home

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.

Google Pixel 2 and the Mushroom

By Paul B. Kaiser on October 21, 2017

Some photos of the Pixel 2 at Verizon. I was surprised by the curves. I didn’t realize it was so extreme. Very “Samsung like.”

Pixel 2 XL

Speakers on both ends should be nice.

Pixel 2

Mushroom from Google

Four things you should do to improve the WiFi in your house

By Paul B. Kaiser on September 11, 2016

If you find that your WiFi signal is slow or non existent in certain sections of the house, you are not alone. The router and service you have may not be to blame, but understanding how WiFi works will help you improve the connectivity. Here are 4 things to keep in mind to improve the Wifi signal in your house. I also recommend 3 apps to help you measure and monitor WiFi.

3 Apps that help you read the signal strength of your Wifi, See the speed you can download and upload, and choose different WiFi.

WiFi Manager – This app will identify all the available WiFi in the area and connect you if you click on it. iOS version click here.
Speedtest – this app is a 3rd party company that illustrates the download speed of your internet and wifi service. It should match what you pay for from your provider 25/25 or 50/50 etc.
Wifi Analyzer – lets you see the channel your wifi signal is on and this helps you determine if its a crowded space and should be moved.

1. Update Your Router’s Firmware
Perhaps your router just needs an update. Router manufacturers are always tweaking software to improve the performance and speed. Current routers have the update process built right into the administration interface, so it’s just a matter of hitting a firmware upgrade button.

2. Optimal Router Placement
This is probably the single most important tip. Not all rooms and spaces are created equal. The fact is, where you place the router can drastically affect your wireless coverage. Just think “middle of the house an out in the open.” Don’t place the router inside a cabinet and out of the way, or right by the window where the cable comes in. A wireless router needs open spaces, away from walls and obstructions. It’s not just physical obstructions either; heavy-duty appliances or electronics running in close proximity can impact Wi-Fi performance.

If your router has external antennas, orient them vertically to bump up coverage. Elevate the router if you can. You can mount it on a wall, or put it on top of a shelf or a table to get a better signal. There are plenty of tools to help you visualize your network coverage.

3. What’s Your Frequency?
The “frequency” refers to the bandwidth that your accessing. New routers generally have 2 frequencies which are 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. If you have a dual-band router, you’ll likely get better throughput by switching to the 5GHz band instead of using the more common 2.4GHz band. If nothing else, you will likely encounter less interference from other wireless networks and devices because the 5GHz frequency is not as commonly used. Switching is quite simple.

4. Change That Channel
Remember when CB’s or walkie talkies were around and you changed the channel so you could hear other people, clearer, and be on the same channel? Well all routers are multichannel, so they can switch across different channels when communicating to your devices. You tend to use whatever the router default is, but if neighboring wireless networks are also using the same channel, then you are going to encounter signal congestion.

Once you know what channels are in use, pick one that’s less congested and manually switch your router to broadcast on that channel. You can find this setting in your wireless network’s administrator interface. You will generally find the option under the basic wireless settings category.

These are the 4 main areas to concentrate on when trying improve your home Wifi signal. Another important aspect is to actually boost the signal with WiFi boosters and extenders.

Visual support for the tips above.