get the mini for as little as $22 at lowes when you use a coupon. Plus you get a $10 lowes rebate.
UPDATE: someone else in the community shared this walkthrough http://forum.joaoapps.com/index.php?resources/send-a-command-to-google-assistant-from-tasker.297/
Anyone that is interested in automating google assistant commands (executing a command without saying anything) I threw together this tasker task that types a custom google assistant command into the GA app and executes it.
I use it to automatically cast a show from netflix on my bedroom tv when I set my phone next to the bed, and to tell chromecast to turn the TV off after 1 hour
<TaskerData sr="" dvi="1" tv="5.0u7m">
<Task sr="task13">
<cdate>1511922896831</cdate>
<edate>1511925462926</edate>
<id>13</id>
<nme>Turn On Chromecast</nme>
<pri>100</pri>
<Action sr="act0" ve="7">
<code>877</code>
<Str sr="arg0" ve="3">android.intent.action.VOICE_COMMAND</Str>
<Int sr="arg1" val="1"/>
<Str sr="arg2" ve="3"/>
<Str sr="arg3" ve="3"/>
<Str sr="arg4" ve="3"/>
<Str sr="arg5" ve="3"/>
<Str sr="arg6" ve="3"/>
<Str sr="arg7" ve="3">com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox</Str>
<Str sr="arg8" ve="3"/>
<Int sr="arg9" val="1"/>
</Action>
<Action sr="act1" ve="7">
<code>30</code>
<Int sr="arg0" val="0"/>
<Int sr="arg1" val="3"/>
<Int sr="arg2" val="0"/>
<Int sr="arg3" val="0"/>
<Int sr="arg4" val="0"/>
</Action>
<Action sr="act2" ve="7">
<code>1732635924</code>
<label>SELECTS FIRST ITEM IN THE RETURNED RESULTS</label>
<Bundle sr="arg0">
<Vals sr="val">
<ActionId>144,2448</ActionId>
<ActionId-type>java.lang.String</ActionId-type>
<ActionType>16</ActionType>
<ActionType-type>java.lang.String</ActionType-type>
<FieldSelectionType>5</FieldSelectionType>
<FieldSelectionType-type>java.lang.String</FieldSelectionType-type>
<IsFirstAction>false</IsFirstAction>
<IsFirstAction-type>java.lang.Boolean</IsFirstAction-type>
<IsTaskerAction>false</IsTaskerAction>
<IsTaskerAction-type>java.lang.Boolean</IsTaskerAction-type>
<NearbyText><null></NearbyText>
<NearbyText-type>java.lang.String</NearbyText-type>
<StoredAction><null></StoredAction>
<StoredAction-type>java.lang.String</StoredAction-type>
<TextToWrite><null></TextToWrite>
<TextToWrite-type>java.lang.String</TextToWrite-type>
<com.twofortyfouram.locale.intent.extra.BLURB>Type: Point
Value: 144,2448
Action : Click</com.twofortyfouram.locale.intent.extra.BLURB>
<com.twofortyfouram.locale.intent.extra.BLURB-
type>java.lang.String</com.twofortyfouram.locale.intent.extra.BLURB-type>
<net.dinglisch.android.tasker.RELEVANT_VARIABLES><StringArray sr=""><_array_net.dinglisch.android.tasker.RELEVANT_VARIABLES0>%err
Error Code
Only available if you select &lt;b&gt;Continue Task After Error&lt;/b&gt; and the action ends in error</_array_net.dinglisch.android.tasker.RELEVANT_VARIABLES0><_array_net.dinglisch.android.tasker.RELEVANT_VARIABLES1>%errmsg
Error Message
Only available if you select &lt;b&gt;Continue Task After Error&lt;/b&gt; and the action ends in
error</_array_net.dinglisch.android.tasker.RELEVANT_VARIABLES1></StringArray>
</net.dinglisch.android.tasker.RELEVANT_VARIABLES>
<net.dinglisch.android.tasker.RELEVANT_VARIABLES-type>[Ljava.lang.String;
</net.dinglisch.android.tasker.RELEVANT_VARIABLES-type>
<net.dinglisch.android.tasker.extras.VARIABLE_REPLACE_KEYS>ActionId FieldSelectionType ActionType plugininstanceid plugintypeid
</net.dinglisch.android.tasker.extras.VARIABLE_REPLACE_KEYS>
