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Changes we're making to Google Assistant

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Re: Changes we're making to Google Assistant

#221

Post by bombcar »

RandomWorker wrote: post #182
axolttl88 wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This and music control are the uniques cases where Siri Just Works for me. “Add toothpaste to my shopping list” no fluff no nonsense replies, just “I added that to the shopping list” - and it’s on my phone’s Reminders in that list. I wonder how well they’ve optimised Siri for a just few specific use cases like this, because nothing else seems to reliably work on it.

There are supposed to be huge updates to siri this year. So lets hope they don't mess up this function.

The last major update to Siri took it from passably useable to absolute trash. Let’s hope this does better

Re: Changes we're making to Google Assistant

#222

Post by phillco »

SebRollen wrote: post #207
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…

The constant "By the way..." from Alexa drove me nuts. If you say "Alexa, stop by the way", it'll get the device to stop responding with follow-ups for ~24h. I ended up creating a routine that runs every night at 4am to lower the volume to zero, automatically say "stop by the way" to the device, and then raise the volume a minute later, and Alexa has stopped with the follow ups

I just discovered this today, but if you whisper to your Echo, it will skip all of the "by the way" BS (it will also reply in a whisper, which is kind of creepy, but you win some, you lose some).

Re: Changes we're making to Google Assistant

#224

Post by Amigo5862 »

Not that I use voice assistants very regularly, but I decided they've become completely useless after Christmas when I was driving back home and had this (almost-verbatim) exchange with my Android around 11am:

Hey Google, remind me when I'm home to ...

"I can't remind you at a place" - pretty sure it used to be able to???

Hey Google, remind me tomorrow to ...

"Ok, what time do you want me to remind you tomorrow?"

Noon

"Ok, I'll remind you at noon today"

???????????????????????????

Re: Changes we're making to Google Assistant

#225

Post by turquoisevar »

downWidOutaFite wrote: post #190
RandomWorker wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Funny fact is that this is core use case I use siri to add things to the reminders app which I have a smart list called "shopping list." It's amazing how great this is, and how many times I use this.

I think this kind of highlights the ios vs android user mentality. afavour is annoyed that google is trying to lock them into only using google's shopping list while you love when apple "just works" within their ecosystem.

As an iOS user and dev, I’ve been reading these comments confusedly.

Apple has exposed Siri to us as developers in several ways, one of which is called “Siri intents.”

The long and short of it is that app developers can hook into the Siri system so users can use Siri commands to control certain parts of third-party apps.

This means that users aren’t locked into using, say, Apple’s own Reminders app, and they can tell Siri to add things to third-party to-do list apps.

Users also have the option to create their own workflow via Shortcuts and give it a command phrase that Siri then responds to.

I assumed something similar was available on Android, but the responses indicate that this might not be the case.

Re: Changes we're making to Google Assistant

#226

Post by lxgr »

genman wrote: post #44
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…

This looks like an anti competitive action that should be investigated.

I think Google has actually removed all third-party integrations for Assistant a while ago: https://developers.google.com/assistant/ca-sunset

In other words, they have just closed down that entire ecosystem. I don't think there's an antitrust angle here: Forcing e.g. Apple to allow third-party apps or app stores seems within reach (at least in the EU); this would be more like forcing Apple to enable apps in a world where they don't even exist (anymore).

Re: Changes we're making to Google Assistant

#227

Post by rolltrunhert »

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…

Yikes. About the discoverability issue. I can add a little story.

I can not for the love of my life get Siri to resume play in my native tongue. It is supported by Siri, I just have no clue on earth on what phrases she accepts. Tried many, started feeling dumb. Turned off Siri.

Re: Changes we're making to Google Assistant

#228

Post by walterbell »

jjulius wrote: post #214
walterbell wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Alexa for telling me that I have some notification before starting my timer Device > Settings > Sounds > Notification > none "Do Not Disturb" will suppress notifications without affecting alarms and timers.

I'm an Android user and have never owned an iPhone, but that sounds to me like you're talking about a push notification setting that is completely separate from an Alexa response setting. I could be wrong, but my guess is that that's why you're getting downvoted.

Thanks for posting that possible misinterpretation :)

Everything in my post was Alexa-specific. Someone who has the stated problem can follow that precise and non-obvious menu tree within the Alexa app, and it will solve their problem. It's a device-specific setting, so can be done on the kitchen Alexa without affecting other units.

Both "notification" [1] and "Do Not Disturb" [2] in my post were Alexa-specific terms that are unrelated to their mobile phone brethren.

  [1] https://storables.com/home-appliances/home-automation-appliances/how-to-turn-off-notification-on-alexa/
  [2] https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-use-alexa-do-not-disturb-mode-4788343

Re: Changes we're making to Google Assistant

#230

Post by [deleted] »

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…

[deleted]
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