Its like having a butler, but it can’t do the dishes…Yet.
Storytime:
I live with a super nerd. He has a mancave full of little bits of wire and computer components. He watches YouTube videos of complex math equations being solved…He is what we call an “early adopter” the people who sponsor tech start-ups and then get access to the newest Alpha versions of software and gadgets.
This means I’ve been living in a semi automized home with various smart devices for a couple of years now.
Living unplugged
I, on the other hand am more of a technophobic who forgets to upgrade my phone…to his great annoyance.
In any case – its safe to say that I never saw the value in using Siri, Bixby or any of the other digital assistants that have been pushed on us.
That was until I started talking to Google.
Google wants to help – google is always awake (and polite!)…Google knows everything.
This is not an overstatement. Google is my new best friend. Goole wants to help me and never gets sassy. I use my Google Home (the hardware) and Google Assistant (the personal voice-controlled software on your many devices) multiple times a day. It took me a while to see the value in this, but although I’m still not an “early adopter” I am now a “total adopter”.
Where is mommy’s phone?
Ok, so I know this is embarrassing, but by far the thing I use google for most is to find my phone. I know this is something I could do with a smart watch, but I don’t wear a watch so don’t even start with me. Before a major source of frustration was the permanent “where did I put my phone down this time?” issue, now I simply yell: “Hi Google, please help me find my phone” down the hallway and a comforting eager voice pipes up with: “Ok – your phone should be ringing now”… And Voila! My phone starts ringing from the closed linen cupboard, the fridge, the couch cushions, my handbag, the diaper bag…or once, my back pocket. Being able to yell loudly in any room of my house and have my magical assistant find my phone has saved me countless minutes of being late and getting grumpy with myself.
Remind me of that thing I keep forgetting.
The thing about using tech in this way is that it free’s up your hands. Yes, I could simply import all my appointments into my calendar and have that remind me, but it’s so much easier to be doing something else, (driving, cooking, childcare, gardening, getting ready for the day, exercising etc), and have a chat with google about important dates and times to remember. My life, and my ability to be at the right place at the right time has significantly improved with the simple use of: “Hi google, please remind me to…go to the dentist at (whenever) next Friday.”
Let’s go shopping.
Another super handy use of tech is to have my shopping list always open, always updated and with me. “Please add (this and that) to my shopping list, please read me my shopping list, please remove (whatever I’ve bought) from my list” …It’s like having a butler, without the stuffy black uniform!
Take me home.
My final, and probably favourite part of suddenly having a relationship with Google is that it, however creepy it might sound, google is always with me and knows where I live. This means that once I’ve found my phone, gotten in my car and gone to whatever appointment or shopping expedition I had to do, I simply take out my phone and as Google to “take me home”. It’s a small thing, it’s probably a bit invasive if you stop to think about it, but the truth is we are living in an age where total secrecy and privacy is basically impossible, so why not simply embrace the tech and allow something else to take over some of your most tedious chores.
For more on the tech available, look no further:
Getting your “home” to speak to your “assistant” (YouTube Video)
What hardware can speak to what software?
Don’t like Google? (That’s weird, but ok!)
Here’s a breakdown of the other assistants and hardware available.
