Tag Archives: Internet of Things

Technology

All About Google Home

“Ok Google!  Turn down the lights and make me a sandwich!” — Isn’t this something you’ve been waiting to shout into the depths of your home?  Of course it is, except for maybe the sandwich part.
My friends, the time is here.  Meet Google Home.
We’ve seen and heard the fuss that Amazon’s Echo has made in the digital assistant and smart home world, but it’s time for our friend Google to try it’s hand at it with Google Home, powered by Google Assistant.  That’s right, Google Now and search have been prepping us for this moment and it’s here.  How?  Your voice searches are saved (you didn’t know?) and are used intelligently (not shared) by Google to help power it’s natural language platform that will allow for the Assistant to communicate with you and understand you better.  Doing so simply makes it easier to get the information you need faster based off of the questions you ask.
Google Home will additionally serve as a central automation hub for your home, which will further propel you into the internet of things (IoT).  The device is slated to work with Chromecast, Nest and Philips Hue with certainly more to come.  What does this mean?  While using the Google Home as your hub with you other devices, this will unlock a range of capabilities that will make controlling each of them that much simpler.
The design of the device is simply beautiful and blends in seamlessly with your interior decor.  In the housing are far-field microphone that will help to decipher your voice, in addition to a hi-fi speaker that is designed to deliver crystal-clear highs and rich bass.  On top, there are touch controls that gives the user full control of the device complete with a microphone mute button on the back.
Did I mention that Google Home is hands-free?
Bottom line:  This is what has taken Google 18 years to design, build and create for us.  The future is now and the internet, a recipe, the weather, your to-do list are all literally one keyword away.  Pre-Order yours today, here.

 

Technology

Technology & Life — 2016

It is July 2016 and in a world filled with smartphones, smarthomes, smartcars and smart + INSERT DUMB THING HERE, there are mounds of technology that are at our fingertips that our ancestors would’ve loved to have been able to take advantage of.  We can communicate with friends and family across the world or country in minutes via Skype or FaceTime, publish a video that can be seen by millions on YouTube and have your car drive itself on the interstate — what a world we live in.
However, “with great power, comes great responsibility”.  We have all of these things at our realm that can help us; however, it can also be a hindrance if we do not seek our real people and real conversations instead of gallivanting on-line in forums.  Not only must we try our best to retain those real life moments (in moderation) we must also not allow technology to put our lives at risk (ie. using Tesla’s autopilot while sleeping at the wheel — a huge “no, no”).  Technology is great and as someone who’s life is largely influenced by it, I can see the huge overwhelming benefits of taking advantage of it; however, we must also not allow it to control us — if it doesn’t make your life better, then discard it.
Bottom line:  The technological advances that we see today are simply too much to act as if they aren’t great influences, I strongly suggest you utilize the tech around us to help make your life better, easier and more fun while ensuring that you aren’t putting yourself or others in danger.