Getting Smarter

    I finally got a Google Nest Mini S.  At Php2,030.00, it's a cheap ticket to the home automation/digital assistant world. At that price point-- and since I got 24/7 WIFI anyway, it was a cinch. Four years ago I checked out Amazon's Echo Dot but held off. I think the technology at that time has not matured enough yet.  I also checked out the Xiaomi's Mi Home-- which is now compatible with Apple's HomeKit, but I don't trust Chinese tech enough to jump in. I chose Google for it's search engine which, IMHO, makes its digital assistant more "intelligent" if not more "informed". Setting up the Nest Mini is patchy at best. The ios version of Google Home looks and feels like a Microsoft circa 80s software. But, beyond that annoyance the Nest Mini delivers.

    A few days after I got the Nest Mini, I got the Xiaomi Mi Box S to upgrade my outdated TV to a "smart" TV. As with the Nest Mini I don’t really need the Mi box because I could watch Netflix (and YouTube) via my Sony PS4.  But, for P2,669.00 it’s cheap. I figure it would be a faster alternative since the PS4 takes ages to load up and turn off. I wasn’t expecting much for that price but the Mi box hardware is decent and it works.  When I ordered, I wasn’t sure if the Mi box will work with the Nest mini— the information I’m getting in the internet is, at best, vague, but it did, though it’s mostly a hit and miss. Sometimes the Mi box turns on when I “Hey Google” the Nest, sometimes there’s a wait of two minutes or so before the Mi box fires up and sometimes nothing happens or the Mi box is “unavailable”. Using the Mi box remote to turn on the Mi box is more reliable, but the built-in Google Assistant is likewise a hit and miss. I’m okay with that. You get what you pay for and that’s as far I’m willing to spend for this thing and so it is what it is.

    From here I’m looking at a way to voice command my room lights. Maybe I’ll go with Chinese rip-offs of Google Assistant compatible outlets or maybe I’ll try and explore the Xiaomi system. I haven’t decided yet. For now I’m exploring what the Mi box could offer. It’s just a game… nothing serious.