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What to expect at Google's Pixel 2 event
Almost exactly a year ago, Google unveiled a host of new products, a veritable "Made By Google" ecosystem, as the company called it. The most notable devices were the Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones and Google Home smart speaker, but Google also launched the Daydream View VR headset, a mesh-WiFi system and a 4K-capable Chromecast. It was easily the company's biggest push into Google-branded hardware. But one year later, the Pixel and Pixel XL have been lapped by new devices from Samsung, Apple and LG, among others. We're due for a refresh, and we'll almost certainly get that in San Francisco on Wednesday, October 4th, when the company hosts its next big product launch. New phones are basically a shoo-in, but there's a bunch of other hardware that Google will likely show off. Here's what to expect.
Google is reportedly prepping a high-end Home 'Max'
Google Home users looking for a higher-end audio experience may just have their wish. According to a report at 9to5Google, the tech company is currently creating a new version of its smart speaker with stereo sound. It's also presumably larger and will come with a premium price. It's not hard to think of this as Google's response to Apple's HomePod and quality speakers like those from Sonos.
Order from Walmart by chatting with Google Home
Last month, Google announced that Walmart would be the next retail partner to use Express, Google's shopping and delivery service. At the time, it wasn't totally clear when the integration would go live, but as of today you can order from Walmart via Google Express -- which also means you can now shop Walmart with your voice using Google Assistant.
Joe Biden will give daily news briefings on Echo and Google Home
One of the most useful features across both Google Home and the Amazon Echo series is getting a daily news briefing. Asking both devices to tell you what's going on for your day can include a customized look at news that matters to you from a variety of sources. As of today, there's a new option for getting a news update from your smart speaker, and it comes from a somewhat surprising source: former vice president Joe Biden. "Biden's Briefing" is essentially a short daily podcast featuring news and info curated by Biden -- the content itself is sourced from a wide variety of news publications, including Axios, Bloomberg, BuzzFeed, The Huffington Post, MSNBC, New York Review of Books, Politico, Slate, Vice and Wired.
Neato's newest Botvac integrates with your connected home
We're at a point where it's simply not enough for your robotic vacuum cleaner to tidy up your floors at set times each week. Now, it's vitally important that your smart home itself can summon and dismiss your vacuum cleaner at will. Which is why Neato is making such a big deal that its latest Botvac, the D7 Connected, can blend so seamlessly into your life.
Use Google Home to stream CBS All Access to your TV
You can already use your voice to control your Spotify account with Google Home. The connected speaker also works with Chromecast as a sort of voice-enabled remote control for Netflix. Now Google Home can do the same thing with your CBS All Access and CW TV accounts. Which means, of course, that you can use your voice to watch the upcoming Star Trek Discovery or the latest episode of The Flash with Chromecast built-in.
Both the Amazon Echo and Google Home are under £100 right now
If you're in the market for a smart speaker but don't fancy shelling out the full retail price for one, Amazon and Google might be able to help. Today, both the Amazon Echo and Google Home have been given price cuts that have taken them below the £100 mark.
Google Home's Bluetooth audio feature is available to all
Google has opened up its Home smart speaker in a big way. Today the search giant has added Bluetooth audio to the device for everyone, after teasing it back at I/O in May and slowly rolling out to select users after that. This is perfect if your app of choice doesn't support Google Cast. You know, like Apple Music, or maybe a legacy piece of audio gear. And here you probably thought that the recent music-related Google Home news would stop with Spotify.
Google Home guides you through Vogue’s 125th anniversary issue
Google's partnerships with media companies for Home add-ons goes beyond advertisements for Beauty and the Beast. For next month's 125th anniversary issue of Vogue, readers can ask Google Assistant for more information on a quintet of articles. Once they do, the journalists who wrote them will share bits of interviews with Megyn Kelly, Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Lawrence, Serena Williams and Oprah Winfrey that didn't make it to print. No, it isn't Spotify voice control, but at least it isn't an unprompted ad for a movie, either.
Google Home's voice controls now work with free Spotify accounts
If you're a Google Home user without a paid Spotify account, your use of the service on Home has been limited. Up until now, Spotify has only integrated with Home for paid accounts. But at I/O, Google announced that would change; free Spotify users would be able to stream their library to Home. And now, it appears that the integration is now live for US users: free-tier Spotify users can now stream their music to Google Home.
