Introduction to Google Smart Home Connection with IoT
Google Nest is the name associated with a line of smart speakers developed by Google under their Nest brand. The original Google Home speaker was released in 2016, and in May 2019 Google announced the brand name change, effectively bringing it under their Next banner.
With the ability to recognize voice command and build upon interactions through services like Google Assistant, the possibilities for Google Home are virtually limitless. And this leads to a range of options to make the most of under the guise of home automation.
According to a recent report by Statista.com, Google Home unit sales were about 12.5 million in 2018, and by 2025 they are estimated to reach around 140 million around the world.
Furthermore, with recent updates, Google Nest devices have been provided with additional functions such as multi-user support and able to distinguish between six people’s voices.
However, these are simply the crust of what these devices can do as we see later in the post their true potential under the spotlight.
Compatible Devices
Google Home is essentially an IoT device itself; however, its finest feature allows it to be paired with several other IoT devices to work in conjunction and deliver an immersive experience. Let’s say this one has the buddings for becoming the next J.A.R.V.I.S. from the Marvel Universe.
Here is a list of devices your wannabe “Just A Rather Very Intelligent System” can be paired up with:
- August Wi-Fi Smart Clock – lock and unlock doors with a voice command as well as keep track of guests coming to your home along with remote access.
- COVR Tri-band Whole Home Mesh Wi-Fi System – blanket your entire home in seamless AC2200 Tri-band Wi-Fi while having full control of your Wi-Fi through voice commands.
- Ecobee 5th Gen – it is one of the best smart thermostats with remote sensors. Even though it comes with a built-in Alexa speaker, it is also compatible with Google Home devices. Use voice commands to adjust room temperatures along with benefits through its improved remote sensors.
- Philips Hue White Starter Kit – dimmable, can be pricey but offers a comprehensive app that pairs nicely with other smart home platforms. You can add up to 50 individual lights around your home and gain remote access to them. The Phillips Hue Connected Bulb pack is even more costly as it offers over 16 million colors.
- Google Chromecast with Google TV – play and control video on certain devices wherein itself it can be viewed as a streaming stick with a remote. Avail of key content services that others lack and do more.
- Google Next Hub Max – the best all-in-one smart home display featuring a camera that can be used for farcical recognition, detect hand gestures, video calling, and function as a security cam. The Nest Hub Max also supports Thread which is an IoT communications protocol for low power smart home devices.
- Logitech Harmony Elite – it is one of the best universal remote control for a highly connected home that can be integrated with all of your smart devices and put them under your fingertips.
- Nest Cam IQ – best for internal video surveillance of your homes, offering you excellent audio, video quality, and built-in intelligent software. View live feeds through connected Chromecast-enabled devices.
- Orbit B-Hyve – it is a smart faucet to keep your plants watered with the help of Google Assistant and also develops a routine for them. Remote access allows you to keep your plants hydrated even when you are out of town.
- Smart Photo Frame(s) (various sizes) – turn your memories on and off with voice command, perfect for decorating homes, and creating visual ambiance.
- Vivint Home Security System – simply ask “Hey Google, is my system armed?” to get an updated check on all home security measures and devices integrated through Vivint Home Security.
- Wemo Wi-Fi Smart Plug – compact in design and perfect for pairing up with other smart home platforms. We offer a physical switch as well as voice command recognition to turn appliances on and off along with a clever Away mode.
- Wide Range of Other Appliances – including the likes of Frigidaire, KitchenAid Electric Smart Oven, and iRobot Shark, to name a few.
Everything You Should Know
The Google Home can essentially become the hub for all of your smart home appliances and products. Primarily designed to serve as a vehicle for Google Assistant, Google Home is always listening to the environment and responding to commands such as “Ok, Google” or “Hey, Google”.
Here are some things you can achieve through this intelligent device:
· Broadcasting
With multiple Google Assistant speakers or displays, you can simply connect all of them on the same Wi-Fi network and have your own broadcast play on several devices.
You can create custom messages and have them broadcasted by simply using the voice command “Broadcast <message>”.
This command can be interchanged with other commands as well, such as ‘announce’, ‘shout’, and ‘tell everyone’. If you want to broadcast a message to a particular room only then you command will go something like this:
- ‘Broadcast to [room name] [message].’
- ‘Broadcast to the kitchen, guests are arriving soon, start the preparations.’
Or if you would prefer to have your message broadcasted to a particular device, then your commands would change to:
- ‘Broadcast to [device name] [message]
- ‘Broadcast to the living room display, are you guys done with homework yet?’
You can also set up pre-recorded or preset messages to your broadcast for wake-up alarms, breakfast, lunch, departure to work, arrival at home, movie times, and bedtimes. You get the gist of it, wink wink!
· Executing Multiple Commands
With the Google Home or Google Nest device, you can issue multiple commands. However this is restricted to three commands as of right now, hopefully, in the future, the system can receive an update to carry out an unlimited number of commands at the same time.
Here is an example:
- ‘Ok, Google, turn on the bathroom light, play jazz, and find my phone’.
(What this command does is pretty self-explanatory. Not only did you request Google Home to turn on the washroom smart light installed there, but you also got some background jazz music playing on your smart home speaker device, while asking Google Home to locate your misplaced phone).
To be honest, there is so much more space here to try several things out even with the three-command restriction, similar to the factorial function in combinatorics studied in mathematics.
· Limited Physical Controls
The Google Home also comes with some physical controls apart from being totally operated through voice commands.
These physical controls can help you change the volume output, mute the microphone so that nothing is recorded, and pause-play your music through a physical interface on the speaker.
