The Google Assistant/Home ecosphere has a few new things rolling out this month. I think I’ve talked about the starting of enforcing polite conversations with out future AI overlords, but if not the system will start responding with different messages when you ask it “Please,” “pretty please,” or “thank you”.
It does not seem like you have to use that word yet, but as I recall they’re considering allowing you to make it a requirement for your kids to nicely ask for help.
Among the other things in their “7 ways Google Assistant can help you survive the holidays” are asking Google Home to give Santa a call. This is one of those yes/no adventure games that are fairly common in the Disney offerings on Assistant.
The visual google home hub and Lenovo Smart Displays (and assuming others to come,) can display lyrics to some music so you can finally correct your uncle who insists it’s a bathroom on the right and when you do and he doubles down on it being a bathroom on the right you can learn that was his joke, everyone but you knew it was his joke, and you’re ruining Christmas again aren’t you?
Read a story to your kids because you can’t take the additional five days during December with them and would like them to remember a little bit of joy rather than the intense annoyance you feel with everyone.
Fight to get Google assistant to get the door unlocked while yours kids and their cousins are screaming “OK Poophole” every time you say OK Google to unlock the door.
Broadcast replies, think we covered that one. Tried it and nobody heard the broadcast, but it did broadcast… sort of needs some sort of indicator that a broadcast from out of house was sent and a replay option to make the reply option useful. Or point to point walkie talkies.
Sharing photos – you’ve finally got a smart photo frame and the perfect photo pops up, you can send it to aunt Edna simply by saying “Hey Google, share this photo with Aunt Edna.” Actually quite useful for when your Google Photos playlist is in the 10K range.
Swipe up touch alarms for quick alarm settings.
[Google Blog]
