google

Get Started with Google Home Routines

By Paul B. Kaiser on March 17, 2018

The Google Home Assistant’s routines are rolling out to everyone. If you are familiar with the Home app then you’ll find this pretty easy to set up. But if you’re not familiar, here are some places to help you.

Google Assistant’s Routines support page

Google Home list of commands

First of all here is where to find “Routines” in your app. Go to settings in the Google Home or Google Assistant app, and you’ll find them under More Settings > Services > Routines.

People and news outlets have been reporting that only the Morning routine is available but I have the full version, so I assume the full version is rolling out to everyone. Hey Google – Have Fun.

Healthy Gadgets, VR and Connected Toilets at CES 2018

By Paul B. Kaiser on January 13, 2018

The number of innovations displayed at CES is never in shortage. So I’m highlighting only a few in this article with some links to the top winners. The bottom line is if you can imagine adding the internet to any type of gadget, it’s happening. Some very cool healthcare gadgets, enhanced VR and of course toilets are all in the consumers eye. And when you’re done laughing at the toilet IoT idea, let me tell you, it makes good sense. It cleans itself, it’s heated and it is voice activated. Definitely a dream come true.

May I introduce – the “Toto 750”.

Hey Google – Flush The Toilet

I hear angels when I see this toilet.

numi

Numi intelligent toilet with KOHLER Konnect is Kohler’s most advanced toilet. The Numi offers personalized experiences that let users fine-tune every aspect of their experience to their exact preference, from ambient colored lighting to wireless Bluetooth^® music sync capability to the heated seat and foot warmer. Numi delivers hands-free control, personalized cleansing functionality, and exceptional water efficiency.
Features of Numi with KOHLER Konnect can be controlled through voice-command, the KOHLER Konnect app, or the remote.

hey google ces As you’ve probably heard, Google has dominated CES 2018 and will be the driving force behind many gadgets. Google announced on their blog that Google assistant will be everywhere, on every device.

“The Google Assistant is your personal Google. It lets you have a conversation and ask about everything under the sun and, best of all, it’s available wherever you need help—at home or on the go. Over the past year, we’ve been working to bring the Assistant to more devices in more places and now it’s available on more than 400 million devices.”

The Google Assistant gives you an easy, hands-free way to control your home, whether it’s helping you dim the lights from the comfort of your couch or play your dinner party playlist. It’s already lending a helping hand in speakers like Google Home, Mini and Max. In fact, we’ve sold more than one Google Home every second since Google Home Mini started shipping in October. And with so much excitement around speakers, we’re making the Assistant even more available—this week we’re announcing that the Assistant is coming to new voice-activated speakers from Altec Lansing, Anker Innovations, Bang & Olufsen, Braven, iHome, JBL, Jensen, LG, Klipsch, Knit Audio, Memorex, RIVA Audio and SōLIS.

But there are also moments when a screen would make the Assistant even more helpful, like when you need to learn how to cut a pineapple, and the best way is to watch a video. Today, we’re announcing that the Assistant is coming to smart displays. These new devices have the Google Assistant built in, and with the added benefit of a touch screen, they can help you get even more done. You can watch videos from YouTube, video call with Google Duo, find photos from Google Photos and more. You can also get recommendations for your favorite content, right on the home screen.

Starting later this year, the Assistant is coming to new smart displays from four companies, including JBL, Lenovo, LG and Sony. To learn more about how smart displays were built, visit the Android Developers blog.

Cool Health Gadgets

Gadgets that focus on improving users’ health and well-being were in ample supply this year at CES. Philips launched a wearable headband to enhance sleep. Prevent Biometrics released a mouthguard that could detect concussions. Swim.com and Spire Health Tag collaborated to design a “smart swimsuit” that could help swimmers track their water workouts. Neutrogena unveiled its SkinScanner, which attaches to an iPhone and syncs with the Skin360 app to help users assess their skin health from home.

