Google - Working on a Echo competitor product

[Teken]

In the news this week it was released that Google may be working on a voice driven hardware solution which will compete with Amazon Echo / Dot. It really comes as no big surprise to me companies like Google, Apple, etc would be interested in doing the very same.

 

I believe this will help push the voice control development and encourage competition in the free market place. It will also give the public more say as to what features and capabilities they wish to see from competing products.

 

Voting with your wallet is the loudest voice any company will hear and know . . .

 

Assuming this article is true and Google is actively working on a hardware device to go head to head with Amazon Echo. There could be some real interesting things that could happen (assuming) Google is remotely serious about doing so.

 

Given their tremendous products and services now on the market place. My belief is the first company to tightly integrate their wares to the voice service will be the winner. It goes with out saying they need to be as open with their API as Amazon has.

 

They also need to integrate well with other products and services too and not just theirs.

 

My vision of Googles strengths are the following in no specific order:

 

1. Mail: Create, delete, read, move, alert, reminders, schedule, calendar, meetings, with Gmail. The first person that tightly integrates voice control over email will have a huge foot hold. Imagine if you could have Alexa read out your email to you or at the very least tell you meetings, appointments, *actively* etc.

 

2. Google Drive: Imagine being able to move data around from folders to folders or to send that data by telling it to send a copy or give access to someone in your address book?

 

3. Google Sheets: There are many IFTTT recipes that can append random information like weather to Google Sheets. Same as number one imagine if their product could tell you running totals like how many cloudy days have elapsed for the month?

 

4. Nest: Since they already have a STAT, Drop Cam, Protect I am sure all of these devices could be voice activated to do some random task.

 

5. Google Search: It goes with out saying the power of Googles search engine with respect to information is second to none. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to understand if they can tap into that huge data base what could be done.

 

6. Random: At last count Google owned something like 150 companies that encompass telecommunications, to robots. Again, if Google was to integrate tightly with any of the above sub companies it would be huge.

 

Google is reportedly working on a competitor to the Amazon Echo, Amazon's voice-controlled personal assistant.

According to The Information, Google is working on a 'secret project' which would create a rival to the Echo, currently the leading device of its kind on the market.

The Amazon Echo is the home of the digital assistant Alexa, who responds to a 'wake word' and can help out around the house by creating to-do lists, playing music, setting alarms, providing weather information and doing internet searches.

READ MORE Anyone can now buy Amazon Echo

The Echo hasn't been released in the UK yet, but it's generated a lot of buzz in the US, and has proved successful enough that Amazon is releasing a new version, theEcho Dot, which connects to users' existing speakers.

There's some internal battles behind Google's development of the product, according toThe Information's story. Google-owned company Nest, the creators of smart home devices like the Nest Thermostat, reportedly wanted to be part of the project, but were apparently pushed away by Google itself.

There's no details on the potential features of the Google device, nor anything about its price or release date. However, as The Verge notes, the company's I/O developer conference is kicking off in May, so we may find out more then.

[Javi]

May I add

 

1) Google Voice integration

 

2) Hopefully it runs on Android and allows 3rd party apps, not just and integration like Amazon skills. 

[jerlands]

Competition is a good thing! 

 

Now maybe we'll get push notifications!

 

 

Jon...

[Teken]

Yes, if they allow its android OS to be integrated to their voice hardware which allows other devs to participate it would be huge for the general public.

 

 

 

 

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The highest calling in life is to serve ones country faithfully - Teach others what can be. Do what is right and not what is popular.

[Teken]

Competition is a good thing!

 

Now maybe we'll get push notifications!

 

 

Jon...

Let's assume Google is still several years away from releasing a product. Just the mere hint of it will make Amazon push harder to make echo / dot even more powerful.

 

I can only imagine once they open the sales channels to all in the free world how the sales will help the company push development.

 

Also given their 100 million dollar development fund to anyone wanting to build a echo product / service.

 

That will spur on lots of people to invest their time and effort to support the product line.

 

Let's all see what happens in 18 months - let the games begin!

 

 

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The highest calling in life is to serve ones country faithfully - Teach others what can be. Do what is right and not what is popular.

[madcodger]

OK, I'll risk ticking off a few folks and say that I have always found Google to be a weak entry when it comes to anything other than their software. As such, I have little hope for a solid entry of a hardware device to compete with the Echo.

 

As I see it, the Echo ENTERED the market as a very strong device. It "gets" almost anything we say to it on the first try, and the sound quality is solid enough to support voice and even basic background music. The openness of the platform in terms of working with others is also commendable, to a large degree.

 

In contrast, I was never able to get Google apps to work well with either Apple or Microsoft products, and the troubles with Nest integration for some companies - UDI included - are well known (and essentially nothing accomplished at Nest since Google purchased the company).

