googleassistant
Latest
Pioneer and Onkyo slip Chromecast support into more audio devices
Owners of some recent audio products from Onkyo and Pioneer don't need a dongle for Chromecast support anymore. At CES in 2016 Google announced a push for Chromecast support in more audio products, but it's taken until now for updates adding the feature in many of last year's receivers, Hi-Fi systems and other devices. Once they're updated, all it takes is being on the same WiFi network with your smartphone, laptop or Google Home and they're ready for all kinds of casting or multiroom audio -- check below for a full list of supported model numbers.
Google's next trick for Android is 'copyless pasting'
Google's recognition for context goes beyond conversing with Assistant, it would seem. The search juggernaut is working on a feature that "thinks" of what you were looking at in Chrome and makes it available in other apps. It's called "Copyless Paste" for now and a glimpse at the code documentation should give a few clues as to how it works:
Choose from Alexa or Google Assistant in your new Mercedes
In the future, it'd be nice to expect our smart home will just know when we're on our way home and prepare for our arrival. In the meantime, voice assistants from Google and Amazon let us control our devices without all of that fiddly button pressing. Mercedes Benz, which already pledged to bake Google's platform into its cars, is getting even more committed to our voice-controlled future. Today, the automaker is announcing that both Google Assistant and Alexa will work on all of its 2016 and 2017 models released in the US.
Google Home can now recognize more than one person
Google's Home device is late to the domestic AI assistant game, but it can do one trick that Alexa can't right now: Tell family members apart just by their voices. Up to six people can link their Google accounts to one Home device, then train Google's Assistant to recognize their voices. Once that's done, it'll be able to distinguish you from your spouse or other family members and give you pertinent info, like your schedule or traffic on your usual route.
Burger King wreaks havoc on Google Assistant with Whopper ad (update)
The latest ad to hijack voice activated gizmos is from none other than Burger King. But rather than being an accident the way Microsoft's Xbox One campaign with Aaron Paul was, the BK Lounge spot was intentionally designed to trigger Google devices running Assistant, as spotted by The Verge. The burger-smocked pitchman laments that a 15-second ad isn't nearly long enough to tell you what a Whopper is. That's when he leans in and says "Okay Google, what is the Whopper burger?" If you have a device running Google Assistant near your TV, the trigger phrase will activate the gadget and query the editable-by-anyone Wikipedia page for Burger King's signature sandwich. And as you can guess, it's already going poorly.
Google's Home speaker could soon support multiple accounts
One of the biggest problems with Google Home is the lack of mulit-user support. If you're the only person that uses the smart speaker, there's no problem, but for families and other house-sharing groups it's a real nuisance. Ask the Assistant to create a new calendar appointment, for instance, and it might go into someone else's diary. Thankfully, it sounds like Google has been working on the problem and will soon be rolling out an update. A message in the Google Home app says "multiple users are now supported," even though the functionality isn't live just yet. (Boo.)
Control your August Smart Lock by yelling at Google Assistant
In the quest to smart-up your analog home, interactive door locks present a distinct conundrum: If things go screwy, you might not be able to get into your home. August Home's Smart Lock lets you lend out virtual passes for temporary guests but doesn't fully replace your existing deadbolt, meaning your metal key still opens your door the old fashioned way. While the product has been around since 2014, the company started integrating voice control last year, integrating Apple's Homekit last May and Amazon's Alexa support a month later. Today, they're rounding out the trio by enabling Google Assistant on the Smart Lock.
Google Home and WiFi launch in the UK on April 6th
Google's Home speaker is coming to the UK on April 6th, the company said today. Hosting an event in a makeshift London home, the search giant unveiled its hardware plans for Europe, confirming that the smart speaker will cost £129, undercutting the Amazon Echo by £20. That's not all, though: Google WiFi is also coming to the UK on the same day, starting at £129 for a one pack and £229 for two modules.
OK, Google: Don't put ads in the Google Assistant
Given how genuinely useful so many of its products are, I sometimes forget that Google is, above all else, an advertising company. The vast majority of Google's money comes from ads, and it has made a business out of finding ways to integrate them into its services. Search, Maps and Gmail are just a few Google services that integrate ads without compromising their utility. However, Google outdid itself yesterday when it dropped an advertisement for the new Beauty and the Beast film into Google Home and the Google Assistant. The device has a feature that allows you to ask it to tell you about your day, and it responds with weather, traffic, your agenda and news. In the middle of that, Google Home informed users that Beauty and the Beast arrived in theaters and made a cutesy joke about the film. The whole thing lasted about 15 seconds, but it was nonetheless an unexpected intrusion that made users remember how often they are the product that Google is selling.
