Bring "Google Home" for an AI enabled Personal Assistant

by Abhinav Mohapatra

Much to the delight of tech savvy people, Google has finally introduced a gadget that will probably give a big blow to Amazon’s intelligent voice assistant, Alexa. Google has launched an AI personal assistant, Google Home. It is a voice-activated speaker powered by the Google Assistant, that works on wifi. The device also works as a smartphone control centre and also plays the role of assistant for other google devices. The device is easy to use as it manages everyday tasks fluently and one can ask Google assistant almost anything that the user is willing to know. With Google Home, it’s as simple as using voice to turn up the music, get answers to a myriad of questions, manage tasks around the house, and even adjust the thermostat or lights.

How does it work?

All the user needs to do is say “Ok Google” and then he is good to go! The device can play songs, artists, radio stations, your favorite playlists and more from Google Play Music, Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn and YouTube Music with additional services like iHeartRadio coming soon. Also it is possible to tune in podcasts and if the user is willing to stream audio, it can be directly done from a smartphone. Google claims that Home’s smart audio design integrates a high-excursion driver with a dual passive radiator design that delivers crystal-clear highs and deep lows for Hi-Fi sound that streams over WiFi. Google Home taps into the power of Google Search to give you real-time answers to things the user want to know. Right from translating phrases to solving mathematics problems, this device does everything. Google Home can also make important information easily accessible with the users’ permission. It goes through the calendar and reminds the user about the assigned tasks or the planned day. For example, when we are at home, we have to deal with multiple tasks and duties, and sometimes it just slips out of our minds, Google Home helps counter that. For instance, the user can also say, “Tell me about my day” to hear curated personal information that helps navigate day.

The three step setup:

  • Plug the power cable into Google Home.
  • Plug the power adaptor into a wall socket.
  • Download the Google Home app on your phone or tablet and follow the instructions.

Is it useful for enterprises?

Well, Google claims that Home can very well take care of everything when it hears “Ok Google” from the user. The AI and the machine learning technology used to develop this device can also help business organizations and enterprises manage their everyday workflow and getting work streamlined. Just the way this device reads the calendar from the phone and reminds the user about a particular meeting or event, organizations can make use of Google Home to line up multiple tasks. The company claims that Google Home will be available for $129 starting from November. Along with Google Home, Google also introduced few more products that includes Pixel smartphones, Daydream View Headset, Google Wifi and a new version of its Chromecast.