Thanks for the confirmation. Take that Alexa. Official and not an app.
Yes, this is a Google Cast integration. My understanding of it is that it will work with any Google Cast-enabled video device (Chromecast, Chromecast Ultra, or devices with the new branding of āGoogle Cast Built-Inā).
1 Like
I think thatās such a terrible idea thoughā¦
Imagine having one of these things in the room when the commercials come on, or the privacy implications. You can circumvent the hotel snooping on your browsing habits when youāre using their WiFi by using a VPN, but you canāt get around the always-on microphone sitting at the desk which may or may not be doing some nefarious stuff.
My guess is that most people will trade privacy for convenience as they always do and decide that itās cool to open the blinds with their voice instead of hitting a button. Me personally will probably be unplugging this as soon as I see it 
Now weāre all wondering what youāre doing in that room?
Planning world domination?
Seriously though I canāt imagine that this wonāt become an unwritten ā or perhaps written ā rule for some companies, particularly ones that do auditing or those that send attendees to conferences in Vegas and have them stay at the Wynn/Encore.
Itās obvious that this is a customized version of the device, or at least the backend, that wonāt let you order laundry detergent but still will listen to your voice and react to commands. Who is to say that the device canāt be subverted to start recording voice snippets every time it hears certain keywords?
I agree but I bet as time goes on people will have less of an issue with it.
I think itās good. It will introduce a lot people to Echo and HA that otherwise would not have been aware of this technology being available to all and not just a Hollywood fantasy.
If youāre worried about it eavesdropping, unplug it. People have accepted that they are more than liked being spied on by Google, NSA, etc. It does not stop people from texting, emailing or using Google services.
1 Like
True, although some of us are more paranoid than others and use encrypted email and apps like Signal for communications rather than SMS and gmail.
Nevertheless, like I said, people will opt for the convenience and ignore the risks.
1 Like
Starting January, donāt use Evernote then. Their new terms state very clearly everything that is put into Evernote will be read by a human. Worse yet is if you elect to use it, then you can not opt out of them reading your stuff. Only thing they (supposedly) wonāt read will be the encrypted ones.
1 Like
When Iām plotting world domination, I only use Signal. For everything else, I speak loudly into a bullhorn.
2 Likes
and people are more worried about the tube on the table than the cameras in the hallā¦ how many of you knew that those things have incredibly sensitive microphones?
Go to any restaurantā¦ look around at the cameras on the ceilingā¦ they can hear you. The owners can actually sit on their phone on the other side of the planet and watch and listen to you as you eat dinnerā¦
imagine having access to that little gemā¦ pillow talkā¦ thatās nothing when you let the wine flow and a good dinner is there.
3 Likes
Same here. Echo just couldnāt understand my wife at all. I had to yell at it. And it kept waking up all the time.
The Dot wasnāt loud enough for me to clearly hear the new in my morning flash briefing.
GH solved that problem. A full sized echo would have as well, so the comparison is off. . . .
But I hate the way GH sounds. It sounds just like some shi-tty car stereo where to make up for the absence of anything below 80hz, they bumped it up at about 125hz or so. Women sound like men GH. I would never think about listening to music on this thing. It sounds awful. Happily, I didnāt get it to play music. It can cast. That gets you bit perfect input to a DAC. . . . .
Now, if I could only get Google music to work. My library is a mess. Itās nearly useless, since it is so hard to clean up.
On other things, the ātell me about my dayā feature on GH is prefaced by some irritating greeting. Itās so artificial sounding that its nearly Engrish.
I mostly agree with this. Echo sounds better bar far, but Google home still sounds ādecentā to me. Iām not much of an audiophile though.
https://www.engadget.com/2016/12/15/google-home-netflix-photos-voice-controls/
Read about asking GH to tell you where Santa is.
1 Like
This right here is almost enough to get me to buy one to go in my living roomā¦ maybe when i can pick one up for 70 bucksā¦ I still have to get a chromecast to make this work right?
2 Likes
Yes, correct.
1 Like
yepā¦ this may actually give the GH a place alongside Echo in my houseā¦ maybeā¦
Thatās my goal. If they add Plex support, Iām 66% of the way there as we mostly watch Plex, Netflix, and Amazon. I really hope Alexa kicks it into high gear, right now I canāt use her to do much with my PS3ās, Roku, or anything with the Chromecast. Harmony is still too limited for this as well. If Harmony would allow Alexa/GH to control individual buttons regardless of Activity, it would be ideal!
yeah that would be great.
I really hope that Amazon wakes up and allows Alexa to start controlling things like thatā¦
On my voice firestick I can search for a movie and tell it to playā¦not sure why i canāt on my echo?
1 Like
Yes you do need a Chromecast or the Chromecast Ultra. And it is a lot cheaper/better than getting a new TV. Just use the one you got.
I am there with you. I will tell GH to play Luke Cage on my TV.
1 Like