What Do You Use Your Google Home for?

Taro Milk Tea on 06/05/2019 - 09:40
Last edited 07/05/2019 - 14:09

Finally received the Google Home mini 'freebie' from Spotify promotion.

Me and my mates were really excited to finally have an 'assistant' at home that can help make our life easier

After playing few hours with it….We started to get bored with it and found it's not really helpful.
Let's say you use the 'good morning' habit feature where it can tell you the weather, traffic etc..for me, I would rather have checked it from my mobile when so I can see the traffic condition better.

Let's say you want to ask it to play you a certain Youtube video, you need to start by saying 'OK Google' then 'Search video on youtube and cast it on TV'. You can definitely save the time by just search it yourself in your phone and cast it manually.

So, I'm keen to know what benefits do the ozbargainer genuinely get by using the Google Home?

  • Update *

Thank you all for the useful and OK tips in regards to the usage of GH. After reading through the comments, I have decided to keep my GH and will try to utilise better!

Electrical & Electronics Google Speakers Voice Assistant

Comments

              • Juice-Wa on 09/05/2019 - 16:16

                @serpserpserp: It very well may default to youtube, that just happened to be the request that I tested and use regularly.

        • Ughhh on 06/05/2019 - 11:36

          Tell that to the Tyler family from Us (movie)

        • Oipjo on 08/05/2019 - 08:59

          To test this, ask Google 'What did I just say' - and she'll respond with what she last heard (fun command to use at your friends house to see what they've been asking). Google is quite accurate in understanding what you ask, but still does not have any programmed responses for queries you imagine she could easily search the net for… Then on the reverse you ask her some simple questions and she gives far too much detail, so hit and miss, but if you believe your accent might be getting in the way, give that command a try.

      • [Deactivated] on 06/05/2019 - 10:22

        Are you as frustrated as you initially were? If not, thank Google.

        Now to kit out the rest of the rooms with Google home and you'll be Gandhi in no time.

        • Taro Milk Tea on 06/05/2019 - 10:25

          reverse psychology, i like that!

  • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 06/05/2019 - 10:26
    +5

    I used one for a week and sold it. Got bored with it too.

    I'm not bothering again unless I go the full hog and automate every single light along with heating/cooling and window blinds.

    • Taro Milk Tea on 06/05/2019 - 10:33
      +1

      I used one for a week and sold it. Got bored with it too.

      at least you had more patient than me lol.

      I probably will sell this soon too.

  • yoonibear on 06/05/2019 - 10:32
    +2

    JB had a buy 1 get 1 free promotion on the Home mini a while back. We bought it as a gift and kept one for ourselves. It gets used alot - mostly use it for -
    Set alarms
    Check weather
    Converting currency
    Asking it random questions
    Playing sleep sounds
    Playing music
    Setting alarms
    Asking it to play stuff via chromecast (netflix)
    When wifes bored she asks it to tell us jokes
    And on one occasion she was asking it weird questions (eg - Hey Google do you have a boyfriend?)

    • Taro Milk Tea on 06/05/2019 - 10:47
      +1

      When wifes bored she asks it to tell us jokes

      was it a good joke?

      • Nugs on 06/05/2019 - 11:15
        +4

        ask google
        .

  • MeesusEff on 06/05/2019 - 10:33
    +6

    Pretty much to set timers for cooking. Or if hubby is in another room, I use it to broadcast/intercom as he just ignores my texts >:(

    • Taro Milk Tea on 06/05/2019 - 10:47

      Or if hubby is in another room, I use it to broadcast/intercom as he just ignores my texts >:(

      See, what technology has done to our life…lol.

      • MeesusEff on 06/05/2019 - 12:23
        +7

        Haha yup, Im generally in the back part of the house and hes in the front gaming, 6+ M pregnant and having back pains so can't keep getting up to ask him stuff. He doesn't know how to broadcast back, so he has to come to me to answer :D

        • Taro Milk Tea on 06/05/2019 - 13:41

          I understand, surely it has helped reducing the chance having a sore throat by screaming to call your husband lol

    • thatonethere on 06/05/2019 - 11:39
      +2

      I used broadcast to home from work ("hey guys - heading home ring me if you want anything from the shops").

      • Taro Milk Tea on 06/05/2019 - 11:51

        I used broadcast to home from work ("hey guys - heading home ring me if you want anything from the shops")

        This could be useful. How do you see the reply back from your phone? Does it send a text or a voice message again?

      • John Kimble on 06/05/2019 - 12:09

        Thanks, didn't know you could do this…time to freak out my 3 year old

        • tempura on 06/05/2019 - 12:32

          learn IFTTT and hass.io and you'll be even more freaked out.

