WEBVTT

00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:07.919
my feelings going into this video are no secret i'm on the record and more than

00:00:05.440 --> 00:00:12.719
once as thinking that smart speakers like the amazon echo and

00:00:10.800 --> 00:00:16.320
google home are kind of cool

00:00:14.160 --> 00:00:21.039
and with the potential to be awesome in the future but right now not useful

00:00:19.199 --> 00:00:25.680
enough to warrant their three-digit price tags

00:00:22.560 --> 00:00:28.720
but what if 50 bucks got you all the

00:00:25.680 --> 00:00:31.279
same functionality introducing the

00:00:28.720 --> 00:00:36.880
google home mini as smart as the original but at just 38.5

00:00:34.960 --> 00:00:41.600
of the cost and speaking of smart only the smartest

00:00:38.960 --> 00:00:46.079
sponsors like zotac support our channel their zbox pcs are great for

00:00:43.600 --> 00:00:51.039
applications like streaming and gaming and feature Intel's 7th generation core

00:00:48.320 --> 00:01:02.000
processors in a tiny form factor check them out at the link below

00:01:02.000 --> 00:01:09.960
design wise the google home mini nails it it's smaller than a donut weighs only

00:01:07.479 --> 00:01:16.560
170 grams that's 5.997 ounces and comes in three distinct

00:01:13.760 --> 00:01:22.640
colors unlike its rival the amazon echo dot mini has no visible buttons relying

00:01:19.840 --> 00:01:27.200
instead on a touch sensitive fabric top to adjust the volume and craftily

00:01:25.200 --> 00:01:31.680
stealth indicator lights for visual feedback

00:01:28.400 --> 00:01:34.720
now originally you could tap the middle

00:01:31.680 --> 00:01:36.720
to play and pause doesn't work and to

00:01:34.720 --> 00:01:41.119
hail the assistant without using your voice but that functionality has

00:01:38.720 --> 00:01:45.520
actually since been disabled possibly forever according to a google

00:01:43.119 --> 00:01:51.759
statement since some kind of bug was causing the mini to record audio without

00:01:48.479 --> 00:01:54.240
you asking that means physically there's

00:01:51.759 --> 00:01:58.640
really not much to it anymore there's a hardware switch for disabling the mini's

00:01:56.399 --> 00:02:03.119
microphones outright when you want some definite privacy and then next to it a

00:02:01.200 --> 00:02:06.799
port for plugging in the power cable which is usb micro b instead of c

00:02:05.759 --> 00:02:10.560
what i mean given you get a free mini with

00:02:08.800 --> 00:02:14.160
the purchase of a pixel 2 phone it would be nice if the two products had

00:02:12.080 --> 00:02:18.560
interchangeable power cables maybe we'll get that on the next gen

00:02:16.000 --> 00:02:23.840
on the subject of the power cable no the home mini is not wireless though for

00:02:21.200 --> 00:02:28.720
some things that would be kind of nice even if the battery life sucked being

00:02:25.680 --> 00:02:30.160
able to cart it over to the shower or

00:02:28.720 --> 00:02:34.800
put it on the workbench next to you in the garage would be kind of killer with

00:02:32.720 --> 00:02:39.280
the flip side being that it could easily get lost if the battery died between a

00:02:36.480 --> 00:02:42.480
couch cushion and you know google's gotta get that money so they would

00:02:41.040 --> 00:02:47.599
probably much rather you carry your phone around with you and then fill your

00:02:44.720 --> 00:02:52.000
house up with these things anyhow speaking of

00:02:48.959 --> 00:02:54.480
do i need to already have a full-size

00:02:52.000 --> 00:02:57.920
google home for the mini to work and what's the difference between the

00:02:56.160 --> 00:03:03.680
two anyway as with the amazon echo and the echo dot

00:03:00.480 --> 00:03:04.720
the only difference is the size and the

00:03:03.680 --> 00:03:11.200
price oh right and also the audio quality

00:03:08.319 --> 00:03:16.159
so how bad is that speaker well the mini single 40 millimeter driver emits

00:03:13.440 --> 00:03:21.519
equally in all directions and actually my first impressions anyway is that the

