googleassistant
Latest
Google's Pixel Stand is a wireless charger that doubles as a dock
Google is showing off a handful of new products today, including the highly leaked Pixel 3, and the company confirmed what leaks have suggested -- that the phone will support wireless charging. With it being the first Pixel with Qi charging, what better time to roll out a wireless charger? That seems to be Google's line of thought as today it unveiled the Pixel Stand, a dock that can wirelessly charge your phone while giving you access to Google Assistant.
The first Made-for-Google lightbulbs don't require a hub
To date, using Google Assistant to control your lighting away from your phone has typically meant shopping for both a smart speaker and bulbs with a hub serving as a go-between, such as Philips' Hue line. You won't have to spend quite so much cash going forward, because GE has unveiled the first Made-for-Google lightbulbs, and they don't require a hub at all. It's updating its C by GE lineup to automatically pair with any Google Home speaker through Bluetooth and show up in the Home app, making Assistant control almost as simple as screwing in the lights.
Google unveils the Home Hub smart display
Yes, those leaks of Google making its own smart display were true. The company has unveiled the Home Hub, which melds an Assistant-equipped smart speaker with a 7-inch touchscreen display. As with other smart displays, you can use to both get visual feedback for searches (such as the weather or recipes) as well as finding photos and videos. However, it does have a few stand-out features of its own -- including things that are missing.
We're live from Google's 2018 Pixel event!
Just about every major phone maker has already unveiled the latest and greatest for 2018 -- now it's Google's turn. We're coming to you live from the heart of Tribeca, where the search giant is gearing up to show off a pair of new, thoroughly well-leaked smartphones, plus its long-awaited Pixel Slate and some fancy new Home hardware. That's a lot of new gadgetry to squeeze into a single press conference, and that's just the stuff we know about; with any luck, Google has managed to keep some goodies under lock and key this whole time. If nothing else, though, we're looking forward to getting some hands-on time with the new Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, especially after they've been so tantalizingly teased on Toronto's mass transit system.
Google Assistant has bigger images and new interactive elements
While Google Assistant can respond to voice commands, you still probably interact with it by touch on your phone. In fact, the tech giant noticed that nearly half of Assistant interactions use voice and touch, which is why it gave the high-tech helper a makeover with much bigger images and more visuals. If you use the Assistant on your phone to control smart devices, you'll now see new controls, including sliders to adjust your lights' brightness or your speakers' volume.
HP's voice-controlled Tango printer can be disguised as a book
Printers haven't really kept up with the times. Sure, you can print from your phone, but the devices aren't built for an always-connected world -- and let's be honest, more than a few of them are eyesores that can feel like '90s throwbacks. HP believes it can do better. Its newly unveiled Tango lets you print from wherever you are, and takes smart speaker commands from Alexa, Cortana and Google Assistant. If you'd like to print your calendar, you don't have to fire up an app or walk across the room. An Instant Ink service can automatically order new ink when you run low, too, potentially sparing you an unexpected trip to the office supply store.
Lockly's smart locks promise better security through algorithms
Lockly thinks it has what it takes to stand out in the nascent smart lock market. Its latest model, the Secure Plus, uses a 3D fingerprint sensor combined with proprietary algorithm-based passcode tech which, together, supposedly makes the setup "virtually impenetrable," according to the company. The lock is available in deadbolt and latch-style configurations and you can still use a physical key to lock and unlock the door in case of an internet outage.
If Amazon wants Alexa everywhere, it needs better language support
I can't profess to fully understand all of the complexities of localizing services for various languages, nuances, accents and dialects where voice recognition is concerned. However, with Amazon's Alexa ambitions ramping up after its hardware event Thursday, it's worth questioning why the voice assistant's language support is so abysmal.
Google's own smart display is reportedly the $149 Home Hub
On October 9th, Google will reveal its latest hardware lineup. Rumors have spread for some time that the company is preparing to unveil a smart display at the event, and a leak unearthed by MySmartPrice corroborates the existence of the device, indicating that it will be called Home Hub. Meanwhile, a separate leak of a retail listing suggests the smart display will cost $149, according to Android Authority.
Amazon’s Echo Show can use Getty Images to answer your questions
This week, Getty Images announced a new partnership with Amazon that will allow the online retail giant to use images from Getty's vast image catalog on its Echo devices with a screen. While Alexa was previously able to deliver verbal answers to questions, such as "Who won the Best Actress Oscar this year," now the device will be able to show a picture to accompany the answer.
