Google Announces “Google Home”

I hope it really is good for music. Then I might buy one. Sounds really cool.

 

I have an Amazon Echo and it is really cool. I don't think it is the best speaker at loud volumes but it is just fine...especially considering these are streaming MP3 files or Bluetooth from phone.

 

I think for new and podcasts, the Home would be awesome. Also like the idea of being able to throw the audio to my sound system via Cast, which I know can play music well. It won't be as good as my record player or even directly into my laptop, but still pretty good.

 

i'm getting this

 

I love the idea of these types of devices, but I almost never use Siri or any other voice-activated tech. I'd use it almost exclusively for music, so if this works well I'd be quite interested. I happen to be already looking into Bluetooth speakers for my apartment. Also worth noting Echo looks really cool; this Google one is ugly, looks like those twisting air fresheners.

 

Spying has never been easier.

Orwell would have never guessed that we would willingly install the monitors ourselves.

 

This looks intising. I might have to purchase this.

@Jason Tate I'm loving this extra non-music news BTW. Keep up the great work!

 

Tin foil hat here also. I can see these being hacked in the near future.

 

Moving ever closer to the day when Katy Sagal's disembodied voice controls our homes.

 

Playing music and controlling to TV are the two things I'd want and it seems to accommodate that. Very interested!

 

Yeah... I'm always confused when people have no problem with devices like this.

 

Do you have the same fear of your phone computer and wifi network?

 

No. I just don't like the idea of a microphone always on in my house. Which, I know, doesn't 100% make sense considering I carry around a cell phone everywhere I go.

 

My computer doesn't have an always-on microphone.
You can see exactly what I mean by looking at LG's privacy policy for their smart TVs. They tell you to not talk about "sensitive" information in front of your TV, since everything in range is recorded, stored, and transmitted .

 

Sure it can. Very easily actually depending on make and model.

 

The systems have local speech recognition until the "wake up word" is detected. Until that's detected, there's no data being sent back to company servers. You can believe them when they say that or not, but I do.

 

I have the Echo Dot, which has an output jack that I run to a tri-path amp that feeds two Paradigm Titan Monitors. I never wanted the regular Echo because of the lack of line-out.

I love it.

From saying 'play the Pop Punk Is Not Dead playlist on Spotify' or having it control the other automated devices in my house, I've been pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoy the hands-free experience. Granted, I have kids and am always tied-up with something.

But being able to say 'Alexa, turn off my house' and have everything that I want go dark makes me feel pretty badazz, though

 

I love you for this.



And I can't help but be paranoid! Maybe it's the influence this movie had on me haha or maybe the last season of Parks and Rec played up on those fears idk! I know it's probably stupid but I still get suspicious.