00:03:18.400 --> 00:03:23.760
speaker isn't that bad the assistant's

00:03:21.519 --> 00:03:28.959
voice in particular is full-bodied and clear and as for music there are only a

00:03:26.560 --> 00:03:33.280
handful of phones that i've used with what i would call

00:03:30.879 --> 00:03:37.920
acceptable speakers um many of them are even discomfort inducing at normal

00:03:35.200 --> 00:03:42.480
listening volumes for me but this is quite a bit better than that the quality

00:03:40.080 --> 00:03:47.519
is more on par with or even exceeding what you might expect from a laptop and

00:03:45.120 --> 00:03:51.519
it's surprisingly loud so you could use it instead of your bluetooth speaker

00:03:50.319 --> 00:03:56.239
that is to say as long as you have a power plug nearby

00:03:54.080 --> 00:04:01.519
and the experience gets even better when you link a few of these bad boys along

00:03:58.720 --> 00:04:08.480
with any other google home or chromecast enabled devices in a multi-speaker setup

00:04:04.959 --> 00:04:11.200
now compared to my sonos setup at home

00:04:08.480 --> 00:04:15.439
it doesn't sound as good but it's really cost effective and the voice

00:04:13.680 --> 00:04:21.519
controls let you adjust the volume of the entire group or individuals without

00:04:18.959 --> 00:04:25.919
using an app even if you want to turn down the mini that you aren't directly

00:04:23.759 --> 00:04:29.360
speaking to with all that said

00:04:27.680 --> 00:04:33.199
i wouldn't go out of my way to listen to music on these

00:04:30.720 --> 00:04:38.320
especially just one of them but i don't think google wants you to do that anyway

00:04:35.360 --> 00:04:42.320
that's what the 400 home max is for we're hoping to review that one shortly

00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:45.759
to evaluate its superior auditory experience

00:04:44.160 --> 00:04:50.320
because we don't have hands-on with it yet i can't draw a conclusion but

00:04:48.320 --> 00:04:54.400
i will say that it would have to be pretty impressive because sound from the

00:04:52.240 --> 00:04:59.520
mini can actually be piped through third-party speakers provided that big

00:04:57.360 --> 00:05:04.479
asterisk here they are chromecast enabled or you have a chromecast audio

00:05:02.479 --> 00:05:09.440
dongle for them because unlike the echo dot

00:05:06.639 --> 00:05:13.520
but like the pixel 2 the mini does not have a three and a

00:05:11.440 --> 00:05:16.160
half millimeter audio out jack so that you could hardline it the old-fashioned

00:05:15.360 --> 00:05:20.639
way this appears to be a clear cost saving

00:05:18.400 --> 00:05:24.560
issue and is one of our biggest knocks against this product but enough about

00:05:22.639 --> 00:05:28.560
the hardware let's talk about the software experience

00:05:26.160 --> 00:05:32.000
along with the existing home features like using it as a voice remote for your

00:05:30.400 --> 00:05:39.039
tv which is so super cool by the way the mini is also

00:05:35.840 --> 00:05:41.199
rolling out some new tricks broadcast is

00:05:39.039 --> 00:05:45.440
an upcoming feature that lets you send messages throughout the house in the

00:05:43.199 --> 00:05:48.960
assistant's voice annoying eagle is returning to nest i repeat annoying

00:05:47.039 --> 00:05:53.280
eagle as returning to nest so that's pretty cool

00:05:50.639 --> 00:05:58.240
and voice match lets minnie know who it's talking to okay google tell me

00:05:55.919 --> 00:06:02.639
about my day good morning alex it will take you 45 minutes to get to work so

00:06:00.720 --> 00:06:07.440
multiple users can link their accounts and commands like

00:06:04.479 --> 00:06:11.039
call mom we'll actually call your mom and not your roommate's mom

00:06:09.440 --> 00:06:15.600
unless that's what you were going for which

00:06:12.880 --> 00:06:19.600
brings us to the best new ish feature

00:06:17.039 --> 00:06:24.400
free non-emergency calling within the u.s and canada which came out about a

00:06:22.000 --> 00:06:30.000
month ago you can call any local business or any contact that's in your

00:06:26.560 --> 00:06:32.800
phone and the thing that's actually new

00:06:30.000 --> 00:06:38.160
new is that now you can actually link your number to it so that phone calls

