The smart home automation script editor was created by Google Home

Script Editor for the Smart Home: Towards a More-Enabled Solution for the End-to-End Consumer Electronics

The wide variety of third-party partners and easy setup and control is one reason why the smart home platform is popular.

However, this is definitely a prosumer offering. While the autocomplete makes it easier to code for your home — by suggesting your devices in the “device” field and only suggesting actions and states that are available to those devices — this is not for the casual smart home user.

If you’re in the preview, you can access the examples in the script editor documentation to get a taste of the new capabilities. These include:

Once set up in the web interface, the script editor automations will show in the phone app where anyone in the household can program or uninstall them.

How Does Google Home Know if I’m Using the Hub Max, My Home App or Google Home? A Study With Wyze Light Bulbs

I want to know how Matter works on my phone. The software update only just went live, so I haven’t had much time to mess around with it. It could make it easier to set up and use smart devices. My feelings about smart displays aren’t as bad as they might seem, so I’d be interested in trying out the Hub Max. I hope to experiment with the refreshed Home app a bit more. The updated app and iPhone support for Matter make Google’s platform significantly more appealing.

That means anyone who uses a Protect smoke detector along with other Google Nest devices likely needs both apps, which is annoying. It is suppose to change soon, but I haven’t seen it yet in the latest version of my Google Home app.

Wyze light bulbs are recommended as a part of your setup. They work well, and they are compatible with the computer’s assistant. I own a mixture of white-light-only and color-changing bulbs. All of them are dimmable and have adjustable white-light color temperature, so you can switch between cooler-toned white light during the day when you’re trying to get things done and warmer light in the evening as you wind down.

In fact, you may already have a device at home that’s compatible with Google. Check to see what companies and products will work on your device.

Source: https://www.theverge.com/23744291/google-smart-home-nest-how-to

Using Google Assistant to Control Smart Home Devices: Is There a Difference between Text-to-Speech and Voice Response?

I frequently use these types of commands when there is nothing I can make up, like asking for the current weather in my area or the local traffic report. I also use commands to make one-off adjustments to my lights and thermostat separate from their normal schedule.

Google has also updated the available options for triggers in Routines. A major upgrade is the fact that you can now start a routine whenever your device does something, instead of just a voice command. That means that you can start automation when your cameras detect motion, or when your lights or smart plugs do something.

For example, what if in the morning when I woke up, the shades opened and the lights turned on automatically? Then, as I headed downstairs, what if my electric kettle started boiling and the smart display in the kitchen started giving me a news briefing, all without me saying a word? Yes, I could schedule some of these things today, but I don’t always get up at the exact same time every day. I could use a voice command, too, but it would be even easier if I didn’t even have to ask Google Assistant to read me the news.

If you have a Chromecast with a TV, you can use your Assistant to play your favorite shows and view the live feed of your camera on your TV.

I enjoy being able to control my thermostat on my smart display. You can still find the thermostat on Amazon, but it’s no longer available in the US. I can recommend both the newer and the more advanced Nest Thermostats, which are both quality products and I can recommend as a part of a smart home product on the platform of one of the major tech companies.

The Google Nest Hub Max’s audio quality and display resolution are strong enough for me to overcome my general dislike of smart displays. I can easily view my connected products on the display and make adjustments there if I don’t have my phone handy — or use a quick voice command.

After testing voice assistants for several years, I like to say that GOOGLE ASSISTANT feels more natural. It does a great job answering general questions, without both misunderstanding and not knowing the answer.

If you have an old phone, you can use it to command your connected devices. If you have an iPhone, you can access Google Assistant through the Google Home app. One of their displays or smart speakers can be used in either case.