 

I don't really know that Amazon needs to be pushed much by the likes of Google, as I think Google will be the weaker player, based on past performance. Nice search engine and decent email, I suppose. Android is a good mobile platform for those that oppose Apple and don't care about inconsistency in the current version from device to device. Otherwise? It's Chromebook and Google Health and a string of other little things that had much fanfare but little actual accomplishment, as I see it. Excitement over a much-improved or even equal Echo? Meh...

[paulbates]

Great find Teken and a great discussion.  I do see the integration possibilities and google does have a wealth of information to access, but I have cautions like madcoder. The example that comes to mind is the all-or-nothing ADR integrator approach for Nest-- UDI would have to give away the keys to the kingdom to be a direct integrator for Nest. How will this be different?

 

Backdoor access has been developed outside of echo for Nest, eg IFTTT.. and my outlook would be that IFTTT, through the UDI portal, would probably be a primary integration method. I'm not saying IFTTT is a bad thing, I use it, but now we are more and more dependent on it rather than direct control. 

 

Paul

[Javi]

In my opinion the only thing the Amazon Echo has is the array microphones. Needing to use a specific syntax such as "turn on" instead of action and device ( turn device on, device on, turn on the device, on device (syntax of some languages)) will make using the echo in languages other than English difficult for home Automation. Also the lack of local communication and not being able are chain commands is frustrating. If I could connect the echo to an Android device to parse the voice commands and use Google Now instead of Amazon for answers to my questions the echo could be more than just a HA toy. Google is also working to make on off line voice recognition better for Android which would be another great addition. Not to mention the complex setup of a skill vs the setup of apps on a mobile device.

 

Anyway if I could add the array microphones to an Android device my echo would be in the drawer with all the other interesting but unused hardware.

[paulbates]

You only have 1 drawer? Must be a big one!

[Teken]

Great feed back thus far and for those who haven't tracked my previous replies and views about Google. I am really not a fan of this company which I won't get into otherwise it will become a endless rant.

 

LOL . . .

 

I wanted to offer the forum members the chance to either bolster or counter how Google may do in this evolving space. Like Paul and madcodger I agree on all points made where they lack or have shown consistent weakness. Having said that I had to be fair to Google because the one thing you can't take away from this company is the will to try something.

 

It really doesn't matter in the big picture that many of these projects were a complete fail. But it shows someone at the top has no problem throwing money to see if something will stick. Of all of the projects Google has shown stead fast support is in the Android OS platform even though its a complete fail on every front a person can think about.

 

The main benefit is it allows everyone to code and customize it to their liking. In the ideal world this would be just fine and would help the entire world have a open standard and OS. But we all don't live in such a world and this single OS besides Windows has been the cause for so many hacks and attacks on what should not be a vulnerable product.

 

Its supposed to be a fracking phone  . . .

 

But given today's smartphones are self contained portable computers its no great surprise every dick and harry want to abuse what should have been a epic moment for the masses.

 

At the end of the day for me its the competition that interests me more than anything. People just have to look at the smart TSTAT movement. Up till the Nest came out there wasn't very many smart units on the market place and now there are dozens of them no matter how flawed they are.

 

The obvious benefit to the consumer(s) is having more choices and seeing other companies mimicking the same to gain market share. I see this whole voice control sector as another possible advancement in the HA ecosystem.

 

Right now its very much a toy and hope to see very much a more two way interaction where it allows more useful applications and interaction.

 

Lets see what happens in the next 18 months and (IF) Google doesn't come out with anything at least we all had a chance to express our views about how they could do better!

[madcodger]

\]\`]/*

In my opinion the only thing the Amazon Echo has is the array microphones.

I have had an automated home for over 10 years now, with countless money spent trying to get voice control to work.  This is the first time that it has done so reliably.  So I'll gladly take that "only thing" and run with it. 

[stusviews]

Needing to use a specific syntax such as "turn on" instead of action and device ( turn device on, device on, turn on the device, on device (syntax of some languages)) will make using the echo in languages other than English difficult for home Automation.

 

I find that all of the following expressions work ("Alexa" omitted for brevity):

    turn on the light

    turn on light

    turn the light on

    turn light on

    light on

    on light

[Javi]

I find that all of the following expressions work ("Alexa" omitted for brevity):

    turn on the light

    turn on light

    turn the light on

    turn light on

    light on

    on light

Yes if you have a single word device but multiple word device gets a little tricky and dose not work all the time, such as "turn on the living room light" works, but "turn on the light in the living room" does not. I also get too many "there are multiple devices with that name", or something similar. It just doesn't work consistently unless I use the correct syntax, and if it doesn't work the first time most of the time it will always feel like a toy.

