Home automation systems provider, Control4, has announced to support Google Home as the device launches, as well as Google’s Pixel mobile phones.
Home automation systems provider, Control4, has announced to support Google Home as the device launches, as well as Google’s Pixel mobile phones.
The support comes after Google Home starting to support web service standard IFTTT. A New Zealand developer named Chowmain has published the integration recipe for Control4 integration on the IFTTT platform.
As both the Google Home and Control4 user integrates the capability, the user can start to command their home device via voice commands. For example, to tell the thermostat to adjust to a specific temperature, to dim the smart lightings to a desired brightness, to open the TV and switch to a channel, to launch a ‘vacation’ setting which keeps the lights off and low energy consumption at home.
More, with Google Home support, the user is able to broadcast text-to-speech announcements around the house via Control4’s multiroom audio system, which Amazon’s Alexa cannot accomplish yet.
Control4 already starts to support Amazon Echo and Alexa early this year, also through IFTTT. As Google Home gets in the market later this week, the user can start to try out the Control4 integration.
As Google has announced, Google Home’s API is expected to open up to developers this December. By then, third-party developers have the opportunities to create more and more skills for the smart home virtual assistant.
For having both experiences developing IFTTT applications for Google Home and Amazon Alexa, the two biggest players now in the home voice-control device market, the developer Chowmain has shared the developing experience.
Two platforms provides very similar functions, the developer shared with Security Sales & Integration. However, Google Assistant offers bigger flexibility on IFTTT than Amazon Alexa.
For instance, developer is able to trigger both static phrases with number or text variables on Google Assistant, such as “OK Google, turn the house off” and “OK Google, set the sleeping room to 60 degrees.” While Alexa only takes static phrases liking to a specific action. “Turn the house off” works on Alexa, but “Adjust the living room shades 50 percent” would not then be accepted with integration between Control4 and Alexa.
Because IFTTT support works for Google Assistant, not only Google Home, Google’s latest flagship smartphone Pixel will also work with the capabilities on the IFTTT channel.