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Report: Project Chirp, Google’s Amazon Echo Competitor, to be Called Google Home

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Tim

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On the eve of Google I/O, details are emerging regarding Google’s Project Chirp. If you have missed the previous reports, Project Chirp (otherwise known simply as Chirp), is the Amazon Echo competitor device that Google is working on, said to be powered by Google Now and other Google technologies. According to the latest report from the New York Times, Chirp will be officially called Google Home, set to be unveiled during Google’s keynote address tomorrow morning in Mountain View, CA. 

Detailed in the report, Google Home will do essentially everything Echo can do, which is answer simple questions using the web, as well as possibly connect to other smart devices in your home. That’s the goal, at least. Not too many tidbits on operation were given, but considering we are potentially less than 24 hours away from unveiling, we will know everything soon enough.

According to the source of the New York Times, Google Home will not be available for purchase until this fall, but with an unveiling during Google I/O, you can expect that Google is looking to bolster app integration and support for 3rd-party systems by the time launch comes around. The Echo from Amazon has had nearly two years to build on the platform, so Google has a bit of catching up to do.

Let’s see a show of hands for who is anticipating the announcement of Google Home.

Via: The New York Times

Comments

65 responses to “Report: Project Chirp, Google’s Amazon Echo Competitor, to be Called Google Home”

  1. Casey Avatar
    Casey

    I would like to see something z-wave compatible. The Samsung SmartThings Hub just does not cut it any longer. Rather than replace hundreds of dollars of devices, I would much rather replace the $100 hub. I’m really happy with my Amazon Echo, Google has some catching up to do…

  2. Adam Truelove Avatar
    Adam Truelove

    If I can do something like “Play Big Hero 6 on Family Room TV”, I’m sold!

    1. Evron Avatar
      Evron

      Diddo

  3. Luis Celis Avatar
    Luis Celis

    Since the android subreddit didn’t let me post it, I’ll give it to you guys. Reddit username : cesarthedestroyer

    SwiftKey has just released a keyboard app, that is in “secret beta”. This keyboard is amazing and predicts your emoji as well as a dedicated emoji button.

    Sign up for the beta, you’ll love it, if you use a lot of Emoji’s throughout the day.

    The email mentions these as some of the features

    Find an emoji – Quicker and easier to find the specific emoji you’re looking for (Hello…is it ? you’re looking for)

    Recommends emoji – Gives you an ? for which emoji to use when you’re short of inspiration

    Explore new emoji – Get to ? with your emoji game and quit just using ? over and over again

    Never miss emoji – Always have the latest emoji available for your phone

    Sign up for beta below!

    https://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.touchtype.swiftmoji

  4. 卯ノ花 烈 ® ✓ᵛᵉʳᶦᶠᶦᵉᵈ ᵃᶜᶜᵒᵘᶰᵗ Avatar
    卯ノ花 烈 ® ✓ᵛᵉʳᶦᶠᶦᵉᵈ ᵃᶜᶜᵒᵘᶰᵗ

    Day one buy, ONLY because I use google voice 24/7. (Depending on price) since I doubt i’ll use it for music. Mostly just info.

  5. Nashdroid ✓ᵀʳᵘᵐᵖ ˢᵘᵖᵖᵒʳᵗᵉʳ Avatar
    Nashdroid ✓ᵀʳᵘᵐᵖ ˢᵘᵖᵖᵒʳᵗᵉʳ

    I’ll buy it. I have an Ecobee3 smart thermostat in my home. Hopefully Google Home will integrate with it and many other smart technologies. I’m all about it and will definitely buy one when released. I have Amazon Prime but I don’t like their products like the Fire player and such and I don’t like that Amazon won’t sell Chromecast devices. So, a Google option would be great.

    1. Anon Avatar
      Anon

      Why would Google integrate with their competitor?

      1. theo775 Avatar
        theo775

        Why does Google have apps for iOS?

  6. Good_Ole_Pinocchio Avatar
    Good_Ole_Pinocchio

    Calling something Google Home tells me it’s more that a silly Echo. A product with that name tells me Google wants to make it the Hub of your home. Your Smart home Hub.

  7. Toukale Avatar
    Toukale

    Why? It made sense for Amazon, they don’t have smartphones in everyone’s pockets like Google and Apple. My brother has one and the only reason he likes it is because of the prime integration and you can just say “order toilet paper.” I don’t see what the compelling reasons for anyone with an android smartphone to buy this, unless Google figures out a reason for this product, it will fail. If this is just Google Now with no other compelling reason for it, I will be very disappointed.

    1. Brett Wcislo Avatar
      Brett Wcislo

      You may not understand this product unless you own a house. It’s about bringing together all the smart home products. Think of it as a large Nest expansion.

      1. Toukale Avatar
        Toukale

        Wake me up when this actually happens. This seems like a rushed product, since all the blogs kept waving about the “Echo” google feels the need to make a me too product at this point just in case.

        1. Chimm E. Chawngah Avatar
          Chimm E. Chawngah

          I actually would have thought Google, Samsung, or Apple would have done it first by now, though. Especially Google because…. MOAR DATA.