00:06:35.600 --> 00:06:42.400
coming from the google home will look like they are coming from your phone

00:06:43.360 --> 00:06:48.880
and it's smart so you can speak to it naturally

00:06:46.560 --> 00:06:54.000
some stuff that seems pretty obvious to me doesn't work yet like returning your

00:06:51.759 --> 00:06:58.160
last missed call but other things that we tried worked surprisingly well like

00:06:56.479 --> 00:07:02.400
redialing the last number that you called or hey google call the closest

00:07:01.039 --> 00:07:05.520
open pizza place calling pizza hut on 56th avenue in

00:07:04.639 --> 00:07:11.199
surrey and this kind of functionality also syncs with your phone like if you ask

00:07:09.199 --> 00:07:14.960
minnie how to get to the aforementioned pizza place it'll beam it over to your

00:07:13.440 --> 00:07:19.440
handheld device and it works the other way too you can

00:07:17.120 --> 00:07:23.599
browse for recipes on your phone and then send the one that you want over to

00:07:21.280 --> 00:07:26.160
the assistant with ok google start cooking

00:07:24.720 --> 00:07:29.599
like anything though it's not a perfect product and we do

00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:34.479
have some complaints google home still

00:07:31.599 --> 00:07:38.479
a year later can't send a text message sorry i can't send texts yet probably

00:07:37.280 --> 00:07:42.319
because they don't have enough confidence in its voice recognition to

00:07:40.560 --> 00:07:47.840
send out messages from a device that you can't preview them on yet and

00:07:45.199 --> 00:07:52.960
this one is even more relevant to me it doesn't sync with g suite google's

00:07:50.560 --> 00:07:58.720
enterprise level product so since my entire life is basically

00:07:56.560 --> 00:08:03.280
work and i use my corporate email account for everything

00:08:01.199 --> 00:08:06.319
this effectively means i can't use it for my calendar

00:08:04.800 --> 00:08:10.639
at all so for you though

00:08:08.240 --> 00:08:15.599
is this the smart speaker to get i still need that work integration

00:08:13.199 --> 00:08:19.680
but for everyone else man since echo still isn't available in

00:08:17.360 --> 00:08:24.160
canada at 50 bucks i really don't see what you have to lose

00:08:22.080 --> 00:08:28.160
this is a great place to start if you want to join the smart speaker

00:08:26.080 --> 00:08:31.599
revolution and speaking of joining the revolution

00:08:30.080 --> 00:08:38.800
if you're a small business owner freshbooks is the way to go freshbooks

00:08:35.919 --> 00:08:43.360
has changed the way that freelancers and small businesses handle their accounting

00:08:40.959 --> 00:08:48.959
with their cloud-based software it's a way to be more productive more

00:08:45.920 --> 00:08:50.480
organized and get paid faster so you can

00:08:48.959 --> 00:08:54.959
create and send professional looking invoices in less than 30 seconds set up

00:08:53.200 --> 00:08:58.720
online payments with just a couple of clicks to get paid up to four days

00:08:56.640 --> 00:09:03.040
faster you can see when your client has seen your invoice putting an end to the

00:09:00.399 --> 00:09:08.720
guessing games and the whole experience is available not just on the desktop but

00:09:05.360 --> 00:09:10.800
on Android and iOS as well so for an

00:09:08.720 --> 00:09:15.279
unrestricted 30-day free trial go to freshbooks.com tech tips and enter Linus

00:09:13.760 --> 00:09:19.760
tech tips in the how did you hear about us section we'll have that linked below

00:09:18.560 --> 00:09:23.839
so thanks for watching guys if you disliked this video you can hit that

00:09:21.600 --> 00:09:28.560
button but if you liked it say okay google hit the like button

00:09:27.120 --> 00:09:32.399
or just hit it with your fingers probably faster get subscribed and maybe consider

00:09:31.200 --> 00:09:37.200
checking out where to buy the stuff we featured at the link in the video description also down there is our merch

00:09:35.519 --> 00:09:40.880
store which has not the hoodie but this one cool shirts like this one and our

00:09:39.200 --> 00:09:43.880
community forum which you should totally join