          • John Kimble on 06/05/2019 - 12:35

            @tempura: Hmmmm, perhaps. Although I only have a couple of smart lights.

            • tempura on 06/05/2019 - 12:38

              @John Kimble: start with IFTTT; it's really easy and doesn't require any coding. I also have one smart light too and it's really fun.

              • John Kimble on 06/05/2019 - 12:40

                @tempura: I do have the app on my phone, made one to turn on the lights when I got near my house and another to turn off when moved away…annoyed my wife when she was at home though.

                Need to think of other useful scenarios.

        • John Kimble on 06/05/2019 - 12:37
          +1

          Well, just tried this for the first time, told my daughter to eat her lunch…she wasn't freaked out…and she didn't listen (according to my mum).

  • trankillity on 06/05/2019 - 11:07
    +2

    I have basically full smart home functionality through it with lights, power points, Logitech Harmony remote and an NVIDIA shield.

    But that's just the expensive stuff it can control. If you want it to actually improve your life without needing anything else, here's some tips:

    • Shopping list - one of my minis sits in the kitchen. A quick prompt allows me to add stuff to my shopping list whenever I notice we're out.
    • Calendar - it syncs with your Google Calendar. Very easy to make/hear upcoming appointments.
    • Reminders - location and time-based reminders are a breeze.
    • Timers - great for cooking.
    • Broadcasting notifications - kinda like a whole house intercom. Can even be broadcast from out of home to your home.
    • Random information - "Should I take an umbrella today?" , "What time is Avengers showing in the city?" , "How long would it take to drive to the Sunshine Coast", etc.

    And that's just the tip of the ice berg. It's a pretty deep rabbit hole to fall down, but definitely a fun ride.

    • Taro Milk Tea on 06/05/2019 - 11:59

      It's a pretty deep rabbit hole to fall down, but definitely a fun ride.

      Care to share more? I would really want to know what Google Home can be useful for other than asking general things e.g. weather, timer etc or automation of light, AC, fan etc.

      • trankillity on 06/05/2019 - 20:02
        +1

        Well if you have Android devices, most of the functionality can be extended onto them. If you have asked "How long would it take to drive to X?", it will push directions to your phone. I believe in the US you can also get your Google Home to make calls/send SMS via your Android phone too. You can also group multiple Google Home devices together to act as a unified, wireless speaker system allowing you to cast music throughout your whole house (though you'd probably want more than Mini devices for this as their speaker is terrible).

        But I was more talking from an automation perspective. There's a hell of a lot you can use a Google Home for.

        There's also even more that you can do via IFTTT which expands its functionality even further.

    • serpserpserp on 09/05/2019 - 14:30

      Shopping list

      What app does it default to for shopping lists? I use wunderlist for the household to write things down for a unified list, but being able to search through the cupboard/fridge and just yell out stuff to add would be useful.

      • trankillity on 10/05/2019 - 09:10

        Todoist is what we use. There's an IFTTT applet for enabling voice control of the list via Google Home devices, and there's also a WearOS app for Todoist for having your shopping list on your wrist.

  • slow on 06/05/2019 - 11:08
    +3

    If I ever need records of any conversations that have happened in my house, as I know google now has a copy of them.

    • trankillity on 06/05/2019 - 11:10

      Only if you say the trigger word, and only a limited recording. That use case didn't really work.

      • Taro Milk Tea on 06/05/2019 - 11:53

        I don't know it has this recording function. So do you have to command it to record the conversation?

        Can it record at certain time or just after you give the command?

        • Hybroid on 06/05/2019 - 12:03
          +5

          It was a semi-joke based on the fact Google harvests your data and thus you are their main product, not devices/software. You have no privacy when using Google services which is another reason not to have these devices listening constantly in your home.

          • Taro Milk Tea on 06/05/2019 - 12:23

            @Hybroid: Ah ok. Sooner or later, we will be like in the world of Detroit:Become Human

          • slow on 06/05/2019 - 13:56
            +2

            @Hybroid: Correct, although I thought calling it a semi-joke was a bit harsh

  • [Deactivated] on 06/05/2019 - 11:09

    I use mine to play music while in the shower or listen to the news while on the toilet.

    • Taro Milk Tea on 06/05/2019 - 11:55

      I use mine to play music while in the shower or listen to the news while on the toilet.

      I assume you listen to the news and as well as browsing the sosmed while on the toilet?

  • kevsta on 06/05/2019 - 11:52

    Check weather, set timers for when bbqing on weber q, play music from spotify. Ask for general knowledge questions. Translation of various languages.

    • Taro Milk Tea on 06/05/2019 - 11:58

      Translation of various languages.

      How do you ask for translation for the language you can't even read or pronounce?