The SkinScanner product was made in partnership with a New York-based company called Fitskin. It’s a tool that slides onto the top of your iPhone and uses 12 LED lights and a 30x magnification lens to capture an up-close image of your skin. It also has a moisture sensor, around the rim of the lens. You open the app, press the device right onto your face, and take a series of images. Glamour shots these are not: these are close-up readings of your skin’s moisture levels, wrinkles, and pore size.

The L’Oreal UV Sense may help prevent Skin Cancer

The smaller a device is, the more wearable it becomes, and that’s one of the reasons that L’Oreal’s UV Sense is so intriguing. It’s a UV sensor no bigger than a thumbnail that tells you, via your smartphone, how much sun exposure you’ve received each day. The benefits are twofold: Not only could this help prevent skin cancer, it’s also a key step on a micro-wearable computing journey that could revolutionize the world.

Best of CES

See the list of CES winners

Photo by John Locher People walk through a display of television screens during CES International, in Las Vegas
Gadget Show LG, Las Vegas, USA – 09 Jan 2018

When it rains, it pours. And on the first day of CES 2018, the monstrous gadget expo that drew an astounding 184,000 people to Las Vegas this year, it rained. Hard. Traffic snarled, Google’s parking lot tent at the Las Vegas Convention Center flooded, drones were grounded, autonomous cars sat parked.

The next day, a power outage plunged the entire show floor into darkness.

It would be fair to say that CES 2018 gave us plenty of ominous reasons to remember it, but fortunately for us, there also were plenty of fun things to see when the lights were on. From the usual spate of wall-sized TVs to servile robots, crazy-fast PCs, and new VR headsets, all the usual culprits were in attendance. But we set out to find the best of the best for our annual Top Tech of CES awards.

Nice overview of CES 2018

Alexa and Google Home may be the Voice of Reason

By Paul B. Kaiser on December 30, 2017

The popularity of Alexa and Google Home are making voice technology a game changer in our daily lives and marketing opportunities. That voice in your head may soon turn on your toaster oven. As the IoT (Internet of Things) makes it’s way into our lives, even the simplest of tasks may be controlled by our voice commands. Whether this is a fad or the way of the future does not matter, it is coming – it’s here. Voice technology and digital assistants are about to change our lives.

Voice technology and digital assistants have crossed paths in the form of Alexa and Google Home. This past holiday has sealed the fate of our desire for robots. I think because it provides a feeling superiority, being able to tell another object to do something, and it understands, and it performs that task. While voice commands and digital assistants have a long way to go, they have made big leaps with machine learning.

Be my friend

All the advances in AI mean that the possibilities of a voice-activated world are finally becoming a reality, according to Speak Easy, a study conducted by J. Walter Thompson, Kantar and Mindshare. The emotional attachment to new people albeit, a mechanical robot is real. A recent study suggested that people will become more emotionally attached to their assistants as advances in machine learning continue. “As people, we crave intimacy, and the ability to forge more personal connections through voice is very apparent,” says Ida Siow. “A third of regular voice users in Singapore have admitted to having a sexual fantasy about their voice assistant, which demonstrates just how easy it is to anthropomorphize this form of AI technology. It’s just easier to connect with voice.”

Marketing a Voice

So what does this mean for companies looking to tap into the voice business? It could be a $50 billion a year market by 2020. According to comScore, 200 billion searches per month will be done with voice by 2020. This creates a $50+ billion per year market opportunity around voice search. As demand for voice intensifies, so will the demand for accessories, devices for the Home, ad revenue, and shopping opportunities (which Amazon already owns the space.)

The Speak Easy study also stated that “…when people voiced a question involving a brand name, their brain activity showed a significantly stronger emotional response compared to people typing that same question.” Ida continues.

“There is no doubt that voice builds emotional affinity, and a resounding 72% of users wanted brands to have unique voices and personalities for their apps. The implication for brands is huge – it’s no longer just about right time, right message, right place – brands need to ensure they are developing the right voice too.”

Future Me

So, where does this all lead us in the future of voice? Here’s what some of the digital minds of today think about voice?

