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Changes we're making to Google Assistant

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Re: Changes we're making to Google Assistant

#61

Post by pkulak »

afavour wrote: post #30

To me this highlights the core failure with all these voice-driven UIs: you have absolutely no idea what is possible and what isn't. Discoverability is zero, which makes big changes like this even more disruptive. I've already decided that I'm done with Google's smart assistant stuff in any case. I have a Google Home with a screen in my kitchen and the most-used feature (aside from just existing as a photo frame) was…

I still have a Google Home in the kitchen, but what I really want it to display is data from my weather station, transit info, the time, etc. I can't control that damn thing at all. I've got a TidByt coming today, which I have high hopes for!

Re: Changes we're making to Google Assistant

#63

Post by danielbln »

afavour wrote: post #55
1234letshaveatw wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

you can tell someone lives in California when the most-used assistant feature isn't asking about the weather

Quite the opposite. I bike the kids to school every morning. The weather is too important to be summed up by a voice summary, I need the hour by hour details.

I can ask Alexa e.g. "what's the weather at 9am", that doesn't work with Google Assistant?

Re: Changes we're making to Google Assistant

#64

Post by aquova »

jpcfl wrote: post #11
napoleoncomplex wrote: post #4

A lot of the changes just don't make any sense? Some of the features removed: - Using your voice to send an email, video or audio message. You can still make calls and send text messages - Rescheduling an event in Google Calendar with your voice. You can still schedule a new event. - Asking to take certain actions by voice, such as send a payment, make a reservation, or post to social media. You can still ask Assista…

My guess is that a lot of these features are hard-coded, and they are deprecating them in order to replace them with a more generic LLM-based assistant.

And despite how bullish everyone seems to be on LLMs, I suspect we'll see those very same LLM features get ripped out within 5 years or so.

Re: Changes we're making to Google Assistant

#65

Post by spankalee »

pkulak wrote: post #61
afavour wrote: post #30

To me this highlights the core failure with all these voice-driven UIs: you have absolutely no idea what is possible and what isn't. Discoverability is zero, which makes big changes like this even more disruptive. I've already decided that I'm done with Google's smart assistant stuff in any case. I have a Google Home with a screen in my kitchen and the most-used feature (aside from just existing as a photo frame) was…

I still have a Google Home in the kitchen, but what I really want it to display is data from my weather station, transit info, the time, etc. I can't control that damn thing at all. I've got a TidByt coming today, which I have high hopes for!

I haven't used it myself, but Home Assistant can cast to a Google Home Hub, so afaiu, you can set up a whole dashboard of widgets and controls and use it from a stock Home Hub.

Re: Changes we're making to Google Assistant

#66

Post by romanows »

eterm wrote: post #20

Wow that's a big list of surprisingly useful features being ripped out. I'd already noticed my new phone (pixel 8, I fucking hate it) had trouble setting a simple timer with a voice command ( last time I tried it gave me a shitty youtube video result of a 10 minute timer!?!), but this list of removed features goes further, removing other basic functionality from voice assistance. If all a voice assistant can do is go…

What do you hate about the Pixel 8? I have one and find it pretty good, although I'm a very casual mobile phone user (USA-based, on Google Fi). I like that it's at least slightly smaller than the Pixel 7.

Re: Changes we're making to Google Assistant

#67

Post by ChilledTonic »

I was watching a friend use Siri the other day (I've never used an iPhone) and I was blown away by how much it could accomplish in comparison to Google Assistant. He said he used Siri as the default way of interfacing with his phone, which I found interesting.

Reading this list of removals, especially the removal of CALLER ID, on video calls no less, an insane choice - how much could that possibily cost to maintain? - I'm honestly wondering if they're actively trying to drive people into Apple's ecosystem.

Nevertheless I'll never buy a Google product as long as I live. How can I trust them not to completely mothball every useful feature I bought it for?

Re: Changes we're making to Google Assistant

#68

Post by dvngnt_ »

ChilledTonic wrote: post #67

I was watching a friend use Siri the other day (I've never used an iPhone) and I was blown away by how much it could accomplish in comparison to Google Assistant. He said he used Siri as the default way of interfacing with his phone, which I found interesting. Reading this list of removals, especially the removal of CALLER ID, on video calls no less, an insane choice - how much could that possibily cost to maintain?…

that's strange. I remember watching mkbhd assistant comparison and I thought google had the more capable one

Re: Changes we're making to Google Assistant

#69

Post by ActionHank »

napoleoncomplex wrote: post #4

A lot of the changes just don't make any sense? Some of the features removed: - Using your voice to send an email, video or audio message. You can still make calls and send text messages - Rescheduling an event in Google Calendar with your voice. You can still schedule a new event. - Asking to take certain actions by voice, such as send a payment, make a reservation, or post to social media. You can still ask Assista…

So they can sell you the AI assistant subscription that will be out later this year.

Re: Changes we're making to Google Assistant

#70

Post by riversflow »

danielbln wrote: post #63
afavour wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Quite the opposite. I bike the kids to school every morning. The weather is too important to be summed up by a voice summary, I need the hour by hour details.

I can ask Alexa e.g. "what's the weather at 9am", that doesn't work with Google Assistant?

Not OP, but I want to see an hour by hour forecast for the day. If there is precip, I want to see an animated active radar view, with forecast frames.

“What’s the weather @ time” is inadequate. I live in California(albeit not on the coast or in the valley).

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