I tried Gemini, Google’s new AI that will eliminate the voice assistant you already use on your mobile phone.
Google’s commitment to artificial intelligence has been very clear in recent months.. The company, led by Sundar Pichai, realized that it could not be left behind in this new technology race, as it risked doing the same thing to Microsoft with mobile operating systems. And Satya Nadella has already shown that this time they are not going to repeat the mistake.
Actually, Google was the one who created the underlying systems of many major language models. which develop the world’s leading companies. It seems even Apple will enter this race in 2024. But the story battle is clearly won by Open AI with ChatGPT and companies like Midjourney, which have become the benchmark in image creation, although there are very good alternatives such as Leonardo AI. or Dall-E.
Google’s biggest move has been the launch of Gemini, a very advanced language model with different versions that adapt to different requirements and devices. Its launch is so important that they even decided to change the name Bard and the text interface it was used in to bring everything under one brand.
Before Google Assistant itself is under threat from Gemini. Google has already started replacing it in some markets, such as the US, as well as other Latin American countries. It hasn’t arrived in Europe yet due to privacy concerns, but now you can try it out by installing the APK, which is what we did.
I I’m an extremely active Google Assistant user.. I have at least 10 smart speakers at home that I interact with daily. Setting timers, reminders, controlling the lights, or turning on the TV and changing channels are actions that I do all the time. So, I want to try what the daily life of a Gemini is like, taking into account that I will be able to do some of these activities. On the one hand, because the new assistant cannot yet be used to control home automation 100%, on the other hand, Gemini is not available on speakers, only on smartphones.
What it can do is replace the use of ChatGPT with voice, something I’ve been using in recent days and which, as I said, is more of a replacement for talking to a friend than a replacement for Alexa or Google Assistant itself. . . By replacement I mean use and communication, not be able to talk to him, since at the moment Gemini does not allow this function.
Gemini Installation
Installing this application is easy as We only need the APK downloaded directly from some page. credible. Once on your mobile phone, you will have to install it manually before it can be launched. Of course, a mobile phone with Android 14 is required.
Once installed, it will be able to replace Google Assistant in both the shortcut and activation gestures. This could be a problem if you want to leave it installed, since, as we’ll see, it’s not yet capable of doing everything the wizard allows. Nevertheless, In Gemini’s settings, you can switch back to Google Assistant. without having to uninstall the application.
Daily quests
The first thing I wanted to check was how much Gemini was able to control my home and do the same things for me as an assistant. When trying to turn some devices on and off, I was surprised that It has Google Home integration, but at a basic level.. That is, it is capable of controlling connected devices such as lights or heaters.
What it can’t do is activate procedures, so custom commands like controlling the TV don’t work. In my case this limits daily use a bit, although other people may not mind. It also can’t create reminders associated with Google Calendar., something basic for me. Yes, it is capable of opening the app and opening the camera when you ask for a selfie, but it does not activate the shutter.
It also can’t use Google Maps to calculate routes. and run it in the application, so it is necessary to open the application if it is a frequently used function. Besides these inconveniences, there are tasks that are active in countries where it is officially activated, but not in Spain. Another one ofThe features it doesn’t have is integration with external music streaming apps. or a video, something important, perhaps not on a mobile phone, but on the speakers when Gemini gets to them.
Geminis and images
One of the disadvantages of using Gemini in Spain is that can’t use image creation, a feature that this AI is capable of, but which is limited by geolocation to countries in which the service has an official presence. With a VPN and using English, it can be used.
What “yes What you can do is use your camera to take a photo of something and ask a question accordingly.. For example, you can take a photo of the device and ask it for a name. What you can’t do is take a photo of a famous person and directly ask their age. Geminis are still limited in their use of images of people. Yes, you can use the same structure for elements, such as taking a photo of a building and asking where it is located or what year it was built.
Of course, it is curious how, despite an excellent understanding of the Spanish language and normal reactions in this language, sometimes he gives the answer in English. In such cases, you can see that the service is still in beta and has room for improvement, which is completely normal.
Other features
Unlike other chatbots, At the moment, all Gemini answers are presented in text form and not in audio format.. Of course, you can query queries, data, and more, and do so in a variety of styles. For example, we asked for interesting facts about Seville, and then asked for them to be shown much more seriously, and then very informally. In all cases he did well.
Where He did not shine precisely in solving mathematical equations. Even the simplest ones, although he understands them, he does not grasp them well when presenting the results. And this is strange, because the Google Lens Homework mode allows you to solve them easily and very quickly.
It seems that Gemini’s integration with the rest of the Google ecosystem is still green., so it’s not worth replacing an assistant, at least not always. At all, The jump in quality from the longtime sidekick is very noticeable. to this new version based on artificial intelligence. If Google doesn’t make any major mistakes, Gemini could be what we’ve always wanted in a voice assistant that’s on our mobile phone, as well as in our car, watch, headphones, computer, and home.
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