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MNHQ

MNer with child under 12? Want to try the new Google Home? £300 voucher to be won! NOW CLOSED

350 replies

PoppyMumsnet · 08/05/2017 11:23

We are looking for 50 MNers, with at least one child under the age of 12, to test the new Google Home. If selected, you’ll receive the product, worth £129, and get to keep it! Grin

What you’ll need do: Test Google Home for two weeks and give feedback on your experience by posting on a feedback thread as well as completing a short survey.

Here’s what Google has to say about the product: “The time we get to spend at home with our family and friends is pretty special. So what if technology could help us make the most of those moments, instead of sometimes pulling our attention away from them? Google Home is a hands-free smart speaker powered by the Google Assistant that does just that. Whether you want to get answers from Google, enjoy your music*, manage your everyday tasks and control compatible smart devices around your home, all you have to do is say “Ok Google”.

*Google Home is optimised for selected music services only. Subscriptions/payments may be required.

Below is a video about the product:

If you’re interested in testing Google Home, please sign up here.

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

Standard T&Cs apply

MNer with child under 12? Want to try the new Google Home? £300 voucher to be won! NOW CLOSED
OP posts:
iemma321q · 30/05/2017 21:05

Sorted it! I've moved it do a different room and bizarrely it now works. Only problem now is that it's not in the room we want to use it in!!!

CremeDeSudo · 30/05/2017 21:40

Yay mine came today thanks Google!

I had a minor issue with the app on my phone saying it was taking longer than usual to update yet it worked when I spoke to it. No probs with the app on my tablet.

V geared up for use with other Google devices - no surprise there! Seems like we're missing out on lots of features however.

Love the design. V sleek.

It didn't know how to set a reminder when I asked..Not sure if I didn't say it properly? Also didn't know the answer to one or two questions as it's apparently still learning. Bit confused by that. Hmm

It'll be interesting to see what nearly 4yo DS makes of it in the morning!

SoupDragon · 30/05/2017 22:08

I was surprised it couldn't set a reminder too.

I'm wondering why the initial request was for people with a child under 12 because my 16 year old is running a campaign to relocate it to his room!

SoupDragon · 30/05/2017 22:10

We've not got it to do anything useful yet. Other than play music (and DS2 had to log in with my XH's Spotify account for that Blush)

It knows that the fox says.
It knows what noise a penguin makes. And a flamingo, a sheep and a chicken. Not a platypus though which was disappointing.

The app seems a bit useless or I'm missing something. what is it for?

SnickersWasAHorse · 30/05/2017 22:23

Ask it to tell you a joke!

heymammy · 30/05/2017 23:13

Got mine all set up today too! I love it!

Thankfully no problems with the update, it took a few minutes, nothing major.

We've asked it a few things so far like "play Ed Sheeran" and "play the radio". It understands ds's sometimes unclear voice which I was very impressed at. It also understands our accents...hoo-bloody-Ray!

I asked it to "remind me to run a bath in ten minutes" but it unfortunately can't do reminders yet Confused, so I set a timer instead. I also asked it to send a text which it can't do either.

It can though add an event to my google calendar which is great as I use that every day.

I've also started my shopping list for next week, it's brill!

Fancythat69 · 30/05/2017 23:18

Applied! Would love the chance to try this out

PurpleCrazyHorse · 31/05/2017 07:36

There's currently a free 2 month Google Play music subscription offer on the Google Play website if anyone is interested. We have iTunes which doesn't cast, so I've just signed up so we can try that.

PurpleCrazyHorse · 31/05/2017 07:41

Ooh, just added some things to my shopping list, now to find the shopping list on my phone!!

Iambubbles86 · 31/05/2017 08:18

My boys have worked out if you say "google repeat after me I'm a silly poo head" then google will say "I'm a silly poo head" which whilst mildly amusing I worry may lead to google having low self esteem

SnickersWasAHorse · 31/05/2017 08:22

You can cast from iplayer.
You can also ask it to make play a podcast.

ShelaghTurner · 31/05/2017 08:33

Yes I'm a bit gutted that it doesn't work with iTunes and Apple Music as that's what we use and am loathe to change over to Google Play or spotify. Have signed up for the free trial though but not sure after that.

I've already had to lie to the kids and tell them it's asleep when the orange lights are on because they woke up wanting to talk to it at the crack of dawn Hmm

SnickersWasAHorse · 31/05/2017 08:37

You can get it to stream radio as well. You just say 'hey Google, play BBC radio 4' and off it goes.

CremeDeSudo · 31/05/2017 08:39

I am totally showing DS the 'I'm a silly poo poo head' he will be in hysterics! We were disappointed this morning when it didn't know how to respond to his 'where do fish keep their money' joke. It also doesn't get knock knock jokes and just tells us to 'pls come in' Grin

All our music is on Amazon as we're Prime members so perhaps Alexa might be better for us? (When asked if it was better than Alexa it said they each had their strengths and weaknesses Grin). I can't work out how to set the radio - it says it'll default to a local free station but not sure how to get it to do that?

SnickersWasAHorse · 31/05/2017 08:45

Just tell it what radio station you want. So say 'play Kiss FM' or BBC Stoke or LBC or whatever it is you want.

She can tell you Knock Knock jokes. Just ask her too.

Oh? She can do a quiz too. But the questions are quite tricky and because they are just a computer algorithm they don't work every time. Just ask her 'can we play a quiz'.

CremeDeSudo · 31/05/2017 09:05

Will try that later. I just asked it to put the radio on.

Cant it tell the difference between voices? Or are we all the same person essentially?

Also, can I ask the app on my phone to tell the Home unit to say something? Eg 'please tell Home unit to announce Creme is on her way home?'

SnickersWasAHorse · 31/05/2017 09:09

They have just brought out technology in America to know who is who but it's not come over here yet.

ShelaghTurner · 31/05/2017 09:23

Now dd1 is asking it Harry Potter questions. The poor thing will be begging to be sent back to the factory Grin

SnickersWasAHorse · 31/05/2017 09:26

You can't do that Creme. Would be useful though.

SnickersWasAHorse · 31/05/2017 09:27

Shelagh. It does respond to certain Harry Potter spells........

SoupDragon · 31/05/2017 09:42

I did like coming down this morning and just saying "hey google, play radio one" as I walked past the fridge. I thenhad to run back to turnthe volume down as DS2 had left it up really loud. So loud that google couldn't hear me telling it to turn down.

Gazelda · 31/05/2017 09:43

purple you can find your shopping list by looking on the app, going into the menu and then into your settings. Scroll down to find your shopping list. Let me know if you manage to sync this with your online shop account. I'd love to be able to add cotton wool to my Tesco shop.

CremeDeSudo · 31/05/2017 09:43

Ah that's a shame. Google, if you're listening, that would be handy! Also if you could ask it where I am - like a find my phone!

SnickersWasAHorse · 31/05/2017 09:43

You can turn it down manually too.

We have 3 of them and I have grouped them all so that I can put the radio on and hear it all over the house.

Lunar1 · 31/05/2017 11:18

Mine arrived this morning, I've just signed up to the music trial and my children haven't stopped dancing since. I imagine I'll have to find out what else it can do when they are sleeping!