What do you think of when you hear the word noise? We bet it’s not positive things, right? The word invokes an image of chaos, disorder, and confusion. Why then did Google choose the term white noise to represent the sound their new virtual assistant makes? It seems like a strange decision at first glance, but it becomes clearer as we look at the reasons behind it and all the functionality this innovative sound offers.
What was the issue?
On Tuesday, Google said it was fixing an issue with its AI-driven voice assistant that was inadvertently turning on a white noise function at random times and startling users. In a statement to media outlets, a Google representative wrote: We are aware of an issue affecting some Google Home Mini devices that could cause them to mistakenly interpret background noise as a request to activate… We are rolling out a software update today which should address the problem. One person took to Twitter about their Mini randomly activating in response to loud music playing in their house. Another noticed it activating while they were watching TV in another room — even though there weren’t any loud sounds coming from their device.
What is Google Assistant?
Google Assistant is an intelligent personal assistant developed by Google for its Android and iOS operating systems, in addition to being a digital voice assistant on some of Google’s hardware products such as Google Home and Allo. The app includes many features similar to those found in other virtual assistants; however, it also offers several others unique only to itself or not found in any other major competing service. It also allows users to perform web searches using their voice which are then processed through Google’s search algorithms and displayed as results on a smartphone screen.
Other Google Assistant Products
Google Pixel Buds and Google Home speakers can also access Google Assistant. Ask your speaker to help you get things done, send a text, play music, navigate home or start a simple (or complex) task using just your voice. And if you have more than one of these devices in your home, you can use them together to make phone calls, listen to music in stereo or turn on lights in every room of your house. With Google Home, getting answers is as easy as asking a question.