Google Home updates may help you wind down at night
While Google has yet to launch its digital wellbeing features on Android phones, it's already thinking of how to bring them to the smart speaker in your living room. The 9to5Google team has discovered material in the the latest Google app for Android that points to these digital health features coming to Home speakers and other Assistant-equipped devices. While the exact functionality isn't clear, there's a Downtime feature that could stop people from using Home at certain times of the day, such as when they're winding down at the end of the night. That could be particularly helpful if you have a bad habit of playing music or asking questions when you should be getting to bed.
Google Assistant can now understand two languages at once
Today, Google announced that its smart assistant is now bilingual. While Google Assistant could already understand multiple languages, now you can speak two languages interchangeably and Assistant will be able to follow what you're saying. Supported languages include any pairing of English, German, French, Spanish, Italian and Japanese. More languages will be added in the next few months.
Bose's new smart speaker and soundbars offer Alexa control
Voice assistants don't seem to be going anywhere. If anything, they're becoming more and more ubiquitous. Case in point: Bose's new line of soundbars and speakers with Alexa and other smarts built in. Out of the box, the Home Speaker 500, Soundbar 500 and Soundbar 700 will react when you start shouting commands at Amazon's digital assistant this October. Bose promises that other voice assistants will follow at some ambiguous point, and early next year there will be an update that adds AirPlay 2 streaming.
Google Assistant now controls your Nest x Yale smart lock
You'd think the Nest x Yale Lock would support Google Assistant from the outset given its pedigree, but not so -- you've had to use the app. It's finally here, though. As of August 29th, you can use Google Assistant to control the Nest x Yale Lock with your voice. You can lock the door or check its status whether or not you're at home, including as part of Assistant's Routines. If you're ready to pack it in for the night, you can lock the door as you're shutting off the lights.
Harman Kardon's Google Assistant speaker packs 200W of power
You now have a viable option if you want a high-end Google Assistant speaker that slots between the good-but-not-mind-blowing Home Max and Bang & Olufsen's ultra-premium Beosound models. Harman Kardon has unveiled the Citation 500, a smart speaker that touts 200W of stereo audio and high-resolution 24-bit/96kHz support in a compact form for $600/£649. That's a huge outlay for any smart speaker, but it's not so ridiculous that you'd rule it out if you're a stickler for sound quality. It's difficult to say for sure that it bests the Home Max when Google doesn't provide official wattage, but it could easily outperform much of what's on the market.
Google Assistant comes to LG ThinQ TVs in the UK and Canada
LG's deep collaboration with Google continues, as it just announced that Google Assistant is coming to ThinQ smart TVs in seven more markets and five languages. It's now available in Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom, with support coming by the end of 2018 to France, Germany, South Korea and Spain. LG will also expand Amazon Alexa support to Australia and Canada. Google Assistant first arrived to ThinQ AI TVs in the US earlier this year.
B&O's pricey Google Assistant speakers go on sale next month
When we saw Bang & Olufsen's Google-Assistant enabled BeoSound speaker at CES in January, they didn't have a price or street date. Seven months later, that's changed. Now we know the Google Assistant-enabled, 360-degree speakers will be available starting mid-September for the portable BeoSound 1, and early October for the BeoSound 2.
Sony's smart light is now compatible with Google Assistant
Back in 2016, Sony introduced a new smart light that had humidity, motion, luminance and temperature detectors, along with an infrared controller, memory card slot, microphone and speaker. It really was the light that could do it all, and it's very customizable, meaning you can program it to do pretty much whatever you want it to. Since then, Sony has announced more integrations for the Multifunctional Light. Now, the company has announced that it's compatible with Google Assistant. The updates will start rolling out tomorrow, August 22nd.
LG's wireless Tone headphones have a Google Assistant button
With the G7 ThinQ smartphone, LG cemented its commitment to Google's AI, and now it's doing the same with its neck-worn Tone headphone lineup. The LG Tone Platinum SE supports Google Assistant via a dedicated button, letting you get information or a translation without the need to pull out your smartphone or say "OK Google." LG didn't specify, but it appears to be just a button and not full Google Assistant integration like you'll find on certain Sony headphone models, for example.
JBL's Android TV soundbar arrives in October for $399
You don't have to wait too much longer if you like the thought of a Google-powered soundbar. JBL's Link Bar is now available for pre-order in the US for $399, with shipments poised to start in October. You won't get a room-shaking system for that money with a modest 100W output and no subwoofer (it does support wireless models), but you will get smarts.