At present Google allows you to play music automatically through Spotify, Pandora, YouTube, and Google Play Music, so far as the only recognized services.
· Night Mode
Night Mode is a built-in feature with all Google Home devices where it can effectively come in handy to keep your neighbors from being disturbed.
The Night Mode can also be customized according to your own preferences such as for workplaces and at home both.
You can also select specific times as well as select days on which you want Night Mode to run by itself.
The Night Mode reduces volumes automatically, and it can also limit the brightness of L.E.D.s. You can also select devices with you want the Night Mode to be integrated with so the next time you get a more immersive experience when Night Mode comes into effect.
· Story Time
Story Time is another feature that works similar to Night Mode. This is where your smart speaker can start reading a number of stories aloud from Disney or Nickelodeon.
In fact, you can also read stories while Google Home offers the perfect backdrop music as well as sound effects.
To get started, you can say the command “Hey, Google, let’s read along with Disney’ and you can also add in some visual context through smart displays integrated with your Google Home hub. Bring stories to life and feel the magic all around you happening as you read the story out loud.
Home Automation
And why not? Google Home has all the makings to offer you complete home automation for your smart home, and as we move forward, it will indefinitely become a norm for families to come in no time.
One of the basic features is the ability to develop routines that you can plan and pan them out to meet your preferences. Let’s look at this and some other features that might pique your interest.
1. Building Google Home Routines
You can start building up Routines by simply opening the Google Home App available for both Android and iOS devices.
Simply press the menu button located on the top-left corner, and then tap on the “More Settings” option. Here you will be presented with several choices, but if you scroll down past them, you will find Routines. Now select Routines to imitate your first build.
The Routines tab also offers you several ready-made Routines such as commuting home, leaving the house and going to bed, to name a few.
You can modify them according to your whims and wishes, or you can simply press the ‘+’ sign to build a new one from scratch.
Here you can develop custom Routines and play with various functions provided to you to run events automatically.
Students opting for report writing services in the UK also get by their days by playing through routines built on Google Home to save time and focus more on their studies rather than on mundane tasks.
2. Running Without Voice Commands
The Google Home app is available for download on the Play Store, and this gives you all of the access to your smart handheld device.
This way, you can overtake the command of your house without the need for using voice commands. It is really quite simple.
All options for your home automation can be quickly accessed through the app and provide you with remote control of sorts to manage through all devices connected to your Google Home device.
It offers a feeling like holding a magic wand in your hand where you don’t even have to mutter the spells like they do in Hogwarts.
Students can also apply for Assignment Assistance UK and use the Google Home app to take control of their house.
3. Scheduling AutoRun Tasks
With Google Home, you get to adjust and plan out your autorun tasks. By visiting the ‘My Assistant should…’ section, you can arrange the tasks to be performed after a trigger phrase is said and registered by your device.
You can modify actions further and lets you adjust the desired settings for other devices included in that task.
If you want to add a new task simply select ‘Add Action’ at the bottom. Routines are executed in the order as they appear in the ‘My Assistant should…’ section. So if you change or rearrange them, you can simply tap on the ‘Change Order’ option at the top of the list.
4. Plan and Pan Out Your Week
One fine way to experience the power of Google Home is to plan out at least one week through this assistive technology.
It will help you understand a lot of features, how well do they work for you, and learn about improving the feedback that you get. If all works well during the first week, then you might consider using that plan for the rest of the year as well.
A weekday plan will generally involve wake up alarms, adjusting bedroom lights, weather updates, agenda for the day, news flash, music, temperature management, shopping, commutation, and home security.
5. Create Shorthand Commands
You can also develop shorthand commands for your routines so that instead of saying long and time taking phrases, you can easily alert your home device to what to do next.
For example, if you are feeling chilly, instead of saying ‘Hey Google, increase the thermostat by 5 degrees’ you can just say ‘I’m cold’.
Shortcuts are a great way to make mundane things to do more effortless. You can easily substitute more tedious and complex commands for shorter and much simpler ones. Shortcuts can be accessed through the app in the ‘More Settings’ section.
6. Chill Out vs Workout Routines
When you want to simply relax, you can create a routine for the utmost lazy and lethargic people on the planet that caters to their need for just relaxing and lounging.
On the other hand, if you have the fire burning inside you, then you can also create a workout routine that pumps you up and keeps the adrenaline flowing through your veins.
But this is simply the beginning, and I am pretty sure you have already come up with a romance-focused theme for your date to arrive at home with soft music in the background and dim lights for added effect.
7. The Disturb Me Not Routine
The Disturb Me Not feature actually does what it is intended for in the first place. Not only can you now put your phone in silent mode but you can also integrate the Disturb Me Not mode for other devices in your home as well.
By simply saying ‘Set all devices to Do Not Disturb’ you effectively ensure minimal disturbance to bother you coming for your smart home devices.
Conclusion
Google Home features compatibility with over 30,000 devices, and the list is expected to grow even further with the passage of time.
Hence with more IoT devices, the choices to personalize your stay at home or office would indefinitely be improved to greater heights.
Hence this is neither an extensive or exhaustive list of what can be achieved through Google Home devices. For more queries regarding the topic, leave a mention in the comment section below.
Author Bio
Claudia Jeffrey currently works as a Sr. Research Analyst at Crowd Writer. She thoroughly enjoys discovering new commercial technology made available for the masses to consume.
During her free time, she likes to make wall-art taking inspirations from major and popular sci-fi novels and other works of fiction.