I've used Android phones for years, but I never talked to them. But then someone gave me a Google Home Mini, so I started talking to inanimate objects. While I've used the Home Mini for a few things (it uses the same Google Assistant as the phones), I never thought to ask about sports scores. So on Sunday I asked my phone "What was the score of the Cal - BYU game?" The answer I got was horrible. Just listen to how wrong it sounds:



I immediately reported this bad answer using the Google Home app on my phone. Other than using the app, I don't know if there is any web page you can use to report it. But please Cal fans, let's make them fix this!

I don't get voice assistants. I don't like to talk in real life. So I can't see myself talking to inanimate objects.

I tried to use Siri, but it's too much work when you can actually *do* something.

I've yet to move beyond asking Siri for a game time or setting an alarm. I always feel dopey during that slight delay between summoning Siri, and the speaking window.

So, what's the problem.:
Berkeley had a darn good basketball team last year:
https://www.berkeleycollegeknights.com/sports/mbkb/2017-18/teams/berkeleynyc
It's entirely possible that one of Google's many algorithms (inaminate objects themselves
got like totally confused and translated their success on the court to success on the football field..
even it they, apparently, don't have a FB team.


BTW: you probably know this, but now might be a good time to really complain. The
EU has been after Google (anti-trust) and Facebook (privacy) for 4-5 years. Google just got hit with a "minor" fine:
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/jul/18/google-faces-record-multibillion-fine-from-eu-over-android

Being a Cal Fan: "You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave".

okaydo said:

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I don't get voice assistants. I don't like to talk in real life. So I can't see myself talking to inanimate objects.

I tried to use Siri, but it's too much work when you can actually *do* something.

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I couldn't figure out how to get it to do anything useful. Translate phrases from other languages? Nope, can't do that. Play songs I like? No, but here's some lame and totally unrelated music instead. So I ignored it until my kid started asking "Hey Google, how much wood would a woodchuck chuck..."

And it gave a complete answer.

And right after that I sent it back. Parenting is hard enough without that kind of torture.