<net.dinglisch.android.tasker.extras.VARIABLE_REPLACE_KEYS-type>java.lang.String</net.dinglisch.android.tasker.extras.VARIABLE_REPLACE_KEYS-type>
<net.dinglisch.android.tasker.subbundled>true</net.dinglisch.android.tasker.subbundled>
<net.dinglisch.android.tasker.subbundled-type>java.lang.Boolean</net.dinglisch.android.tasker.subbundled-type>
<plugininstanceid>05111644-a45e-4c26-8a58-f994905be432</plugininstanceid>
<plugininstanceid-type>java.lang.String</plugininstanceid-type>
<plugintypeid>com.joaomgcd.autoinput.intent.IntentPerformAction</plugintypeid>
<plugintypeid-type>java.lang.String</plugintypeid-type>
</Vals>
</Bundle>
<Str sr="arg1" ve="3">com.joaomgcd.autoinput</Str>
<Str sr="arg2" ve="3">com.joaomgcd.autoinput.activity.ActivityConfigPerformAction</Str>
<Int sr="arg3" val="20"/>
</Action>
<Action sr="act3" ve="7">
<code>30</code>
<Int sr="arg0" val="0"/>
<Int sr="arg1" val="2"/>
<Int sr="arg2" val="0"/>
<Int sr="arg3" val="0"/>
<Int sr="arg4" val="0"/>
</Action>
<Action sr="act4" ve="7">
<code>1732635924</code>
<Bundle sr="arg0">
<Vals sr="val">
<ActionId><null></ActionId>
<ActionId-type>java.lang.String</ActionId-type>
<ActionType>-1</ActionType>
<ActionType-type>java.lang.String</ActionType-type>
<FieldSelectionType>2</FieldSelectionType>
<FieldSelectionType-type>java.lang.String</FieldSelectionType-type>
<IsFirstAction>false</IsFirstAction>
<IsFirstAction-type>java.lang.Boolean</IsFirstAction-type>
<IsTaskerAction>false</IsTaskerAction>
<IsTaskerAction-type>java.lang.Boolean</IsTaskerAction-type>
<NearbyText><null></NearbyText>
<NearbyText-type>java.lang.String</NearbyText-type>
<StoredAction><null></StoredAction>
<StoredAction-type>java.lang.String</StoredAction-type>
<TextToWrite>good night</TextToWrite>
<TextToWrite-type>java.lang.String</TextToWrite-type>
<com.twofortyfouram.locale.intent.extra.BLURB>Type: Focus
Text to Write : good night
Action : Write</com.twofortyfouram.locale.intent.extra.BLURB>
<com.twofortyfouram.locale.intent.extra.BLURB-type>java.lang.String</com.twofortyfouram.locale.intent.extra.BLURB-type>
<net.dinglisch.android.tasker.RELEVANT_VARIABLES><StringArray sr=""><_array_net.dinglisch.android.tasker.RELEVANT_VARIABLES0>%err
Error Code
Only available if you select &lt;b&gt;Continue Task After Error&lt;/b&gt; and the action ends in error</_array_net.dinglisch.android.tasker.RELEVANT_VARIABLES0><_array_net.dinglisch.android.tasker.RELEVANT_VARIABLES1>%errmsg
Error Message
Only available if you select &lt;b&gt;Continue Task After Error&lt;/b&gt; and the action ends in
error</_array_net.dinglisch.android.tasker.RELEVANT_VARIABLES1></StringArray>
</net.dinglisch.android.tasker.RELEVANT_VARIABLES>
<net.dinglisch.android.tasker.RELEVANT_VARIABLES-type>[Ljava.lang.String;
</net.dinglisch.android.tasker.RELEVANT_VARIABLES-type>
<net.dinglisch.android.tasker.extras.VARIABLE_REPLACE_KEYS>TextToWrite FieldSelectionType ActionType plugininstanceid plugintypeid
</net.dinglisch.android.tasker.extras.VARIABLE_REPLACE_KEYS>
<net.dinglisch.android.tasker.extras.VARIABLE_REPLACE_KEYS-type>java.lang.String</net.dinglisch.android.tasker.extras.VARIABLE_REPLACE_KEYS-type>
<net.dinglisch.android.tasker.subbundled>true</net.dinglisch.android.tasker.subbundled>
<net.dinglisch.android.tasker.subbundled-type>java.lang.Boolean</net.dinglisch.android.tasker.subbundled-type>
<plugininstanceid>6983562f-b884-4a5e-909f-ab4fb63ca277</plugininstanceid>
<plugininstanceid-type>java.lang.String</plugininstanceid-type>
<plugintypeid>com.joaomgcd.autoinput.intent.IntentPerformAction</plugintypeid>
