Changes we're making to Google Assistant • Hacker News Board

Re: Changes we're making to Google Assistant

#171

Post by Noumenon72 » Fri, Jan 12, 2024, 11:31 PM UTC

_dain_ wrote: post #107

Reading this thread is kinda bizarre to me. Do people actually ... talk to their phones? Like for real, not just in cringeworthy scripted adverts? I've never used any of these voice assistant things and nor does anyone I know. It always seemed like a huge gimmick to me. Am I just in a bubble?

It's just faster to say "OK Google, navigate to work" than pulling out a keyboard and opening apps. Even though for some reason I still can't time when Google is going to start listening after all these years, and have to repeat myself a lot. I think it was fine-tuned for American voices at first and got worse when expanded worldwide.

Re: Changes we're making to Google Assistant

#172

Post by HenryBemis » Fri, Jan 12, 2024, 11:31 PM UTC

RexM wrote: post #143

pflenker wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On top of what you mentioned in your first sentence, any ideas to improve discoverability are horrible. I hate it when Alexa does not play my podcast right away but explains to me how I can change episodes. I despise Alexa for telling me that I have some notification before starting my timer. And so on - any voice only attempt to explain me something without me asking for it means adding a lot of friction between me…

Yes... when it does anything other than what I ask, it makes me feel like it's wasting my time. Alexa recently started responding with "Good afternoon! " and it irks me more than it probably should. I've looked to see if I can turn it off and can't find the option. I don't need pleasantries from a machine.

Can you instruct it to "stop the greetings - go straight to the response"? Doesn't Alexa (yet) have some LLM behind it that will create a profile just for you?

Re: Changes we're making to Google Assistant

#173

Post by dmonitor » Fri, Jan 12, 2024, 11:32 PM UTC

BeetleB wrote: post #147

I bought Google Home/speakers in 2018 and still use them. Since I bought them, there have been almost 0 improvements that I've seen. A lot of potential gone to waste. That they're sunsetting features is not a surprise. I don't know if Alexa is better, but I always tell my friends to buy those instead of Google Homes.

it’s at least a decent wifi speaker for casting spotify or whatever

Re: Changes we're making to Google Assistant

#174

Post by ksjskskskkk » Fri, Jan 12, 2024, 11:33 PM UTC

peeters wrote: post #21

Another step in Android's steady progression of become less and less useful hands-free. It's incredible to me that my experience with my Nexus One in 2010 was better than it is today with a Pixel 7. The fact that it arbitrarily decides to not recognize some contacts on some days. The fact that it can't handle me spelling out a street name when it insists on replacing the street name that I'm saying with something com…

another thing your pixel 7 cannot do: copy Chinese text.

even on apps like google maps. open any place with Chinese chars in the name. toggle the app switcher carousel. try to select the name of the place. only non Chinese text will be copied.

Re: Changes we're making to Google Assistant

#175

Post by Tyr42 » Fri, Jan 12, 2024, 11:36 PM UTC

gerash wrote: post #159

fsmv wrote: post #133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The new DMA law prevents combining data across products

Really? If so, then Google should only apply it to European users and not the entire world

Doing everything two ways is hard and we are a little short staffed atm.

Re: Changes we're making to Google Assistant

#176

Post by PopePompus » Fri, Jan 12, 2024, 11:37 PM UTC

bilalq wrote: post #87

For all the hype "AI" gets these days, it's amazing how much things have regressed. My Android phone used to remember where I parked and show it on my Google Now feed and a push notification as I headed out, all without ever asking it to do anything. The travel.google.com site used to show my itineraries without ever adding them there. Hotels, flights, car rentals, and more would be aggregated. Doesn't do that anymor…

Yes, Siri was initially amazing, but it never improved significantly. Several years ago Google's voice assistant was much better than Siri, but it has degraded enough now that it's roughly on a par with Siri. But however disappointing Google Assistant is now, it's better than it will be tomorrow.

Re: Changes we're making to Google Assistant

#177

Post by ksjskskskkk » Fri, Jan 12, 2024, 11:38 PM UTC

dvngnt_ wrote: post #68

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

mkbhd entire income is from YouTube. i won't elaborate.

Re: Changes we're making to Google Assistant

#178

Post by ksjskskskkk » Fri, Jan 12, 2024, 11:39 PM UTC

romanows wrote: post #66

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.

joined cellular radio and wifi button now just called "internet"...

Re: Changes we're making to Google Assistant

#179

Post by [deleted] » Fri, Jan 12, 2024, 11:43 PM UTC

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?…

[deleted]

Re: Changes we're making to Google Assistant

#180

Post by _dain_ » Fri, Jan 12, 2024, 11:50 PM UTC

Noumenon72 wrote: post #171

_dain_ wrote: post #107

Reading this thread is kinda bizarre to me. Do people actually ... talk to their phones? Like for real, not just in cringeworthy scripted adverts? I've never used any of these voice assistant things and nor does anyone I know. It always seemed like a huge gimmick to me. Am I just in a bubble?

It's just faster to say "OK Google, navigate to work" than pulling out a keyboard and opening apps. Even though for some reason I still can't time when Google is going to start listening after all these years, and have to repeat myself a lot. I think it was fine-tuned for American voices at first and got worse when expanded worldwide.

why don't you know the way to work?