Peter T. Boyd, President & Founder of PaperStreet

“Star Trek style full conversations where the computer interacts with the user and can control technology. Everyone can have a personal assistant to get routine tasks done, items purchased, calculations made, and control devices in your office, home and car. With that will be security concerns in being able to mimic voices and break-into various devices, but they can probably be overcome with additional security in other ways (pass codes or other body signatures).”

Others are not so optimistic. Steve Kovach says it’s time to admit digital assistants are overrated:

“The hype around digital assistants is real. But for now, it’s just that. Hype. And it’s arguably the more overrated than any other emerging technology…digital assistants have turned into a fragmented mess and they’re all little more than a minor convenience, assuming they work at all.”

Regardless of whether you think it’s a fad or a mainstay in the populous, it is on the way. What might be the practical use of voice commands now?

Top tasks voice controls are made for:

Voice will be a primary interface for the connected home, providing a natural means to communicate with alarm systems, lights, kitchen appliances, sound systems and more, as users go about their day-to-day lives.
Major cars on the market will adopt intelligent, voice-driven systems for entertainment and location-based search, keeping drivers’ and passengers’ eyes and hands free.
Audio and video entertainment systems will count on naturally spoken voice for content discovery to match the multitude of ways users think about content. (This can already be seen in products like the new Apple TV, which rejects any apps whose core functionality doesn’t support the voice-controlled Siri remote.)
Small-screened and screenless wearables will continue their upward climb in popularity, requiring smooth, fluid means of operation as more and more users expect better and better results.

It is expected that voice-controlled devices will also dominate workplaces that require hands-free mobility, such as hospitals, warehouses, laboratories and production plants. As far as I’m concerned, the next big advancement in voice is being able to have a conversation.

Final conversation

Having a conversation with digital assistants will not be easy with so many variations in language, pauses and pronunciations, but this is no doubt the holy grail for Amazon and Google. Amazon wants you to have long, real conversations with Alexa. The e-tail giant recently released new tools to app developers that allow Alexa to whisper, show emotion and pause naturally, like we humans do. And that’s just the start, says Rohit Prasad, Amazon’s head scientist for Alexa, who is playing a key role in the retailer’s efforts in artificial intelligence for Alexa—using computers to converse with us.

The roadmap is set, but the opportunities are wide open. It’s time to get on board with voice. if you want to know how to ramp up, wait for our next post – “OK People, create your voice commands!”

On the lighter side….

OK Google, tell Alexa to turn off the lights

By Paul B. Kaiser on December 17, 2017

After the upcoming holidays, I think half the population will have a voice activated device. Well maybe not half, but Amazon Echo and Google Home devices are turning out to eb one of the hottest tech toys of the decade. Whether a Google Home, Alexa or Siri on your iPhone, these devices have been selling off the virtual shelves all year. Amazon reports that they “sold ‘millions’ of Alexa devices over the holiday shopping weekend.”

Google reports that 55 percent of teens and 40 percent of adults use voice search daily.

Google’s line of virtual assistants are catching up with Alexa. Google now has the mini, Home and the Max speaker. Amazons line includes, the Dot, Echo and the Echo Plus. In the big scheme of things they are all pretty equal (although Google Home has tested better). I lean towards Google personally because I have all my life on Google. I’m sure Amazon quality is comparable. There are many reviews you can check out. Below is one.

One cool thing about Google Home

You can add Multiple Users to your Google Home

Google Home now supports multiple users, meaning you and your family can use the device.

All you have to do, once another account is attached, is get that person to say “Ok Google” and “Hey Google” a couple of times and Home will be able to tell who’s talking to it.

“From that point on,” says Google, “any time you say “Ok Google” or “Hey Google” to your Google Home, the neural network will compare the sound of your voice to its previous analysis so it can understand if it’s you speaking or not. This comparison takes place only on your device, in a matter of milliseconds.”

One cool thing about Amazon Echo

Most popular Alexa skill? Setting the timer. Second is “Play a song.”

Estimated number of people that own a Echo in 2017 is 8.2 million.