<plugintypeid-type>java.lang.String</plugintypeid-type>
</Vals>
</Bundle>
<Str sr="arg1" ve="3">com.joaomgcd.autoinput</Str>
<Str sr="arg2" ve="3">com.joaomgcd.autoinput.activity.ActivityConfigPerformAction</Str>
<Int sr="arg3" val="20"/>
</Action>
<Action sr="act5" ve="7">
<code>30</code>
<Int sr="arg0" val="0"/>
<Int sr="arg1" val="2"/>
<Int sr="arg2" val="0"/>
<Int sr="arg3" val="0"/>
<Int sr="arg4" val="0"/>
</Action>
<Action sr="act6" ve="7">
<code>1732635924</code>
<Bundle sr="arg0">
<Vals sr="val">
<ActionId>1296,1320</ActionId>
<ActionId-type>java.lang.String</ActionId-type>
<ActionType>16</ActionType>
<ActionType-type>java.lang.String</ActionType-type>
<FieldSelectionType>5</FieldSelectionType>
<FieldSelectionType-type>java.lang.String</FieldSelectionType-type>
<IsFirstAction>false</IsFirstAction>
<IsFirstAction-type>java.lang.Boolean</IsFirstAction-type>
<IsTaskerAction>false</IsTaskerAction>
<IsTaskerAction-type>java.lang.Boolean</IsTaskerAction-type>
<NearbyText><null></NearbyText>
<NearbyText-type>java.lang.String</NearbyText-type>
<StoredAction><null></StoredAction>
<StoredAction-type>java.lang.String</StoredAction-type>
<TextToWrite>
</TextToWrite>
<TextToWrite-type>java.lang.String</TextToWrite-type>
<com.twofortyfouram.locale.intent.extra.BLURB>Type: Point
Value: 1296,1320
Text to Write :
Action : Click</com.twofortyfouram.locale.intent.extra.BLURB>
<com.twofortyfouram.locale.intent.extra.BLURB-type>java.lang.String</com.twofortyfouram.locale.intent.extra.BLURB-type>
<net.dinglisch.android.tasker.RELEVANT_VARIABLES><StringArray sr=""><_array_net.dinglisch.android.tasker.RELEVANT_VARIABLES0>%err
Error Code
Only available if you select &lt;b&gt;Continue Task After Error&lt;/b&gt; and the action ends in error</_array_net.dinglisch.android.tasker.RELEVANT_VARIABLES0><_array_net.dinglisch.android.tasker.RELEVANT_VARIABLES1>%errmsg
Error Message
Only available if you select &lt;b&gt;Continue Task After Error&lt;/b&gt; and the action ends in
error</_array_net.dinglisch.android.tasker.RELEVANT_VARIABLES1></StringArray>
</net.dinglisch.android.tasker.RELEVANT_VARIABLES>
<net.dinglisch.android.tasker.RELEVANT_VARIABLES-type>[Ljava.lang.String;
</net.dinglisch.android.tasker.RELEVANT_VARIABLES-type>
<net.dinglisch.android.tasker.extras.VARIABLE_REPLACE_KEYS>TextToWrite ActionId FieldSelectionType ActionType plugininstanceid plugintypeid
</net.dinglisch.android.tasker.extras.VARIABLE_REPLACE_KEYS>
<net.dinglisch.android.tasker.extras.VARIABLE_REPLACE_KEYS-type>java.lang.String</net.dinglisch.android.tasker.extras.VARIABLE_REPLACE_KEYS-type>
<net.dinglisch.android.tasker.subbundled>true</net.dinglisch.android.tasker.subbundled>
<net.dinglisch.android.tasker.subbundled-type>java.lang.Boolean</net.dinglisch.android.tasker.subbundled-type>
<plugininstanceid>9c198d2e-16e3-4cd5-a686-486deb5d290a</plugininstanceid>
<plugininstanceid-type>java.lang.String</plugininstanceid-type>
<plugintypeid>com.joaomgcd.autoinput.intent.IntentPerformAction</plugintypeid>
<plugintypeid-type>java.lang.String</plugintypeid-type>
</Vals>
</Bundle>
<Str sr="arg1" ve="3">com.joaomgcd.autoinput</Str>
<Str sr="arg2" ve="3">com.joaomgcd.autoinput.activity.ActivityConfigPerformAction</Str>
<Int sr="arg3" val="20"/>
</Action>
</Task>
</TaskerData>
2 Likes
Up to 27 Alexa enabled devices now in my setup. I would say that I am fully invested as well. My wife would literally kick me out the house if I brought home a Google Home Device. But…I sooo want one!
