Eric Ravenscraft
With Halloween close at hand, Google wants to set the mood in your home. If you have smart lights, a Chromecast, a Google Home, or any combination thereof, tell Google Assistant “Let’s get spooky” and watch as the sinister spirits take over your living room.
In the video above, I have two Philips Hue lights, an NVIDIA SHIELD connected to my TV, and a Google Home speaker (off screen). This video was taken the very first time I used the command and without any additional set up, Google was able to start cycling the colors on my lights, play a YouTube video, and a music track from the Home. It’s perfect as a quick and easy way to set the ambiance for your Halloween party this month.
Individually, these tasks aren’t that impressive. Put together, Google is clearly demonstrating the ability to perform multiple actions from a single command, a feature Google teased at its hardware event earlier this month.
This isn’t the only Halloween-themed trick Google Assistant has picked up either. Open up Assistant on your phone, tablet, or Google Home and try one of the following commands:
- Ok Google, what should I be for Halloween? This command starts a fun game that asks you a series of questions and then suggests a costume. Play it with the kids.
- Ok Google, how do I get rid of monsters? Google has some surprisingly creative methods for getting rid of the various ghouls, creatures, and monstrosities you’re apt to encounter on All Hallow’s Eve.
- Ok Google, scare me. You should just try this one for yourself.
At the recent Pixel event, Google said it planned to create more games and fun, kid-friendly commands. This batch is already delivering on that. Now if only Assistant could order holy water from Google Express, we’d be all set.
