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ZDNET Highlights
- Gemini in Android Auto is replacing my daily drive.
- It is keeping me safe, providing entertainment and much more.
- I’m really looking forward to car time now.
In early April, I tried out the then-brand-new Gemini in my car for a weekend. I was mostly using Gemini to get information — things like local business hours, a theater address, or just random questions that came to my mind. It was so useful that I eventually adopted Google’s AI Assistant.
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Two months in, I’m continuing to use Gemini for all those purposes, but I’m still looking for more. Gemini isn’t doing anything it couldn’t do before Android Auto integration, but it’s so convenient that I’m using it more, and it’s changing how my drive feels. My daily drive is becoming safer, less boring and more connected.
4 ways Gemini has improved my driving time
Here’s how finally embracing Gemini is changing my motivation.
1. I’m accessing my phone/screen less often
As my initial testing found, the Gemini can handle a lot of tasks that would normally require me to reach for my phone or car screen. If I need to let my wife know I’m running a little late, if I want to find a good local coffee shop in a new city, or if I just want to look up some information, I now ask Gemini.
Where Google Assistant required precise commands and often required repetition, causing me to give up, Gemini understands my intentions almost every time. It’s also able to handle multiple orders at once, like “Find a good burger place on my way home and message my wife asking if she wants something.”
2. Driving with family is less boring
My kids have also fallen in love with the Gemini, and I rarely hear “I’m bored” from the back seat anymore. They love trivia games and Gemini is adept at creating quizzes focused on any topic imaginable. Gemini Live mode is fantastic for keeping a conversation going, and it’s surprisingly good at interactive gestures too.
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When my child made a very specific request – a choose your own adventure story set in North Carolina that used locations and famous people from our state – we found ourselves sitting in the car after we got home so we could see where the story went.
3. I am more connected to home
Through integration with Google Home, Gemini can manage a lot of my smart home devices so they’re where I need them when I get home. I can lower the thermostat, turn on the porch light, and open the garage door when I get home at night. I can also turn on my smart ice maker so I have ice ready when I walk in.
It’s essentially made my car a hands-free remote control for my smart home.
4. My drives are more productive
Thanks to Gemini, I can turn time spent in the car into productive time, giving me more free time at home. I’ll still spend time learning more about something I heard in a podcast, but I can also catch up on emails and messages through summaries, brainstorm plans, set reminders for things I might forget about later, capture ideas before they disappear, and much more. The old Assistant was pretty rigid, but Gemini goes far beyond basic tasks and helps me use drive time to stay connected with the rest of my day.
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Gemini is still not perfect, and there are times when he makes simple requests more complicated or something goes wrong. But after driving with it for two months, I’m finding that time spent in my car has become something I look forward to, either to get some work done, have some fun time with the family, or have some good conversations.
