Google - Bringing Technology Home
On October 4th Google held their live event, which wasn’t necessarily given a name but appeared to be advertised as “Made by Google”. The event showcased many new hardware and software products coming to market from Google.
One of the big products was the Pixel. An Android smartphone which is sleek with a modern appearance and fantastic specs. It’s understandable that many may not get too excited about a new smartphone being introduced, as it seems one is coming out every week or so. But, this is the first smartphone where the hardware and software are made by Google exclusively. Previously, Google outsourced their smartphones to Motorola or HTC.
The Pixel purports to have the best camera of all the smartphones. Integrated with 4K video and stabilization this makes Pixel not only a great camera, but great for video too. A significant offering Google touted is, with the purchase of Pixel, you will also receive unlimited Cloud storage for photos and videos. This is a big deal because we all know how much space these files can take up on our phones. Constantly deleting photos to make room for new ones. Not . Thanks Google!
Other significant products introduced were Google Assistant, Google Wi-Fi, an updated Google Chromecast,Daydream VR (I’ll do a post about this later) and Google Home. Everything comes with great features and benefits with Google’s own marketing spin on all of them. Click on each one to learn more but let’s discuss Google Home for a moment. You can watch a replay here.
Google Home stands out for me as a product to keep an eye on. One that I personally will be ordering as soon as possible. This technology allows you to connect things like your TV, thermostat, lights and various “internet of things” products to it AND control them through voice command. Commands such as, “Google, turn on the living room lights.” or “Google, set the temperature to 74 degrees.” Allowing you to play your favorite music through various streaming media services, ask it any questions and get answers, and so much more. Scenarios? For instance, you may place 3 or 4 Google Home devices around your home. Each one can play, wirelessly, different music depending on who is listening to that particular device. If Google Chromecast is attached to a TV, tell Google Home to watch a particular show on that TV without a remote or touching the TV.
Yes, I realize many may consider me a Google fanboy yet I consider myself to just be a lover of innovation and technology. Sure, there are products on the market currently that already do many of the things mentioned or introduced by Google. But, my belief is this is the first step into many significant advances by Google yet to come. Their first hardware and software designed and made exclusively by Google, advanced voice command devices that learn, easy connectivity for homes, and devices that make it simple to control internet connectivity. Thanks Google for finally giving us some hope and perspective for the near future of technology.
Dan Saia is a tech lover and entrepreneur