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This is one area Amazon needs Echo to get better - Answering Questions

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Snafs

Let me say I love my Echo :)
But I'm also totally aware how great Google is with it's ability to answer questions pulled from the Internet.
This is one area I'm worried Amazon are going to get blown away by the Google product very quickly, if not already!

This video I found today, seems to demonstrate very clearly this issue:

https://youtu.be/y57uOxfkYcQ

david85712

Re: This is one area Amazon needs Echo to get better - Answering Questions
« Reply #1 on: November 13, 2016, 01:31:50 am »
Snafs,
Please ignore renegade600 rudeness.

I agree that Goog device provides better responses to information requests. Echo/Alexa platform has better device integration and the ability to continue to develop useful skills. You have a wonderful idea though. You (or anyone with developer coding skills) could create an Alexa Skill to integrate Google Assistant into Alexa. "Alexa, ask Google ass what the population of Phoenix was in 1982."
Don't worry about competition -let Amazon respond to this new challenge. Search (use Goog) to find the amazing developments that Amazon is willing to disclose, such as Alexa's use of Augmented Intelligence to determine the mood of the user and respond with empathy.

Much more to come from both Goog and Amazon.

ScottinPollock

Re: This is one area Amazon needs Echo to get better - Answering Questions
« Reply #2 on: November 13, 2016, 11:58:54 am »
It is hard to imagine Amazon ever catching up with Google's knowledgebase. I really like being able to ask about traffic wherever I am going while I am getting ready. And it will find any podcast I wish to listen to with just the name (even part of the name sometimes).

I have already added a second Home and really enjoy the whole house audio, and the skip/rewind commands, not to mention the better audio quality. I can even cast files on my media server without Plex, iTunes, or any other host app!

The one thing I thought I'd miss the most was my custom skills with SmartThings, but have created new SmartApps that do the same thing through HAM Bridge.

The Echo is almost superfluous at this point.

dnensey

Re: This is one area Amazon needs Echo to get better - Answering Questions
« Reply #3 on: November 27, 2016, 02:07:45 pm »
I agree.  I love the Echo Dot and Alexa, but it really fails at even the simplest questions.  However I'm super leery of going full-bore with Google Home simply because Google doesn't have a great track record of following through with things.  They cancelled Google Reader, I suspect Google Voice will be going away, Google Glasses, etc. 

I just don't trust them to stay around.  That said, if the price point comes down to $50 I will probably get one just for asking questions (though not to run my smart apps). 

coyote

Re: This is one area Amazon needs Echo to get better - Answering Questions
« Reply #4 on: January 20, 2017, 10:03:44 am »
That issue has now been ameliorated, somewhat:
https://github.com/tartanguru/alexa-google-search

Put google on your Echo.