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Old 5th November 2016, 04:02   #1
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Google Home vs Amazon Echo

Google just launched Google Home. A nice small device costing $130. It can do a lot of things like maintaining your schedule, your to do lists, play music, provide information, connect to the IOT devices.

Amazon Echo. Costs $180 and do almost all the above tasks while getting updated over the cloud. It can also control a couple of devices like your LIFX bulb.

Anyone done extensive research on these and can tell me which one is better.
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Old 5th November 2016, 06:58   #2
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re: Google Home vs Amazon Echo

Thanks for sharing, didnt know about these devices before. This is taking Personal assistant to a whole new level . Just adding a couple of youtube links on what these are for easy access

Google Home:


Amazon Echo:

Last edited by chakri400 : 5th November 2016 at 07:04.
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Old 5th November 2016, 09:27   #3
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re: Google Home vs Amazon Echo

I would say wait it out. IoT security is pretty bad. The last thing you want is someone taking over your home. Let the security bugs get ironed out and protocols standardized. I expect pricing to come down after that.
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Old 6th November 2016, 21:17   #4
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re: Google Home vs Amazon Echo

As of today, Echo. Echo Dot to be specific for price-to-value propositions. In a year or so Google Home.
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Old 15th October 2017, 10:37   #5
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Re: Google Home vs Amazon Echo

Recently visited Australia and picked up a Google Home Device. Got it for AUD $149.
Google Home vs Amazon Echo-ghome.jpeg
So far the kids are loving it. The voice engine is very good , can pickup almost any accent. The speakers too are pretty decent sounding.

Since I have a chromecast as well you can say stuff like Play xyz from youtube on chromecast and it sends it to the TV.

Also subscribed to Google Play music @ Rs 99/- per month. So you can play literally any song/album now.

You can also organize playlists on Play music and say Play playlist xyz etc. If you want it on your music system just adding "on chromecast" in your voice command will route it to the AVR and your speaker system.

You cannot make phone calls using G-Home yet in India. However local searches , weather etc works fine.

If you ask stuff like how long will it take me to get to work and it answers "It will take you 1:20 min with medium to moderate traffic taking the ORR road"

Once you have your photo albums on Google photos, you can say Hey Google show my photos from <album> , it streams to the TV in a slideshow mode.

Lots of other nifty stuff like it can remember where you kept stuff in the house and every other generic search on google. Overall a good buy.

Last edited by Fillmore : 15th October 2017 at 10:41.
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Old 15th October 2017, 11:49   #6
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Re: Google Home vs Amazon Echo

Okay, I have tried Alexa. Its very good on paper. But in reality its like a dog you sent to a trainer, but the trainer went on vacation, and then just returned your dog with a certificate which says trained.

However, it does not poop, and you do not have to take it for a walk. As a bluetooth speaker I would rank it below JBL flip 3 in quality, and as far as voice commands go, it misunderstands me more than my phone which runs android.

That said, having someone always listening is kind of creepy.
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Old 15th October 2017, 12:58   #7
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Re: Google Home vs Amazon Echo

So, Amazon recently launched its Echo devices in India. I've ordered one and will receive it in November. Google also unveiled new Home devices; Mini and Max. Hopefully, they launch it in India soon. I feel that both devices have their advantages but, Amazon currently has the head-start in terms of smart-home applications where these devices would end up being more useful.
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Old 16th October 2017, 20:59   #8
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Re: Google Home vs Amazon Echo

Quote:
Originally Posted by tsk1979 View Post
....its like a dog you sent to a trainer, but the trainer went on vacation, and then just returned your dog with a certificate which says trained..........someone always listening is kind of creepy.
Thanks for the feedback, I am waiting for mine ! Hopefully Alexa understands my voice better and does things for me. Must be my first AI device that covers more things (than my present Siri) ! Searching how to connect few lights to this
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Old 17th October 2017, 00:53   #9
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Re: Google Home vs Amazon Echo

Quote:
Originally Posted by shajufx View Post
Thanks for the feedback, I am waiting for mine ! Hopefully Alexa understands my voice better and does things for me. Must be my first AI device that covers more things (than my present Siri) ! Searching how to connect few lights to this
You can invest in Amazon dash buttons and reprogram them. Depending upon your technical inclination, it can be a project requiring a few hours on a weekend, or a multi million dollar project requiring two SCRUM masters and three PRINCE2
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Old 17th October 2017, 14:15   #10
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Re: Google Home vs Amazon Echo

I understand that the Amazon Echo would start getting shipped from end Oct/early Nov. I have ordered one and it would be delivered between 3-6 Nov. I hope that they are tweaking Alexa to understand Indian accent (vaguely remember having read it somewhere) and the 30% introductory discount being offered is for feedback.
Maybe tsk had checked out the model available overseas and hence voice recognition was poor?
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Old 17th October 2017, 22:13   #11
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Re: Google Home vs Amazon Echo

Quote:
Originally Posted by tsk1979 View Post
That said, having someone always listening is kind of creepy.
The Google Home is not always listening , it activates only after the activation phrase of Ok Google or Hey Google.
When you say this the LED lights flash up on top indicating that it enters into listen mode for a few seconds and processes the command.

Otherwise its just like a paperweight.

I presume its the same for Alexa also.
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Old 17th October 2017, 22:22   #12
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Re: Google Home vs Amazon Echo

Quote:
Originally Posted by tsk1979 View Post
You can invest in Amazon dash buttons.....project requiring two SCRUM masters and three PRINCE2
All Greek to me, will ask Alexa when she comes home (4th to 9th Nov as updated by Amazon) and do the needful
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Old 18th October 2017, 01:00   #13
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Re: Google Home vs Amazon Echo

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fillmore View Post
The Google Home is not always listening , it activates only after the activation phrase of Ok Google or Hey Google.
If it is not really listening, how will it know you said the activation phrase?
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Old 18th October 2017, 08:01   #14
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Re: Google Home vs Amazon Echo

Quote:
Originally Posted by Samurai View Post
If it is not really listening, how will it know you said the activation phrase?
.. I had feeling someone would say this and you did.

Well it is processing all sound streams but the algorithm seems to be scanning only for a pattern match.

Thats what Google claims in its User privacy commitment, nothing is processed or recorded for ongoing conversations other than what is spoken after the activation phrase.

Alternately if one is very skeptical you always have the option of keeping it powered off other than when you want to use it.

That said , I need to check if parental filtering can be set on the device, also need to monitor what the kids are using it for.
My daughter uses it to cross verify her math homework problems, and stuff like what do you say for xyz in Hindi ? , what is the spelling of something.
Told her you can use it to cross verify but only after you completed your h/w.

And the younger one who is just learning to talk also keeps asking "Play a song from Moana etc.. for her its a 50/50 hit or miss"
Btw the device understands Butler English as well.
My younger one asked the other day "Hey Google what sound is make duck ?"
and it responded with the right answer.

Last edited by Fillmore : 18th October 2017 at 08:13.
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Old 18th October 2017, 08:18   #15
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Re: Google Home vs Amazon Echo

But the question is, since almost all the flagship phones and even some mid-range phones are always listening. Does it matter if we add one more device to the list? Especially in the future when I'm pretty sure that all phones will have this "feature".
Don't get me wrong, I'm not comfortable with this either. But do we really have a choice. With so many phones in a regular household, we can't really escape this unless we switch to feature phones.

Last edited by GTO : 19th October 2017 at 08:46. Reason: Removing quoted post which has been deleted
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