Virtual personal assistants are meant to make your life easier. Virtual personal assistants are perfect for tasks like turning off the light, setting the temperature of your home, or playing music. Chances are if you have a virtual personal assistant, it’s a Google Home Mini. It seems like every one of my friends has one in their room. It’s no wonder these portable virtual assistants are so popular, they’re only $49 which is the same price as the Amazon Echo Dot. Many people are deeply entrenched in the Google ecosystem so it makes sense to get a Google Home Mini. If you’re in that category, here are ten of the best accessories you can get for your Google Home Mini.
1. Dot Genie Mini Back Pack: $14.99
The Mini Back Pack is the first and best mounting solution for the Google Home Mini. The Mini Back Pack was created with the help of engineers and fashion designers to produce the simplest and most elegant mount/plug that puts your voice assistant anywhere but keeps it from being a corded eyesore. The patented custom plug was designed to hold your voice assistant in every configuration with an extra snug fit.
2. Nest Learning Thermostat: $228.00
This thermostat will help make your home not only smart but energy efficient. After a couple of days of manual adjustments, the Nest Learning Thermostat can anticipate when you would want to turn the temperature up, to help keep you cozy in the morning, and set the temperature down as you head to bed.
3. Philips Hue LED Smart Bulb: $49.96
Automate your lighting experience with Philips Hue and control your lights from home or away. The smart and energy-efficient LED lights deliver bright and beautiful light. The lights come in all different shapes and sizes to suit every application in your home. They last over 20 years or 25,000 hours.
4. Google Chromecast: $35
Chromecast lets you stream entertainment from your device to your TV. Chromecast lets your device be the remote making it easier to control the TV from anywhere in your home. You get access to over 200,000 TV shows and movies and 30 million songs through various apps.
5. August Smart Lock: $149.00
No more fumbling for keys. Control access to your home with your Google Home Mini. The August Smart Lock auto-unlocks your door as you approach and then locks when you enter your house. Virtual keys replace the need to hide keys under the doormat. You can monitor who is coming into your house with a 24/7 activity log.
6. Anova Precision Cooker: $123.51
The Anova Precision Cooker makes it easy to achieve professional-level cooking results at home. To use, simply attach the cooker to any water-filled pot, put your food in a sealable bag, and set the time and temperature. The Precision Cooker heats and circulates the water to a precise temperature, cooking food to an exact temperature which creates maximum tenderness and moisture retention (without worry of overcooking).
7. iRobot Roomba 690: $318.74
The Roomba 690 is specially engineered to loosen, lift, and suction everything from small particles to large debris from carpets and hard floors. Dirt Detect sensors alert the Roomba to clean more thoroughly on concentrated areas of dirt. The Edge-Sweeping brush is specially designed at a 27-degree angle to sweep debris away from edges and corners.
8. TP-LINK Smart Wi-Fi Light Switch: $34.99
Control your lights, ceiling fans, and other fixtures from anywhere with the TP-LINK Smart Wi-Fi light switch. The smart switch installs as easily as a traditional light switch and connects to your home’s Wi-Fi. This smart light switch works with any Wi-Fi router without the need for a separate hub.
9. Rachio Smart Sprinkler Controller: $198.98
Rachio monitors local weather conditions to make sure you only water when necessary. Weather Intelligence will automatically skip a scheduled watering if rain is predicted and adjust watering times as the season change, saving you water and money. This will help to reduce your water up to 50% with WaterSense certified technology.
10. WeMo Switch Smart Plug: $21.00
The WeMo Switch Wi-Fi Smart Plug uses your existing home Wi-Fi network to provide wireless control of your lights and appliances. No subscription or hub is required: simply plug WeMo Switch into an electrical outlet, connect a device using a tablet or phone. With the addition of the Google Home Mini, you’ll be able to control your appliances with just your voice.
The Google Home Mini is useful right out of the box. Most people I know use it primarily as a speaker to play music. If you really want to harness the full power of a virtual personal assistant I would recommend checking out some of the products above. Personally, I have a TP-LINK smart switch so I can turn off my lights while laying in bed. It’s a total gamechanger and I don’t know how I lived life before.