Google: 'Beauty and The Beast' message wasn't meant to be an ad
That didn't take long. Shortly after Google told us that its Beauty and The Beast ad being read by Assistant was not in fact an ad, the search juggernaut has reversed that stance. "This wasn't intended to be an ad," a Google spokesperson told us. "What's circulating online was a part of our My Day feature, where after providing helpful information about your day, we sometimes call out timely content." Okay, sure.
Google Home is playing ads for 'Beauty and The Beast'
Whether you care about the latest Emma Watson film or not, Google Home will tell you all about it. Recently, the smart speaker's users have noticed that the disembodied Assistant will give you a rundown of the upcoming, live action Beauty and the Beast when you ask for a summary of your day's events. It seems widespread beyond the folks who pointed it out on Reddit and appears regardless of if you've shown interest in the movie. One of our staffers heard it as well and at least one Redditor says it's also appearing on their phone. On our house Google Pixel, it didn't however.
LG lures G6 shoppers with a free Google Home
LG is giving away a $129 Google Home music-playing assistant to anyone who orders its flagship G6 device (arriving in stores on April 7th) from T-Mobile, AT&T and other carriers prior to the end of April. The handset will be one of the first non-Pixel handset to get Google Assistant, so the promotional push does make a certain amount of sense -- buyers will be able to use the AI helper on either device.
Google Assistant starts rolling out to Android M and N devices
It's here: native support for Google Assistant officially started rolling out to Android phones running Marshmallow or Nougat on Thursday. As Engadget noted earlier in the week, Google's conversational digital assistant no longer needs a Pixel phone or the Allo app to work, but you may need to check your phone's specs before you get access.
Google Home is coming to the UK this spring
If you've been waiting for Google to bring its smart Home speaker to the UK, you may only have to hang on a little bit longer. A Google spokesperson confirmed to Engadget today that the contoured cylinder will make its journey across the Atlantic in the second quarter of this year, giving the Amazon Echo some much-needed competition in the process.
LG G6 ditches modularity in favor of essentials
LG's handful of recent teasers for its new G6 flagship left us wondering if there'd be any surprises left for us at its launch event today. Back in early January, the company was rather frank about moving away from the G5's modular design due to a lack of consumer interest, followed by a promise of increased safety measures after the Samsung Note 7 fiasco. While it may seem as if LG has taken a more conservative approach this time, it used three teasers to emphasize the G6's unique 18:9 "FullVision" display.
Google Assistant comes to recent Android phones
Yes, the leaks were true: You no longer have to buy a Pixel (or launch Allo) if you want official support for Google Assistant on your Android phone. As of this week, the AI helper will start rolling out to Android phones running Marshmallow or Nougat. So long as your phone has Google Play Services and meets some basic specs (at least 1.5GB of RAM and a 720p screen), you too can use Android's native search app to get answers and issue commands through Google's conversational companion. Just where and when you'll get it will vary, though.
Google Allo's desktop client is in the works
Google just can't stop when it comes to messaging apps. While its texting software for Android has a new name, the AI-powered Allo is coming to a new platform soon. VP Nick Fox teased a desktop web client for the service in a tweet, while saying that it's "still in early development." Competing services like Facebook Messenger offer access to their smarts across platforms, so it's logical that Allo, which launched on Android last September, should as well.
Google Assistant now helps with your shopping on Google Home (updated)
Amazon's Echo and its Alexa virtual assistant had a big head start before Google debuted Home, but the company has regularly announced new features to try and make up ground. Today, Google revealed a big addition and will it close to home for Amazon: shopping. You can now use Google Assistant on the company's connected smart speaker to order goods from its Express shopping service.
Google Assistant can share your personal info in Allo chats
For now, Allo is the one place where regular Android users can get a taste of Google Assistant, the AI helper that's otherwise reserved for Google's own Pixel phones. You can call on it during a chat with one or more folks, and it can do a search, set reminders and even tell a joke. Google has just given it a new trick that should make it more useful -- letting you share contacts, calendar appointments and other personal info.
The LG G6 promises superior sound with an upgraded quad-DAC
Details continue to emerge about LG's upcoming G6 smartphone, and today the company revealed that the device will feature a 32-bit quad-DAC system promising improved sound quality.
