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[sheddyian]

I'm not sure how widely this is known - I learn about it a few months ago, then forgot about it, and haven't seen mention of this anywhere in the meantime.

If you've an Android phone, and you've tired of saying "OK Google" then asking it questions (though "Navigate me to home" is nice when you're driving), try switching your television on, turning the volume up enough to be heard, then asking Google "what's on my TV?" 

It listens for a few seconds, and then tells you, often bringing up some background information about the programme.

It works very well for live TV on the main channels (in the UK at least).  I was quite surprsied that it also correctly identified "Castles in the Sky" drama about the invention of Radar, even though I was watching a recording of it from yesterday, and did so from listening to a few seconds of very bland dialogue!

How useful is it?  Hmm, not sure (though it gives you links to extra programme information).  But it's a nice trick to impress or confuse people with.

Ian

[NewtronStar]

Surley Sheddyian your TV has a program guide or info button 

[sheddyian]

Surley Sheddyian your TV has a program guide or info button 

Awww, don't spoil the fun!   

I was more impressed because, well, how does it know?  Especially if I'm watching a live thing.

It does the same for music too, you can ask google "what's this music", it will listen for a bit, and then try to tell you.  It correctly identified an obscure tune I was listening to the other day on the Steampunk radio feed, which impressed me.

I intend to put the music identifier to good use, if it can do it.  I've a minidisc (remember those?) with a partial recording of a strange piece of music from Classic FM from the late 1990's.  It's got some odd flute effects, sounds a bit Eastern European, and the announcer even tells you what it is at the end.  The problem is that I can't work out what he's saying.  It sounds like "Baskhar's carols" (it was Christmas) but repeated tries of googling variant spellings of that haven't found me anything helpful. 

I was hoping that if Google is all-knowing, it could listen to a few seconds of it and tell me what it is 

But I don't know where the minidisc is, and I'm not too sure where my working player is either 

Ian

[kitz]

I was more impressed because, well, how does it know?  Especially if I'm watching a live thing.

Even before I got that far, I was thinking I bet they must use similar technology to SoundHounds Music Identification which has been around now at least 5 yrs that I know of.. as thats about how long Ive been using it.

This is how soundhound works - but there now other similar apps
http://www.soundhound.com/index.php?action=s.sound2sound

As regards to TV... rather than searching their huge music database, they will just compare to a database of recorded tv programs... whether live programs  may take a few more seconds though I dont know.