      • dcep on 06/05/2019 - 12:50
        +1

        you learn new language both ways

        say, hey google be my korean translator

        then you say any english word , it'll translate to korean

        or when you watch korean shows/movie without subtitle , you can mimic what you heard from the movie and it'll translate to english.

        • Taro Milk Tea on 06/05/2019 - 13:42
          +1

          great tips! I will try it later. Though I don't watch any K-drama, too cheesy.

        • tempura on 06/05/2019 - 14:08

          when you watch korean shows ..

          BlackPink in the Area …… ?

  • Tee Rex Arms on 06/05/2019 - 12:16

    Glad I got mine included with my NBN bundle because I wouldn’t pay a cent for it, even the Spotify deal going atm.

    • tempura on 06/05/2019 - 12:45
      +3

      you do realize that your Google Home pricing is factored into your NBN bundle?

  • shavanni on 06/05/2019 - 12:17
    +2

    Its great for the kids.
    hey google, talk to the wiggles. Gets the wiggles are you play a long in a game
    Hey google, tell me a story. Reads audiobooks from your google play books account
    Hey google, sing me song/nursery rhyme. Sings a songs/tells a nursery rhyme
    Hey google, what sound does a <object> or <animal> make? Plays the sound

    • Taro Milk Tea on 06/05/2019 - 12:43

      It seems like it's quite popular among the kids. They should really start creating ads targeting the kids.

    • peteru on 06/05/2019 - 12:46

      I've seen a 3 year old do this: "Hey Google, say You are a pooey, pooey, bum, bum in Spanish."

      Gold.

  • Sammy2000 on 06/05/2019 - 13:18
    +1

    Besides all that is already listed, I use my Home Hub in the kitchen for recipes.
    It talks you through ingredients and preparation without touching the screen.

    • Taro Milk Tea on 06/05/2019 - 13:43

      But what if you don't have all the ingredients…?

      Shouldn't you use it before preparing? lol

      • Sammy2000 on 06/05/2019 - 14:10
        +1

        Perhaps this is why my cooking skills have not yet improved.

      • sheebies on 07/05/2019 - 09:36
        +1

        I use it in the same way. I love to cook and always have an extensive array of ingredients in my kitchen. So lacking ingredients is never usually a problem.

        It's handy to to have google step you through what ingredients you need whilst at the pantry, rather than having to stop and read it off the screen continually.

  • picklewizard on 06/05/2019 - 13:49

    Current news
    Podcasts (good when working in the kitchen)
    Streaming radio
    Cooking timers
    Alarms that aren't easily snoozed (eg have to get out of bed if it's in the other room)
    Asking the time
    Kitchen unit conversions
    Asking for ETAs for places we need to be
    Control of anything on Chromecast (rewind x seconds is particularly handy, seems to work on all casting services including Videostream)
    General background music (with a Google Play Music/YT Music subscription)
    Opening hours and locations of shops (where's my nearest JB Hi Fi, what time does Woolies shut etc)
    Broadcast (transmits a voice message from your phone to the speaker, great for when I'm at the shops and the missus isn't answering her phone)
    Where's my phone (I must use this one every day nearly!)
    Weather / will it rain today / what time will it rain / when will it rain next

    That's about it I think. I wasn't sold on it at first but I'd be lost without it now I reckon!

    • Taro Milk Tea on 06/05/2019 - 14:27

      Weather / will it rain today / what time will it rain / when will it rain next

      bloody GH tricked me yesterday. It said in the morning it would not rain at all, but then after i left, it started to rain pretty bad!!

      Podcasts (good when working in the kitchen)
      Cooking timers
      Kitchen unit conversions

      A chef I suppose?

      • John Kimble on 06/05/2019 - 14:36

        You are lucky if BOM weather is accurate…I don't think Google uses BOM, probably weather.com and it's even less accurate than BOM (IMHO).

      • shavanni on 06/05/2019 - 14:54

        Do you have your location set up in the google home app?

        Mine told me it would rain around midday and it was spot on.

        • Taro Milk Tea on 06/05/2019 - 14:56

          yes i have the location set up.

          Mine told me it would rain around midday and it was spot on.

          maybe mine is a faulty product and it's created to annoy the owner

  • luffyex2010 on 06/05/2019 - 14:46

    Intercom for the kids.

    Dinner is ready!

    • [Deactivated] on 06/05/2019 - 14:50
      +1

      To which my kids usually respond with "ok Google, tell mum I'm not hungry."

      • luffyex2010 on 06/05/2019 - 14:55

        Thankfully my kids are obedient, they will not miss any meal lol.

