A Google Home on display. Photo / Getty
Review by Matthew Dunn
The ads for Google Home are everywhere right now. But they probably don't tell you too much about how this product could actually work for you.
Google Home is the first official voice-activated smart assistant available in Australia and claims to have been designed to help make your life easier.
Having used the product for the past few weeks, I have put all of the features to the test to determine if this is something you actually need in your life. Here's what I found.
By using the "OK Google" or "Hey Google" commands, users can activate the smart speaker to perform one of its many features.
One of the more impressive features of the speaker is its ability to have it answer your requests, which is made possible through the inclusion of Google Assistant - Android's answer to Siri.
Google Home is able to provide facts and information for specific Google requests, while also doubling as a calculator, dictionary, nutritionist or translator.
Impressively, Google Home has been programmed to understand Australia's unique dialect and slang terms to ensure nothing is lost in translation, although you need to change the language settings from the app to English (Australian) for this feature to work accurately.
Product manager for Google Home Raunaq Shah said in addition to teaching the product to understand 'Strayan, the assistants soft, female voice was also made to sound Aussie.
"We hired a team of writers to include all of the exclusively Australian words we wanted the system to recognise, while also adding some unique Aussie flavour to the responses," he told news.com.au.
"It's so exciting to release a product that looks, sounds and feels like an authentic Australian."
As the product can recognise up to six voices for a more personalised experience, trying to discover all of the Aussie Easter eggs with my roommate provided much entertainment.
Google Home was able to deliver answers to a lot of queries we directed its way, but it's not without flaws.
While it didn't struggle to understand me, I found countless examples of Google Home being unable to answer my requests.
Q: OK Google: What's the live score in the Bulldogs vs. Parramatta game?
A: I'm sorry, I am unable to help with that request right now.
Even though I was disappointed when Google failed, I feel confident these features will improve over time.
If you are someone who struggles to stay on top of things, Google Home offers the ability to brief you on your day based on what you have specified in the app.
Users can find out weather, calendar, commute, reminders and news all from one simple command.
Q. OK Google: What's my day looking like?
A. Good morning, Matthew. The weather in Annandale is currently 10 degrees. You have to be at your appointment in Newtown at 9.30am. Based on traffic, your commute will take 15 minutes.
Given the wealth of data from Google Maps in Australia, users can be confident with the travel information given from the device, although work needs to be done to incorporate public transport timetables from around the country.
As a hub for all things Google, if you have a Chromecast dongle plugged into your TV's HDMI port, you can command the device to play content from Netflix, Stan or YouTube directly on your television.
However, when I asked the device to open the streaming service Stan on Chromecast and was met with the Eminem song "Stan", I realised this feature is not without its limitations either.
Further to Chromecast, Google Home is able to connect to your home network and control Wi-Fi-operated lights, appliances and sensors.
This feature is particularly helpful when you have just walked into your house with bags full of groceries and need to turn your lights on. The voice-activated feature is also helpful when needing to do things like setting a timer when cooking with dirty hands.
As Google Home also doubles as a speaker, users can stream music from YouTube Music, Google Play Music and Spotify with simple commands.
As mentioned earlier, the device is always listening for the "OK Google" or "Hey Google" commands needed for the features to work.
While Google claim it doesn't store any of the information you say before that prompt, it records every command you ask to improve its understanding of your voice and accent.
Given you can see a transcript of your interactions with the device in the Google Home app, it's not ridiculous to have concerns over the security its provides - especially given its only early days for this technology.
I will admit I had my doubts for Google Home and thought it was nothing more than a gimmick, but having used the product I can say it has definitely grown on me.
Sure, I still tend to use my phone instead of Google Home, but I can see this changing as the technology improves.
I feel those with new houses filled with smart appliances would benefit greatly from the ability to communicate with internet connected devices, while those in "dumb" homes could still enjoy the entertainment value.
The biggest downside is deciding where to position the unit in the house to get the best results, so hopefully future models will offer battery power to allow you to move it as needed.
With the rival Apple HomePod launches here in December for $440, the $199 Google Home offers better value in the early stages of voice-activated smart assistants.
So if you can afford the product and are looking for some distraction, go out and buy a Google Home.
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