It is integrated with other google products like Chromecast, and Nest but also third-party products like those from iDevices. Google assistant is available on more than 1 billion devices, including smart speakers, cars, TVs and watches.
‘Hey Google’ brings you instant access to news, plays you music, gets your shower warm, organises your bedtime routine, and brings connectivity with all the devices in the Google Nest family. Now, however, Alphabet’s comprehensive suite of home automation products has all been brought under the Google Nest branding and are all controllable using Google Assistant. It isn’t necessary to go over the Game of Thrones-like backstory, but it is worth noting that some unsuccessful products have been in the mix. The formation of Google’s home automation brand has taken some time, and the development has unfolded as the result of several acquisitions made by Google’s parent company, Alphabet. Google is everywhere and has been for years. Google Assistant is a powerful voice assistant that can be used to control the Google Nest home automation ecosystem, and a number of other integrations too. Google Assistant (Google’s voice assistant) Of course, this also means we will look closely at the smart home platforms that the assistants work with - because they essentially come as a package.įor Apple users, it is hard to believe that there is any other voice assistant than Siri, but there are other options too, and you might be surprised at how they compare! There are lots of things to think of when choosing which platform and home assistant is right for you, including data privacy, cost, security, system stability, and functionalities - so we’re going to look at the big three voice assistants and see how they compare when used as smart home assistants. This then gives you a wide selection of different home assistants to choose from. However, this functionality can be added by bridging your KNX home to one of the other smart home platforms (Homekit, Nest or Amazon) with a Thinka KNX bridge, and using the appropriate voice assistant for that platform. While KNX is the most stable and secure smart home system you could hope for, it does not come with a ‘native’ voice assistant. Using a voice assistant with a KNX smart home After a simple setup process, a voice assistant becomes a home assistant - always ready to help and waiting for your voice command. Of course, voice assistants can be used for many different purposes, but they really come into their own when used to control the smart home. With just a few spoken words, calls can be placed, and emails can be sent and reminders set. They can now adapt to understand our language (and accent), anticipate the kind of requests we make, and recommend things that are relevant to us. It is estimated that 128 million people in the US used a voice assistant during 2020 - that’s about 38% of the US population.įrom their clunky, almost comical beginnings, these smart tools have been refined into modern, intelligent assistants who can carry out numerous tasks. Also known as Digital Assistants, Virtual Assistants, and various similar names, the use of voice assistants has now become widespread. Voice assistants are becoming increasingly useful in our hectic world.