        2. Logic says... Avatar
          Logic says…

          Nexus q and onhub suggests that you have no idea what you are talking about. You not being in their meetings, and limited understanding of the products potential means you should just sleep.

          1. Toukale Avatar
            Toukale

            And somehow you know everything they are doing.

          2. Logic says... Avatar
            Logic says…

            Nothing in my post suggested that I do or did; sometimes common sense can come off that way though.

          3. Toukale Avatar
            Toukale

            So, you are just as clueless as I am, then get off your high horse.

          4. Logic says... Avatar
            Logic says…

            No, I think you might actually be more clueless; to think Google would rush out such a product because Amazon was getting favorable rules. Clueless is you being close minded because you don’t see how this works in your world. Just because everyone has a smartphone in their pocket, which they don’t, it doesn’t mean this product can’t coexist. If I have a high horse obviously I obtained it for a reason, so getting off it would defeat its purpose.?

  8. Chimm E. Chawngah Avatar
    Chimm E. Chawngah

    I just really feel like this should have happened awhile ago (like the new messaging system, multi window, and the continued merging of Chrome and Android). What better way to gather more data than a device inside the home that you HAVE to talk to? I remember when the purchase of Nest was considered to be the precursor to this.

  9. Brett Wcislo Avatar
    Brett Wcislo

    I just posted how Google needed something like this in your other post. I’ll definitely be getting Google Home. If Google can easily unite Nest, Android, and other smart home products under a single brand and device (like a home base), it’ll be a game changer!!

    Lets just hope this doesn’t end up like oh SOOO many other of Googles idea’s that get released, forgotten about, and put on the back burner where they suffer a slow and painful death.

    1. Chimm E. Chawngah Avatar
      Chimm E. Chawngah

      This.
      Soooo many ideas that they start duplicating efforts or that sound a lot better than when they’re used in the real world.

      1. Karrenivandyke3 Avatar
        Karrenivandyke3

        “my room mate Mary Is getting paid on the internet 98$/hr”…..!jk180etwo days ago grey MacLaren P1 I bought after earning 18,512 Dollars..it was my previous month’s payout..just a little over.17k Dollars Last month..3-5 hours job a day…with weekly payouts..it’s realy the simplest. job I have ever Do.. I Joined This 7 months. ago. and now making over. hourly 87 Dollars…Learn. More right Here !jk180e:➽:➽:➽➽➽➽ http://GlobalSuperJobsReportsEmploymentsExplorerGetPay-Hour$98…. .✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸::::::!jk180e….,….

      2. Claudiattorres Avatar
        Claudiattorres

        “my room mate Lori Is getting paid on the internet $98/hr”…..!kj159ytwo days ago grey MacLaren. P1 I bought after earning 18,512 Dollars..it was my previous month’s payout..just a little over.17k Dollars Last month..3-5 hours job a day…with weekly payouts..it’s realy the simplest. job I have ever Do.. I Joined This 7 months. ago. and now making over hourly. 87 Dollars…Learn. More right Here !kj159y:➽:➽:.➽.➽.➽.➽ http://GlobalSuperJobsReportsEmploymentsFoundryGetPay-Hour$98…. .★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★::::::!kj159y….,…..

    2. moew Avatar
      moew

      My supposition is that this project will be dead in 11.2 months.

    3. cwillen Avatar
      cwillen

      Honestly, if this is being headed by the Nest team, it stands a chance of surviving the unforgiving flames of Google’s infamous back-burner.

    4. MKader17 Avatar
      MKader17

      Your second paragraph is exactly how I felt when I first read about it.

  10. Adrian Sciutto Avatar
    Adrian Sciutto

    I just really hope it is (or at least uses) OnHub…. I really don’t want to feel stupid for buying a $200 router that literally one does….routing.

    1. MattG Avatar
      MattG

      The thing with Google Home actually being in OnHub is, how many people actually have their routers in the center of a room or in the kitchen? This Google Home thing seems like it needs to be in a central location to be useful, like the Echo.

      1. cadtek91 Avatar
        cadtek91

        Well, technically routers should be in the center of your home for the best coverage and strength, that’s why Google doesn’t want OnHubs to look like routers. However, neither of the current OnHubs have microphones in them, only speakers.

        1. MattG Avatar
          MattG

          Yeah *technically*…but I know most homes usually have their wired do-hickeys squirreled away in a corner office or something…generally speaking.

          But the lack of mics kind of kills that theory, huh?

          1. cadtek91 Avatar
            cadtek91

            Yeah I guess so, unless the microphones are just not activated at all, so they are not listed in specs. If so, perhaps a firmware update would activate them for use.

          2. MattG Avatar
            MattG

            I dont know, the iFixIt teardown didnt show any mics https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/OnHub+Teardown/48129

          3. cadtek91 Avatar
            cadtek91

            Ah I see, that’s unfortunate.

      2. Adrian Sciutto Avatar
        Adrian Sciutto

        Due to the fact that it only has 1 ethernet out port, I wanted to hardwire my most bandwidth hungry device..which so happens to be my 4k Android TV right in the middle of my living room.

