Google was making some big announcements, ahead of its major Pixel event which is happening coming tuesday.
They will be showing their new Nest Learning Thermostat and the Google TV Streamer. But the thing I am more interested in, is that Google is also offering a sneak peek at some significant Google Home and Google Assistant updates.
I have seen it, and they’re all incredibly impressive.
Now why would you say this is something I was looking out for..
You may, or may not have read my latest article on AI-Assistants (here it is… just plugging it again) , where I try to make a case that companies prepare themselves for a future where not only people will do the shopping online, but AI-Assistants will as well. These assistants may come in the form of bots like Jace AI and Elna AI, but most likely, they will come in the form of appliances like Alexa, Google home, etc.
So let’s continue with the Google Assistant.
Google has introduced a new voice for the Assistant that sounds remarkably more natural than the current one. It is hard to describe this in writing, but essentially, the Assistant’s voice now sounds more human-like and less robotic. The Assistant takes natural pauses while speaking and has inflections in its voice. AND… it really understands what you are saying..
And the last thing, to me, is the major improvement. I have had both Alexa and Google Home in my house for years now, and it sometimes seems like I am talking to my Dachshund when I try to get him to do something for me.
Before we start!
If you like this topic and you want to support me:
- Share the article; that will really help my articles to reach more people 🙌
- Or Connect with me on Linkedin 🙏
- Subscribe to TechTonic Shifts to get your daily dose of tech 📰
The Google Assistant is getting better and more natural with questions.
In the demo video that I have watched, someone asks the Google Assistant if Pluto is still a planet.
The Assistant explains that it’s not and that the International Astronomical Union (the IAU) decided to reclassify Pluto as a dwarf planet. The person then simply asks, “Could they change their minds again“? The Assistant understands that “they” refers to the IAU and that the person is asking if the organization could change its stance on Pluto being a dwarf planet.
Pretty darn impressive !
As impressive as this is, the truly exciting stuff is related to Google Home.
Google showcased its plans for bringing Gemini into the Google Home experience. Gemini is the ChatGPT from Google. And even as someone who hasn’t been particularly impressed with existing Gemini features, the stuff it’s adding to Google Home is pretty mind-blowing.
My favorite Gemini feature is how you can use it to create automations.
Automations are a crucial part of any smart home, but they’re also not particularly easy to set up. Having the lights automatically turn on when you get home is great, but setting that up yourself can be easier said than done.
With Gemini, you’ll be able to create automations by simply saying or writing what you want your automation to do.
In an example, Google shows someone using Gemini in the Google Home app and saying, “Help the kids remember to put their bikes in the garage when they come home from school“. Now, Gemini creates an automation that will turn on the garage lights and broadcast a message with a reminder to put away bikes whenever someone arrives home between 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. You can then tap a button to see the full automation process and customize it if you want to. Otherwise, you tap another button to save it, and that’s all there is to it.
Gemini is also going to make searching your camera activity a lot easier.
Your what?
Ok, let’s use the same bike example, you could go to the Activity page in Google Home and search, “Did the kids leave their bikes in the driveway“? You then get a clear answer at the top, followed by video clips Gemini pulled its answer from. It sounds simple explained this way, but the technical process happening behind the scenes to make this look so seamless is nothing short of amazing.
This is all possible because of how Gemini will greatly improve the quality and detail of what your smart-home cameras see. For example, a Nest camera looking at your backyard can give you an alert if it sees a bird on your bird feeder and knows to classify that as an animal. With Gemini, however, it could provide a much more in-depth explanation of the scene, such as:
“A blue jay at a seed-filled feeder. Its blue and white feathers vibrant against a dull, wintry backdrop. There are no people or vehicles, just tranquil natural scenery and the colorful bird“
They have definitely improved their Computer Vision algorithms here !
Of course I want to see how this stuff will pan out in the real world, compared to pre-rendered demos in a press briefing.
But everything Google is showing here looks incredible. It often feels like Google announces Gemini features without a clear explanation of how they’re supposed to make your life easier, but that’s not the case here. Using Gemini to create automations is ingenious and something I can’t wait to try. The upgraded Google Assistant sounds fantastic. The new AI tools for Nest cameras are like something straight out of the future.
Now, the important question to me is:
When can you use all these features for yourself?
Google says it’ll begin rolling everything out to Nest Aware subscribers in a Public Preview phase later this year.
The exact timing is unclear ( 😭 ) , but I certainly hope it’s sooner rather than later.
Google is onto something magical here, and I can’t wait to get my hands on all of it.
Well, that’s a wrap for today. Tomorrow, I’ll have a fresh episode of TechTonic Shifts for you. If you enjoy my writing and want to support my work, feel free to buy me a coffee ♨️
Think a friend would enjoy this too? Share the newsletter and let them join the conversation. LinkedIn appreciates your likes by making my articles available to more readers.
Leave a Reply