6 Dots
3 Echos 1st gen
1 Echo 2nd gen
2 Fire TV
5 Fire Sticks
1 Tablet HD 10
2 Tablets HD 8
4 Tablets 7
1 Dash
2 FABRIQ Portable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Smart Speaker With Amazon Alexa
Sad thing is, I have soooo many ways of controlling things that we hardly even use Voice Activation any longer! Oh the Irony.
Correction 5 Fire Sticks! OMG I totally forgot about the one in the garage still NIB. I need help.
1 Like
I need to show this to my wife… She tells everyone that I am obsessed with voice assistants and I’ve been telling her that it could be worse. Now I have proof!
3 Likes
Speaking of google…
1 Like
Does Alexa have any of these features?
Which features? To 9to5’s point, at least Amazon delivered on all of their promises, I think…
Yeah, I thought I was bad with a couple of extra Dots just laying around in the boxes… lol
I just want to say thanks for the suggestions guys. I now have Google Assistant running through Alexa. It was a PITA to setup but it does work:
http://alexamods.com/guide-install-google-assistant-alexa-skill/
I still hope Alexa gets better at answering questions but when it doesn’t I can just say “Alexa, ask Google …” and get the answer that way.
I even customized the skill and added Google icons and suggestions to it so it looks more official. Works well. Too bad I can’t publish it for others:
I tested double commands today and i am disappointed. You cannot say for instance “turn on amplifier in kitchen and bedroom” or “turn on amplifier and lamp in bedroom”.
You must say “turn on amplifier in bedroom and turn on lamp in bedroom” ;(
This is not i expected and it is not user friendly.
1 Like
Some of some of them, it depends on the specifics you’re looking for.
Echo show has visual responses and the regular echo can cast them to a fire tablet. I’m not sure about the fire TV, but I think so.
As far as support for more video channels besides just YouTube and Netflix, Google home works with chromecast. Echo devices don’t work with Chromecast, but they work with echo fire TV or Logitech Harmony plus Roku and you can do way more hands-free in this area as long as you have the streamers as well. (I’m quadriparetic with limited use of my hands, so I pay a lot of attention to this area.) so Echo has almost all the channels shown in that screenshot except google movies as long as you also have one of the streamers. Initially, Google home was better with Netflix, but Amazon has now caught up. Both companies are essentially leapfrogging each other as far as features.
Amazon has just announced the ability for some skills to push notifications, but it’s still brand new and limited in which skills can do what. And Google Home has always done commute reporting better. So that one’s going to be hard to rate. I think Amazon will get to notifications first but it will be on a skill by skill basis.
1 Like
Good to hear alexa has gained the casting abilities, I have both but I have used google primary for the last 6 months. We initially went the google route for voice control of video content but also because it was already embedded into our phones. Although I will say I am disappointed in the lack of voice control of netlfix on the Shield TV.
As far as notifications go you can hack your way there with google home using cast-api [RELEASE] cast-web 0.1 - Chromecast Device Handler & SmartApps With google minis on sale for less than $30 it encouraged me to try it out and so far I am impressed.