        1. mike Avatar
          mike

          Buy a switch and run that 1 wire to a switch that is not in the middle of a room. The OnHub purposely only has 1 ethernet port so you can put in a central location without having to run a ton of ugly wires to it, instead of hiding it behind your TV where it is less efficient.

          1. Adrian Sciutto Avatar
            Adrian Sciutto

            Who said it’s behind my TV? Sitting loud and proud on my entertainment center right out in the open

    2. OligarchyAmbulance Avatar
      OligarchyAmbulance

      You bought a router, thinking it would be more than a router, and are disappointed that it’s just a router? lol

      1. Adrian Sciutto Avatar
        Adrian Sciutto

        Ya…I know. But to be fair, Google advertised it as a lot more than just a router. I don’t buy a cell phone just to make phone calls….

        1. Chimm E. Chawngah Avatar
          Chimm E. Chawngah

          What is this cell phone you speak of?

        2. TC Infantino Avatar
          TC Infantino

          Well, the label “phone” is very out of date anyway. What we here at Droid Life are fanatical about is pocket computers that also are able to make calls.

          1. mike Avatar
            mike

            This. These are mobile computing devices, and the phone app is just another app. It also happens to be one of my least used apps.

  11. Qbancelli Avatar
    Qbancelli

    OK Google, Take me Home!

  12. MattG Avatar
    MattG

    I hope they give the AI a name of sorts, similar to Cortana, Siri, Alexa, etc. Google Now is great but people don’t care about it like they do “Siri”.

    1. Zargh Avatar
      Zargh

      “Google”

      1. Chimm E. Chawngah Avatar
        Chimm E. Chawngah

        Can’t wait for Google to collect so much listening data that you can choose a specific person’s voice or close approximation for Google Now. I’d use Simmons from Agents of SHIELD during business hours and Angelina Jolie for informal social settings, weekends would be reserved for ScarJo.

        1. Aaron Avatar
          Aaron

          Nope, ScarJo all the way! Or Majel Barrett. 🙂

          1. Chimm E. Chawngah Avatar
            Chimm E. Chawngah

            Catherine Zeta-Jones or Michelle Pfeiffer (in her Catwoman voice)…. oooh

          2. MattG Avatar
            MattG

            Christopher Walken in his “I’m pushing Catwoman out the window” voice.

          3. Chimm E. Chawngah Avatar
            Chimm E. Chawngah

            Fat B@stard “DEAD SEX-AY” voice

            #getinMAbelly

        2. capncoad Avatar
          capncoad

          You can pretend to be Joaquin Phoenix and fall in love with your robot ScarJo and she gets smarter and smarter and eventually ascends into the universe as some type of ultra intelligence. Just a thought.

        3. Raven Avatar
          Raven

          River Tam from Firefly from the episode where she becomes the ship to mess with Jubal Early.

      2. TC Infantino Avatar
        TC Infantino

        Jarvis

    2. b_boogey_xl Avatar
      b_boogey_xl

      Google doesn’t need a personality. Google is its name.

      1. MattG Avatar
        MattG

        While I don’t mind saying “Ok, Google”, people (ie the unwashed and uninformed masses) like their Digital Assistants to have names. Just saying “Google” doesn’t build a connection. From a marketing standpoint and thus a success standpoint, Google needs to make it something catchy.

        1. b_boogey_xl Avatar
          b_boogey_xl

          “Okay Google” has been working fine from my observations. The masses get and understand Google, giving it a name (especially at this stage) like Earl or whatever would just be confusing. The masses don’t know what to do with Earl but they know who and what Google is for, it’s the same “thing” on their phones. The others had to use a name because they’re not known for delivering the information that Google has been for sometime now so it makes sense to have a Siri or Alexa.

          1. MattG Avatar
            MattG

            My God…if they name it “Earl”.

          2. b_boogey_xl Avatar
            b_boogey_xl

            At least it would be top 5 best “Earl” ever!

          3. Chimm E. Chawngah Avatar
            Chimm E. Chawngah

            Combine this with the power to use voice of the My Name Is Earl guy as your default voice…. MONEY

          4. Aaron Avatar
            Aaron

            …..

        2. person Avatar
          person

          I think Google said they didn’t want it to have a personality because AI isn’t good enough to back it up. And, as the others have said, the name is officially just “Google”.

          1. MattG Avatar
            MattG

            That’s true, they did say that. And it’s true, I just…don’t trust the public lol

    3. Adam Truelove Avatar
      Adam Truelove

      It’ll just be “OK Google” i’m sure, which I prefer. I want to call on the Google service, not some stupid AI name.

      1. Casey Avatar
        Casey

        You obviously don’t have an Amazon Echo.

      2. Indianajonze Avatar
        Indianajonze

        the thing is, and maybe i have a speech issue, the word “google” isn’t all that easy to say consistently. siri? yes. alexa? yes. i’d think with the reams of speech synthesis data google has available they could easily choose the most phonetically-pronounceable name in the english language and use that. it would be easy to say, have personality, done.

        incidentally, according to some lists ive read, “Jarvis” is near the top…

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