Anker's Roav Bolt puts Google Assistant in your car
Take the AI on the road.
Google is cramming Assistant into everything from headphones to a pressure cooker as it inches toward getting the smart helper into a billion devices. Aside from the weirder collabs (Assistant in a shower anyone?) one of the places the AI would actually be helpful is in your car, especially if you don't want to fork out for an Android Auto infotainment system. To that end, Google is teaming up with accessories-maker Anker -- which is also bringing Alexa to older vehicles inside its upcoming $50 Bluetooth charger -- on a new in-car receiver that plays nice with the digital brainiac.
The new "Roav Bolt" is a small, unassuming device that connects your phone to your vehicle's stereo to let you talk to Assistant, allowing you to keep your eyes glued to the road and your phone in your pocket (or with the kids in the backseat). Just plug the Bolt into your car's lighter socket and hook up your phone via Bluetooth or AUX to play music, get directions, or answer the phone through the speakers. And becasue cars can get pretty noisy -- especially with several passengers, windows down, and the tunes blaring -- the accessory packs noise cancelling tech to ensure Assistant hears your commands over the din.
According to Google, the Bolt will be an inexpensive device -- in the vein of Anker's budget Alexa-powered Roav Viva -- that will land in the Spring. That's also when the almost identical JBL LinkDrive with Assistant support also arrives, so you may have a difficult decision on your hands.
