat and CO detector. Voice commands to Home would help me manage them. Also I expect upon launch in the UK, there to be multiple buy/request options available.

 

[Father Ted]

Coming to the UK on 6th April...
Link: https://store.google.com/product/google_home

 

[sesevans]

Coming to the UK on 6th April...
Link: https://store.google.com/product/google_home

Yes, very excited about its arrival and I will certainly buy at least two Home devices. One for living room, one for bedroom and possibly one for kitchen. I will also be interested in the reviews of Google WiFi and its ability to provide points to increase coverage to hard to reach areas of the house.

Will this make it unnecessary to have a BT or Virgin router?

 

[stuie]

Will this make it unnecessary to have a BT or Virgin router?

I believe its just an advanced access point so will still need a router to work

 

[sesevans]

I believe its just an advanced access point so will still need a router to work

I assume this is a case where Google could have supplied their own router too but avoided direct competition with its clients--BT and Virgin sell Android devices. It will be interesting to see if third parties like Virgin and BT are distributors of Home as well.

I assume this is a case where Google could have supplied their own router too but avoided direct competition with its clients--BT and Virgin sell Android devices. It will be interesting to see if third parties like Virgin and BT are distributors of Home as well.

I spoke to customer services and learned more.

Google WiFi is compatible with Virgin Media modem (I assume with BT modem as well) as Google WiFi uses the modem part of the Virgin modem/router box and replaces the router part, as it acts as a router with multiple points.

I expect to buy the two WiFi pack to put one unit in the modem box and one in a room in the home to create the mesh network.

You activate each unit in the Google WiFi app. You can then run a mesh test after setting up the two units.

 

[sesevans]

Ordered 2 Home and the 2 pack Wifi from Play Store today.

Confirm says delivery Saturday to Tuesday.

 

[POB]

Shame the Google Wifi and the Home are not integrated.

 

[JamesM]

There is talk of them doing that.

I'm tempted to grab a Home but not sure whether to wait and see how they handle multiple accounts

I already have Nest and Hue stuff, this would be a good base for it all

Also, with lazy mode enabled, asking it to play films via Netflix is pretty cool

 

[roysters]

mines been dispatched, wth... i was expecting next week.. now its arriving tomorrow. Nice suprise

 

[Pigeon_Killer]

First thoughts...

It was very easy to configure, the microphone is excellent even at max volume, the assistant sounds more natural than I was expecting and it's way smaller than I thought it would be. Unfortunately, there's next to no app integration at the moment for UK users and the speaker isn't great.

Expect it to improve over the coming months, I'm really looking forward to the Logitech Harmony support, but the novelty will wear off very quickly unless Google add more features.

 

[CaptainComedy]

First thoughts...

It was very easy to configure, the microphone is excellent even at max volume, the assistant sounds more natural than I was expecting and it's way smaller than I thought it would be. Unfortunately, there's next to no app integration at the moment for UK users and the speaker isn't great.

Expect it to improve over the coming months, I'm really looking forward to the Logitech Harmony support, but the novelty will wear off very quickly unless Google add more features.

You've hooked it up to Samsung Smartthings right? that's like... law!?

 

[sesevans]

There is talk of them doing that.

I'm tempted to grab a Home but not sure whether to wait and see how they handle multiple accounts

I already have Nest and Hue stuff, this would be a good base for it all

Also, with lazy mode enabled, asking it to play films via Netflix is pretty cool

One of the reasons I bought two GH is because one device will sync to my Google account and the other, in another part of the home, will sync to my partner's account---for calendar, emails, etc. Yet GH works for either voice, just not for the account synced info. When a software update eventually makes multiple accounts possible (and there has been talk for a while) that will be great too, but does not do away with my need to have more than one GH in the home.

First thoughts...

It was very easy to configure, the microphone is excellent even at max volume, the assistant sounds more natural than I was expecting and it's way smaller than I thought it would be. Unfortunately, there's next to no app integration at the moment for UK users and the speaker isn't great.

Expect it to improve over the coming months, I'm really looking forward to the Logitech Harmony support, but the novelty will wear off very quickly unless Google add more features.

I was fortunate to visit the Google store within a store at Currys Tottenham Ct Road today and tested GH. The store had one all set up and fully loaded. I thought the speaker was excellent when playing Classic FM or Kiss FM via TuneIn radio. The quality of the sound from a YouTube video was also excellent. They had a Phillips Hue light set up and instructions including turn it on, turn up the brightness, dim the light, turn off the light, worked flawlessly. The link to Chromecast also was superb for playing video onto a TV nearby, all the the command of your voice.

Google seems to be pulling out all the stops here to get app developers to create Tasks on GH and I expect a rapid increase in the number of third party devs signing up to GH.

 

[JamesM]

One of the reasons I bought two GH is because one device will sync to my Google account and the other, in another part of the home, will sync to my partner's account---for calendar, emails, etc. Yet GH works for either voice, just not for the account synced info. When a software update eventually makes multiple accounts possible (and there has been talk for a while) that will be great too, but does not do away with my need to have more than one GH in the home.

I would end up with two as well, one for the living room and the other for the kitchen or bedroom.

To be honest setting up multiple accounts shouldn't be that tricky. The Pixel half does it as it only responds to my voice anyway so I can't see it being a big problem setting up accounts to different voices.

I'll keep an eye on things, it certainly looks good so far.