Voice control is the real deal

First let’s make sure your set up.

Setting up your Google Home is relatively easy. See instructions here.
Setting up your Amazon Echo

Want to know what your virtual assistant can do for your life?

Below are general topics you might use voice commands to accomplish tasks. Home and Echo are linked accordingly.

Now to get to the nitty gritty. Tell your Google Home or Amazon Echo what to do. Remember to use a normal voice, and make it conversational. Below are a compilation of many commands from several sources. Have fun!

Voice Commands

General information

How old is [Neil deGrasse Tyson]?
Where was [Louis C.K.] born?
Define [colloquial] (Or “What does [colloquial] mean?”)
What time is it in [Tokyo]?
Search for [photography tips]
Show me pictures of [the Leaning Tower of Pisa]
Do I need an umbrella today? What’s the weather like? What’s the weather in [New Orleans] [this weekend]?
What the [Google] stock price? What is [Apple] trading at?
What’s [182 yards] in [miles]? What is [12 ounces] in [liters]?
What’s [135] divided by [7.5]? (A great many types of math equations will work.)
Search [Tumblr] for [cat pictures] (more apps are added to this search-within-apps function all the time)

Device control

Open [greenbot.com]
Take a picture (“Take a photo” also works)
Record a video
Open [Spotify]
Turn [on / off] [Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Flashlight]

Productivity

What’s the tip for [123 dollars]?
Set an alarm for [6:30 am]
Set a timer for [20 minutes]
Create a calendar event: [Dinner with Glenda, Saturday at 9pm.]
Remind me to [buy coffee at 7am] (try locations! Remind me to [buy coffee filters at Walgreens])
What is my schedule for tomorrow? (also: What does my day look like [Friday]?)
Where’s my package? (tracking confirmation must be in Gmail)
Make a note: [update my router firmware] (also try “Note to self:” This works with multiple apps, and you can even email yourself!)
Find [Florence Ion’s] [phone number] (Works with all info in your contacts – addresses, birthdays, etc.)
Show me my bills. (or: My bills due this week.)

Communication

Show me my last messages. (Then follow voice prompts)
Call [Jon] (also works with relationships: Call [sister])
Call [Cartman] on speakerphone
Text [Susie] [great job on that feature yesterday] (also works with relationships: Text [mom] [I’m not going to be able to pick you up from the airport, period, I’m a bad son, period])
Send email to [Robert Baratheon], subject, [hunting], message, [I don’t think you should drink so much when you go hunting, period]
Post to [Twitter]: [Oh my god the Red Wedding episode!]
What is French for [I am Charlie]?
[Send a Hangout message] to [Dad].
Send a [Viber] message to [Derek]: Hang on, I’m going to get more coffee. (works with WhatsApp, Viber, WeChat, Telegram, and NextPlus)

Navigation and Travel

Where is the nearest [sushi restaurant]?
Navigate to [Willis Tower, Chicago]
Directions to [Fisherman’s Wharf] by [bike] (also try “Directions home” or “How do I get home?”)
Where is [the Louvre]?
Show me the menu for [Green Chile Kitchen]
Call [Asian Art Museum]
Show me my flight info
Where’s my hotel?
What are some attractions around here?
How do you say [good night] in [Japanese]?
What is [50,000 yen] in [dollars]?
What’s the flight status of [United] flight [735]?
Show me restaurants near my hotel -or- Give me directions back to my hotel (this works if your hotel confirmation was sent to your gmail account)

Entertainment

Play [solitaire] (also try tic-tac-toe)
Play some music (opens “I’m feeling lucky” radio station in Google Play Music)
Next Song / Pause Song
Play [Happy] (songs must be in Google Play Music on your device)
Watch [The Lego Movie] (movies and TV must be in your Google Play account)
What’s this song?
Listen to TV
What songs does [Pharrell] sing?
Read [Hunger Games]
Did the [Giants] win today? What’s the score in the [Warriors] game?
What movies are playing [tonight]? Where is [Toy Story] playing?