[stusviews]

If you add "light in the living room" as a spoken, then that'll work, too

[Teken]

Yes if you have a single word device but multiple word device gets a little tricky and dose not work all the time, such as "turn on the living room light" works, but "turn on the light in the living room" does not. I also get too many "there are multiple devices with that name", or something similar. It just doesn't work consistently unless I use the correct syntax, and if it doesn't work the first time most of the time it will always feel like a toy.

 

I have to agree sometimes Echo works 100% like a champ and the next moment she is completely retarded and just tells me can't find this device, its off line, etc.

 

I fully realize what we have now is leaps and bound compared to years past. But at this juncture there is much work that needs to be done to make it a tool and not just a hobby toy. This is my belief with more competition or some random company that brings to market some kind of ground breaking two way element that makes the whole voice driven experience more natural and human like.

 

I want to speak to Alexa with human inflections and let her parse out what I mean. I don't want to *think* about how to best phrase my reply in hopes my command will be understood and processed. This is why people that come to my home realize lots of this is amazing but also know its very much a toy which has room for improvement.

 

Lets see how the industry shapes up . . .

[Javi]

If you add "light in the living room" as a spoken, then that'll work, too

This doesn't work for me, Alexa doesn't seem to recognize devices with certain words including "the" and "in". I can add " light living room" and it works on some devices but does not work with others and increases the errors.

 

I have to agree sometimes Echo works 100% like a champ and the next moment she is completely retarded and just tells me can't find this device, its off line, etc.

 

I fully realize what we have now is leaps and bound compared to years past. But at this juncture there is much work that needs to be done to make it a tool and not just a hobby toy. This is my belief with more competition or some random company that brings to market some kind of ground breaking two way element that makes the whole voice driven experience more natural and human like.

 

I want to speak to Alexa with human inflections and let her parse out what I mean. I don't want to *think* about how to best phrase my reply in hopes my command will be understood and processed. This is why people that come to my home realize lots of this is amazing but also know its very much a toy which has room for improvement.

 

Lets see how the industry shapes up . . .

I am only a hobbyist programmer, but if I can make this work with Android a full time programmer should be able to make it even better

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SOoSO4WiBXU

[Teken]

This doesn't work for me, Alexa doesn't seem to recognize devices with certain words including "the" and "in". I can add " light living room" and it works on some devices but does not work with others and increases the errors.

 

I am only a hobbyist programmer, but if I can make this work with Android a full time programmer should be able to make it even better

 

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh you have my undivided attention . . . 

 

What exactly did you do that allowed you to string several commands to make it operate so quickly and smoothly? Please tell me you shared this with the Amazon Echo team?

[stusviews]

Impressive!!!

[stusviews]

This doesn't work for me, Alexa doesn't seem to recognize devices with certain words including "the" and "in". I can add " light living room" and it works on some devices but does not work with others and increases the errors.

 

I couldn't get "light in the living room" to work, but "lightintheliving room" does

[Javi]

I couldn't get "light in the living room" to work, but "lightintheliving room" does

I will have to try that!

 

 

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh you have my undivided attention . . . 

 

What exactly did you do that allowed you to string several commands to make it operate so quickly and smoothly? Please tell me you shared this with the Amazon Echo team?

Was done with tasker, I created an app so people would stop asking me how to work with tasker and I can stick to answering the important questions. I am only working on the app in my spare time, so still needs a lot of work but I have integrated the Insteon Hub, ISY (including the portal), Domoticz, Vera, Fibaro, and EventGhost,  The Tasker version is on GitHub. I have looked into creating an Alexa Skill but it will not work unless Amazon changes the way the Skills are created or allows all commands to pass though a skill or another program without needing a syntax before or after the command.  It appears, from reading other topics this forum,  even UD has trouble communicating with Amazon, so I have not tried communication with the Echo Team, Just also hoping for a competitor who will push Amazon to change, create a better product, or the best case scenario, a product which allows developers more freedom with the commands. I have a simple version without UI written in Python for use on a PC or even a Raspberry Pi , but the array microphone is the missing link.

 

As for speed, this is because the voice input is  parsed and commands sent directly from the android device. the program is triggered when a google now voice search or "OK Google" command contains a user specified device and an action. If the voice command  contains both parameters the google now search is canceled and the app parses the voice command to try to determine what the user is trying to accomplish.  It's my assumption this should be even faster once google releases local voice recognition.

[Teken]

Just send them a link to your video that will get their attention might quick!

 

 

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The highest calling in life is to serve ones country faithfully - Teach others what can be. Do what is right and not what is popular.