Russ in Gainesville, Florida listens to the podcast and asked: “My father’s blind and in a nursing home. It was tough before Covid, but with the lockdown, he can only be visited by staff. I have a Google Home Mini with a Verizon Jet pack for Internet in his room for Internet access. I need to get some good suggestions for content that he may enjoy. Many of the commands are very lengthy and hard for him to remember, like “Hey Google, play NHL news on iHeartRadio.” Do you have any suggestions for content on the Home Mini, or suggestions for other voice command solutions for the elderly?”

Russ, its hard to say what your father may find useful without knowing what he likes, but there may be a solution that doesnt require that.

If you open the Google Home app you used to set up the device and go to the menu, you should be able to set up shortcuts.

Shortcuts are basically shorter aliases for a longer more complex command, so for example Hey Google, play NHL news on iHeartRadio could be triggered by Hey Google, NHL news or Hey Google, play NHL news, or whatever you think he may remember.

That would enable you to create simple shortcuts for anything you think he may find useful, like calling you, or playing different kinds of news, or music on different apps.

Since hes elderly he may find the medication reminders useful, and since hes blind he may enjoy an easier way to access audio apps, be it news about things he likes, music, radio, or podcasts.

You might also look into audiobooks on the Google Play store. Once purchased, he can simply ask his Google Home Mini to play his audiobook.

Carlos in San Juan, PR listens to the podcast – calling in via the app and asked: “My son’s school is requiring the use of a Chromebook and I need to know what kind of mouse would work with it. There is a USB port but I’m wondering if a regular Bluetooth mouse would work with the Chromebook. What are my options?”

Carlos, mice are universal. Your son’s Chromebook should have Bluetooth which means that it will be able to connect to any bluetooth mouse.

The same goes for a wired mouse if you want to go that way, theyre universal and any should work with your sons USB port.

Theres nothing to worry about here, any gear your buy should work just fine with the Chromebook.

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