Sports

Say a team name to get the latest score during the season.
When is the next [Warriors] game?
Where are the [Giants] in the [MLB] standings?
Who does [LeBron James] play for?
Who won [the Superbowl]?
When is the [Stanley Cup final]?

Fun hidden stuff

Many of these deliver funny voice responses, but normal search results. Turn up your sound!

What sounds does a [tiger] make?
Flip a coin
Roll dice (rolls a single six-sided die)
What is the loneliest number?
Do a barrel roll!
Askew / Tilt
Go go Gadget [Spotify]
When am I?
Make me a sandwich
Sudo make me a sandwich
Who’s on first?
Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right
Tell me a joke
Who are you?
Beam me up, Scotty!
What is [Jennifer Lawrence’s] Bacon number?

In the spirit of fun, I couldn’t resist putting this video up from Saturday Night Live. It is Alexa for Seniors. This is hilarious.

How to be a Search Expert on Google

By Paul B. Kaiser on December 9, 2017

Do you “Google” everything? Whether it’s a quick fact at a party, or to see if someone is still alive, fact-checking our politicians, or researching topics for work, we use Google or the internet to find an answer.

Personally, I search every single thing out there. I don’t know if its for truth or just because I can. I’m pretty sure I’m addicted to “Googling” (yes I Googled Googling). But I know I’m not alone. However, the output/answer you get from a Google search, equals the input you provide. If you don’t ask the question in the right way, you may not get the best answer. Finding what you want sometimes requires a little detective work. So, how can you use Google to your advantage? There are many tips and tricks you should know about to help you become a Google expert.

Learning how to research is yet another science. There are different ways to search that provide better answers. Sometimes thinking like a computer helps and sometimes just being human is best.

TIP: If you’re looking for health related items, Google started a site this year which may help called Searching for Health

Researching tips

Let’s start with some researching tips first. I usually start with Wikipedia, then go to Google, then on to YouTube. Those are my big 3. That combination gives me a well rounded wealth of information on any topic.

I keep a Google Doc (Microsoft word) for my research with links and some definitions. You usually go down many rabbit holes so its good to keep track of your favorite links. you should also make note of the website you’re pulling info from. Is it reputable? Does it sound reputable? If yore not sure, maybe you’ll find 2-3 sites saying the same thing which is a better validation.

TIP: If you’re searching for computer related information, visit Google Research. They tackle the most challenging problems in Computer Science and related fields.

“The output you get from a Google search, equals the input you provide.”

Here are some tips and tricks I’ve used to search on Google.

