Slick ads espousing the wondrous delights of new tech products are all well and good, but occasionally it’s nice to see videos of a device being used in the real world that show people coming to grips with it — or not, in the case of the amusing clip above.
Posted just after Christmas Day by YouTuber Ben Actis, the video shows his 85-year-old Italian grandmother in her Florida home encountering the Google Home Mini smart speaker for the very first time.
As in the early days of television, when confused newbies would peer around the back of the box or wonder how so many people could fit inside the new-fangled contraption, Ben’s gran is utterly blown away by the power of this small piece of equipment perched on her kitchen table.
As Grandad asks everyone, “What is this thing?” Gran is encouraged to take Google’s smart speaker for a spin. To fire it up, you need to say, “OK, Google” or “Hey, Google,” but despite Gran blurting something along the lines of, “OK, Goo Goo,” the device still manages to spring into action, much to the delight of everyone in the room.
The highlight, however, is when Gran asks what the local weather will be the following day. Seemingly not sure what to expect, the speaker does what it’s supposed to do and quickly offers a brief forecast.
Gran can’t quite believe the device is speaking back to her and actually responding to her question. Confused and a little shocked, she climbs out of her chair, takes a few steps back, and utters, “It’s a mystery,” before adding, “I’m scared.”
It’s a safe bet Google has no intention of scaring senior citizens, or anyone for that matter, with the Home Mini, though to be honest Gran seems to be rather enjoying her first experience with the device.
Intent on exploring the Home Mini further but forgetting how to activate it, she bellows, “Hey, OK!” Oddly, and to much amusement, the speaker this time responds with a very chilly weather forecast for London, U.K., more than 4,000 miles away.
And it doesn’t end there … check out the video for more laughs.
Google offers a growing range of smart speakers, with current offerings including the mid-sized Google Home, the larger Home Max, and the diminutive Mini so feared (or possibly loved) by Gran.
