Author: admin

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Google Home Commands That WORK.

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SO I’m compiling a list of commands I’ve used with google home that are confirmed to work. It’s starting out small and hopefully will grow large.

Sanity Check: Commands can and do change as Google updates and generally screws round with the Google Home app. I’ll try keep a status and last confirmed date but hey things change.

I use a simple setup. I’ve got a Google Home mini, a bunch of chromecasts and some of the last available Chromecast Audio’s which are a great way to add an old but awesome set of speakers with an analog or optical input and turn them into a cheap Sonos type speaker that you can add to speaker groups or use as a single set of speakers.

“Hey Google. Play the latest episode of Aly & Fila on the Kitchen Stereo

Hey Google. Louder.

So here are some things you can try on your Google Home while you listen to some awesome music.

Hey Google. Whats the Time.

Hey Google. Whats todays weather

Hey Google. Whats tomorrows weather.

Hey Google. How hot is it.

Hey Google. Turn on Kitchen Television

Hey Google. Turn off Kitchen Television

Hey Google. whats the time in Denver Colorado

Hey Google. Tell me a limerick

Hey Google. Add Milk to my shopping list

Hey Google. Whats on my shopping list

Hey Google. Show my photos on living room tv.

Hey Google Play Aly & fila on all speakers

Hey Google Change to Channel One on Kitchen TV

Hey google Turn on Kitchen Lights

Hey Google Turn on all lights

Hey Google Turn on Kitchen heat pump

KFC Secret Recipe

Bottom line, could this be the Colonel’s secret blend of 11 herbs and spices? We sure think so. The only folks who can say definitively are the keepers of the recipe at KFC’s parent company, Yum! Brands. We asked, but the company would only say, “Lots of people through the years have claimed to discover or figure out the secret recipe, but no one’s ever been right.”

Home-made-KFC-featured

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All we know is the recipe we tested certainly tastes like KFC. And whatever it is, it’s finger lickin’ good. Continue reading “KFC Secret Recipe” →

Baked Pork Chops

There’s just a few simple ingredients you’ll need for this recipe and chances are most they’re already in the pantry. Salt, pepper, brown sugar and ketchup. The only things you’ll need to buy are some of your favorite pork chops and an onion. The onion was actually my favorite part. They’d get nice and soft on top of the pork chops with that delicious brown sugar cooked right in. Continue reading “Baked Pork Chops” →

Antarctica

2016 Ocean Giant vessel evolution at McMurdo Station, Antarctica

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Every year the United States Antarctic Programs annual resupply vessel Ocean Giant travels from the United States, via Chile and Christchurch, New Zealand on it’s way to McMurdo Station, Antarctica.

The vessel carries approximately 1000 20 foot shipping containers of supplies and equipment needed to keep the station running for another year. The vessel offload is one of the busiest times of the year on station.

The Ocean Giant comes in via a channel cut in the sea ice by the US Coast Guards icebreaker Polar Star, which is the most powerful non-nuclear icebreaker in the world. The Antarctic Treaty prohibits leaving any waste on the continent so once the cargo is unloaded all the previous years waste and old equipment is loaded back on the vessel for transport and disposal back in the United States.

Click through to watch a nice time-lapse video of the evolution taken by one of the crew of the Ocean Giant on 6 GoPro cameras. Continue reading “2016 Ocean Giant vessel evolution at McMurdo Station, Antarctica” →

Cycling

Bad Driving from China Travel Service (NZ) Ltd

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In my quest to name and shame drivers who put other road users at risk here is another short video.

This time it’s a bus driver from China Travel Service (NZ) Ltd who clearly thinks cycle lanes are for busses. Actually they are not and it is illegal for any vehicle to drive in a cycle lane.

This bus driver ran me off the road onto the kerb as I was alongside the bus, then to add insult he gave me the finger when I pulled alongside the door and pointed at my cycle camera. He may not be so rude now the footage has been passed to the Police for prosecution.

Click through for the video. Continue reading “Bad Driving from China Travel Service (NZ) Ltd” →

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Public campaign to buy Able Tasman beach successful

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This makes me very proud to be a New Zealander. When it became apparent a pristine beach in the Able Tasman National Park was about to be sold by it’s owner and could fall into foreign ownership New Zealanders got behind a public campaign organised by Duane Major to raise funds to buy the beach so that it could remain in public ownership for all New Zealanders to enjoy.saveourbeach_abeltasman
Continue reading “Public campaign to buy Able Tasman beach successful” →

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5 Years Ago

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5 years ago today at 12:51pm Christchurch was rocked by a large earthquake that killed nearly 200 people. Since then the region has experienced over 14,000 additional shakes. The most recent large quake being on Valentine’s Day 2016.

Each dot on this interactive map represents a quake, With the most significant activity occurring from September 2010 when the Greendale fault ruptured. At the time we had no idea what was to come. Continue reading “5 Years Ago” →