Use quotes to search for an exact phrase
This one’s a well-known, simple trick: searching a phrase in quotes will yield only pages with the same words in the same order as what’s in the quotes. It’s one of the most vital search tips, especially useful if you’re trying to find results containing a specific a phrase.
Use an asterisk within quotes to specify unknown or variable words.
Here’s a lesser known trick: searching a phrase in quotes with an asterisk replacing a word will search all variations of that phrase. It’s helpful if you’re trying to determine a song from its lyrics, but you couldn’t make out the entire phrase (e.g. “imagine all the * living for today”), or if you’re trying to find all forms of an expression (e.g. “* is thicker than water”).
Use the minus or hyphen sign to eliminate results containing certain words
You’ll want to eliminate results with certain words if you’re trying to search for a term that’s generating a lot of results that aren’t of interest to you. Figure out what terms you’re not interested in (e.g. jaguar -car) and re-run the search.
Search websites for keywords
Think of the “site:” function as a Google search that searches only a particular website. If you want to see every time TIME.com mentioned Google, use the search “Google site:TIME.com”.
Search news archives going back to the mid-1880s
Google News has an option to search over 100 years’ worth of archived news from newspapers around the world.
Use “DEFINE:” to learn the meaning of words—slang included
Streamline the dictionary process by using, for example, “DEFINE: mortgage.” For words that appear in the dictionary, you’ll be able to see etymology and a graph of its use over time alongside the definition. Google will even sift the web to define slang words or acronyms. Try out “DEFINE: bae” or “DEFINE: SMH”.
Search images using images
Ever come across a photo that looks strangely familiar? Or if you want to know where it came from? If you save the image, and then search it on Google Images (with the camera button), you’ll be able to see similar images on the web.
Use a colon to search specific sites
There may be an instance where you need to Google search for articles or content on a certain website. The syntax is very simple and we’ll show you below.
1. Sidney Crosby site:nhl.com
  This will search for all content about famous hockey player Sidney Crosby, but only on NHL.com. All other search results will be removed. If you need to find specific content on a particular site, this is the shortcut you can use.
Search for multiple words at once
Google search is flexible. It knows you may not find what you want by searching only a single word or phrase. Thus, it lets you search for multiples. By using this trick, you can search for one word or phrase along with a second word or phrase. This can help narrow down your search to help you find exactly what you’re looking for. Here is the syntax.
1. “Doctors that are experts in Oncology OR Doctors that treat Cancer”
  By searching that, you will search both phrases. Remember the quotes tip above? It’s being used here as well. In this instance, these two exact phrases will be searched. It can be done by word too, like the example below.
2. chocolate OR white chocolate
  This will search for pages that have either chocolate or white chocolate!
Use words that websites would use
This is a very important one. When people use Google search to hunt the web, they generally search for things using the same language that they would use for speaking. Unfortunately, websites don’t say things the way people do; instead, they try to use language that sounds professional. Let’s look at some examples.
1. “I have a flat tire” could be replaced by “repair a flat tire.”
2. “My head hurts” could be replaced by “headache relief.”
Use words that websites would use
This is a very important one. When people use Google search to hunt the web, they generally search for things using the same language that they would use for speaking. Unfortunately, websites don’t say things the way people do; instead, they try to use language that sounds professional. Let’s look at some examples.
- “I have a flat tire” could be replaced by “repair a flat tire.”
- “My head hurts” could be replaced by “headache relief.”

Search wrap-up

So you have the tools, tips, and shortcuts for you to be a research guru and a Google expert. Happy searching. But what if you don’t want to type? How about voice activated search? In my next article, I’ll take this search thing to the next level and use voice commands with Alexa and Google Home.

Android Oreo 8.1 has a New Cheeseburger

By Paul B. Kaiser on December 7, 2017

The wait is over for Pixel and Nexus owners as Android 8.1 Oreo is rolling out. But what about the hype? Well there is none. But that’s ok. It’s really just a minor maintenance release. Google says the biggest feature in 8.1 is a new “Neural Networks API” which is designed for running machine-learning operations on mobile devices. Any phones with specialized machine-learning hardware can accelerate this API, while older devices can use a CPU fallback mode. In short, the Neural Networks API will likely allow the new Pixel 2 to take advantage of the “Pixel Visual Core” SOC that isn’t enabled yet. It will enhance Google’s photo apps and eventually will allow third-party photography apps to take HDR+ quality images.

Android 8.1 also marks the release of “Android Go” for OEMs. Google’s “Go” initiative strips down the Android OS and many of the Google apps to run better on low-end devices with 1GB of RAM or less. Google is chasing “the next billion users” with this move, a reference to the 3.5 billion people in the developing world that will access the Internet for the first time from a low-end smartphone.

Burn-in on the screen

Google is also adding some burn-in mitigation to the system bar. The always-on bar will turn to an inverted black-on-white color scheme in some apps like the system settings and Google Maps. The idea is that changing up the color scheme will reduce burn-in for this always-on UI component. The system buttons also dim after a second or two of idleness.

Th fun and the obvious of Oreo 8.1

The first thing you’ll notice is the home screen. Im still getting used to it but the Google search is now at the bottom, the weather and date are combined, and the folders display differently.

Screen 8.0

Homescreen 8.1

New look for App folders

And of course “CheesburgerGate”

You get the new cheeseburger, beer, and cheese emojis in Android 8.1. Google’s weird cheese-on-the-bottom hamburger went viral in October. First-world problems 😉