Is there any way to automate casting content with alexa/fire TV like you can with tasker/autocast or the tasker/auto intent workaround that I posted above? I’m beginning to feel like an automation addict I finally have voice control but now I want more… I dont think I’ll be happy until I get mind control 
2 Likes
I have three dots and two Google Homes, the Amazons were, until recently, better for home automation tasks (I could say “Amazon, turn on the uplighter” - and it’d do so - if I said to Google “Ok Google, turn on the uplighter” I’d get “Sorry, I don’t know how to help with that yet” - it was because I said THE uplighter, I’d have to omit ‘the’, like so: “Ok Google, turn on uplighter” it’d then react correctly.
It was far too fussy - but in recent days I’ve noticed that they’ve finally fixed that issue. It’s a slight PITA having to remember which device I’m asking - I also much prefer the ‘Amazon’ key word too, ‘OK Google’ doesn’t flow very well.
That said, on balance I favour the Google Homes over the dots.
The ability to change Alexas hotword to things like “computer” is a huge plus over google home. The new"Hey Google" is a little better but hotword customization is one feature Google has yet to match Alexa with.
Ha, I didn’t know that they’d added ‘Computer’ as a wake word, must’ve been pressure from the Trekkers!
If Google added that option it’d mean I could start a query with the same hot word, irrelevant of which device I’m standing near. A man can dream…
Im guessing they will avoid completely custom hot words for that reason, who knows that might open a black hole or something 
A couple of cell phones back for me (Galaxy S3), I recall having the ability to change the hot word for the e-assistant to my choosing, and then trained it to recognize that hot word much like you train a fingerprint sensor. Of course, the geek in me used “Computer”. My old man memory thought it was Google, and I couldn’t figure out why I couldn’t do that any more. But after reading through these posts, I think it was probably the S-Voice, and not Google. It would be nice to have that ability though. I mean, you can train it to recognize different voices, why not different hot words? And if S-Voice, as bad as that has been, did it…
Back on the topic of multiple commands, I’ve only had my Google Home Mini for less than a week (and I’m really liking it by the way), and it took me a bit to figure out how to word things correctly to get the multiple commands to work (like @btrial noted above), but it does. I have noticed one glitch that seems to happen when I do the multiple commands “turn on music and play xxx” (“turn on music” turns on the outlet the receiver is plugged in to, and “play” casts music to the chromecast audio connected to it). The music plays just fine, but while playing, if I try to change volume, skip a track, ask what song is playing, etc., nothing happens. Even though the music is playing the Mini doesn’t think it is, therefore doesn’t interact the right way (I think it once even told me it wasn’t casting anything even though it was). If I turn on music, then wait until after the Mini tells me it’s turning it on before asking it to play/cast the music, everything works fine. Still need to play with it a bit more to make sure that is what’s happening, but that’s the way it looks right now.
On another side note when casting, if I tell the Mini to stop casting, the music stops, but when I look on my phone, it tells me there is something on my network casting to the chromecast audio, and I go into the Google Home app and the casting card is still there until I manually stop it.
That’s really funny to me. My wife is the exact opposite. She doesn’t want to talk to the device like it is a person so she refuses to use Alexa. She also prefers the google voice because it’s less natural. 
I have the exact same issue with Alexa. If I turn on the TV manually using my harmony remote and then I tell Alexa pause it says I can’t help you with that. If i say Alexa turn the volume down its says I can’t help you with that. If I say Alexa tell harmony to volume down it says I can’t help you with that. But if I first say Alexa turn on the TV than all those commands work just fine even know it’s just telling the harmony to turn on the TV. I don’t understand why it should matter but that’s definitely what it did yesterday night.
Are you using the red and blue Harmony skill? Or just one? The blue only works for a short period of time after turning on an activity via Alexa, within that short period you should be able to say turn up/down the volume and all commands will be directed at Harmony blue skill. After the period of time has passed you need the red skill. If I say TV volume up/down it’s directed to Harmony red skill. Also the red skill can be activated by saying ask/tell Harmony, then your command. I haven’t had the Harmony hub for too long, but it’s been reliable after I figured out everything.
1 Like