        • [Deactivated] on 06/05/2019 - 15:01

          Mine are cheeky :)

          My toddler sometime wakes up in the middle of the night and goes "Ok googoo, cheese peeze!" 🤣

    • Taro Milk Tea on 06/05/2019 - 14:52

      Look what Fortnite has done to our future generation!

  • [Deactivated] on 06/05/2019 - 14:48

    I only ever use mine when Alfred, my butler, is chucking a sickie and it is such a chore. Frankly, nothing can replace a good butler.

    • Taro Milk Tea on 06/05/2019 - 14:53

      Make sure he submits the sickie leave!

      • [Deactivated] on 06/05/2019 - 15:09

        I will!

  • ode1online on 06/05/2019 - 15:05
    +1

    Power On and Off lights, Some with Phillips hue , some with Wifi power adapters.
    spotify/radio in the lounge room, spotify/radio in the Den and spotify/radio in the Garage whilst washing the car.

    Daily alarm in bedroom., White noise in the bedroom, Power on or off Fan or Heater or lights in bedroom/house
    Set timers for cooking, or chores, eg , Timer for washing to be put out in 1 hr, or 15 minute timer for cooking

    My mother who has Parkinsons disease, using it to turn on and off the light thru the house as she gets up or goes to bed.
    Has a morning routine to read the news and reminds her what time to take meds , also found her cheating with google when doing crosswords.

    • Taro Milk Tea on 06/05/2019 - 15:12
      +1

      Power On and Off lights, Some with Phillips hue , some with Wifi power adapters.
      spotify/radio in the lounge room, spotify/radio in the Den and spotify/radio in the Garage whilst washing the car.

      Isn't Phillips hue expensive? I have been wanting to know how much appro people spend to get all of these automation to work, but no one seems to give their answer.

      My mother who has Parkinsons disease, using it to turn on and off the light thru the house as she gets up or goes to bed.
      Has a morning routine to read the news and reminds her what time to take meds , also found her cheating with google when doing crosswords.

      Great example of how people might benefit using GH. Thanks for sharing. I guess it must be really useful for her.

  • Munki on 06/05/2019 - 15:06

    Sold mine when the kids kept triggering it by screaming out "Hey Google!"

    • Taro Milk Tea on 06/05/2019 - 15:16

      Sold mine when the kids kept triggering it by screaming out "Hey Google!"

      You can turn off the mic

    • Munki on 06/05/2019 - 20:06

      Yeah but it really didn't get much use from us, so it was probably better off elsewhere.

  • Herbse on 06/05/2019 - 15:18
    +1
    • Ask it cooking conversions
    • Weather / when will it rain next so I can hang clothes out
    • Timers, alarms for cooking or watering the grass
    • I set reminders through the day for various things which it beeps and tells me when it's time
    • Control the smart lights
    • Turn the tv on from the kitchen so it's ok when I get into the tv room
    • Control the Nest Thermostat
    • Start the Xiaomi vacuum to clean the house
    • Plays music to my stereo
    • Kids use it to "talk to the wiggles", play "baby shark song"
    • With my nest doorbell, the Google homes are doorbell chimes and tells me when someone's at the front door

    I've got a Google home hub in the kitchen, the screen shows

    • Everything I ask visually - timers, question answers
    • Shoes the traffic routes to work etc
    • Displays the nest doorbell when someone rings the bell
    • Cooking videos
    • Can pick music videos to stream to Chromecast
    • Can control the tv using the screen (Logitech Harmony)

    Much more I CBF typing. It's a lot more useful once you get into smart home accessories.

    • Taro Milk Tea on 06/05/2019 - 16:20

      Much more I CBF typing. It's a lot more useful once you get into smart home accessories.

      It makes me thinking that this is actually an investment rather than a single entertainment gadget.
      It doesn't stop by just having GH itself.

  • Ryanek on 06/05/2019 - 15:50
    +1

    I use it to turn off all my IOT lights while i'm comfortably in bed.

  • messiah1095 on 06/05/2019 - 16:02

    Mainly checking the weather but also use it for voice control with Kodi.

  • hopper on 06/05/2019 - 16:06

    control Bulbs, Garage door, Robo rock Vacuum , Deck lights, TV, water Heater.
    Listen to my uploaded bollywood music albums
    listen to news when cooking
    adding calendar events
    asking for my daily bus times
    schedule mediation music every mrng 7am

    • Taro Milk Tea on 06/05/2019 - 16:21

      control Bulbs, Garage door, Robo rock Vacuum , Deck lights, TV, water Heater.

      You can automate water heater?

      Listen to my uploaded bollywood music albums

      You make music album? I love bollywood!

      schedule mediation music every mrng 7am

      Not only an artist, you also a holy priest. Respect.

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