Google Home voice calling starts rolling out today
Google Home is getting a big upgrade today: The smart speaker can now place voice calls, no cellphone needed. This feature was first announced back at Google I/O in May, but it's now ready to roll out to users in the US and Canada. It's yet another feature that helps keep the Home competitive with Amazon's Echo family, which added calling back in May. We haven't gotten to try it out yet, but it sounds like it should be pretty straightforward to get your Home working as a speakerphone. But there are a few things you'll want to know before you give it a shot.
Google Home Preview Program is now available to everyone
If you like being on the bleeding edge and aren't afraid of a few bugs, the Google Home Preview Program is now available to anyone who wants to sign up, as 9 to 5 Google noticed recently. If you'd rather not be an AI assistant guinea pig, fear not. When Google first announced the program, it assured users that "this is not beta software." Rather, it is production quality, and users are "simply getting earlier access to new features before they're released broadly."
Google Home plays Deezer tunes at the sound of your voice
Google Home doesn't have a huge range of on-demand music services on offer (Google's services and Spotify are your biggest choices), but you can add one to the list today. Deezer has launched Home support for its streaming music service, giving listeners in several countries a hands-free music source if they're not fans of the larger providers. The stand-out is voice control over Deezer's semi-automatic Flow playlist -- you can tell Home to "play your Flow" and get a highly personalized playlist with very little effort.
Google adds Home speakers to its software preview program
Google is giving you a way to get updates for its Home speaker before other people do. All you have to do is volunteer to be part of its Preview Program, which was originally launched for Chromecast in 2016. If you sign up for the initiative, your device will be one of the first to receive the latest features -- it's not for beta testing, so you don't have to worry about installing software that's not ready for public release and encountering bugs all the time. Still, Google is asking participants to send in their feedback about any issues or their experience as a whole whenever possible.
Facebook is reportedly working on a tablet for video calls
Facebook's hardware aspirations go beyond virtual reality. The social network is working on a video calling device that'll feature a wide-angle lens, a mic, speakers, a touchscreen between 13-and-15 inches and will maybe even run Android, according to Bloomberg's sources. Like offerings from Amazon, the unnamed Facebook video device could only cost a "few hundred dollars" when it's ready to buy. The publication's sources say that could happen as soon as Facebook's F8 conference next spring. One potential feature is an auto-scanning camera that'd lock in on individual people in a room, a la how Microsoft's Kinect works. The piece of kit comes from Zuck's Building 8 lab, where developers and engineers cook up experimental ideas. Beyond the video calling tablet, apparently the social network is working on an AI-powered smart speaker of its own that'd cost $100 -- similar to Amazon's Echo line, Apple's forthcoming HomePod and Google Home.
Google connects Home's voice commands to your uploaded music
A new tweak for Google Home makes it easier to access music you've uploaded, even if you're not a Google Play Music subscriber. While Google Play Music customers could already listen to uploaded or purchased music by either selecting it on another device and using the Cast feature or putting it in a playlist, a new update rolling out means you can ask for your tracks directly by voice. It's not active on my account yet even after a device reboot (although I do see the speaker as an available Bluetooth device), but a post in the Home support forum and updated notes on the support page explain how it all works.
Amazon's next Echo will be more like Apple's HomePod
It's been over two years since Amazon debuted the Echo, which kickstarted the current wave of voice-controlled, virtual assistant-powered speakers. And while the company has added more devices to the Echo family, with the tiny Dot, portable Tap and screen-toting Show, it hasn't touched the original model (aside from a white coat of paint for the UK). That's going to change later this year. Amazon is working on a new Echo that will improve on the first speaker in practically every way, a source tells Engadget. And, not surprisingly, it's aiming to take some of the hype away from Apple's HomePod.
A few Google Home owners already have Bluetooth enabled
At Google I/O 2017 the company announced Bluetooth streaming will be available on Google Home, so that you can stream audio from any device, not just those running a compatible app. Over the last day or so, Android Police reports that some users have received a software update to version 90387 that added an option for "Paired Bluetooth devices" in settings. Using Home for Cast-enabled apps is great, but Bluetooth support will make things more universal. So far the update does not appear to be widely available, and Google has not officially announced it but if you have a Home at home, take a look at the settings and see if you're among the early testers.
Google Home now supports up to six users in the UK
Good news, Google Home owners: your smart speaker is now ready to get to know your family. The search giant has confirmed that UK Homes now support up to six users, allowing members of your household to train Google's Assistant to recognize their voices. It also means that their music playlists, schedules and appointments can be synced, ensuring everyone gets more use out of the tiny white speaker.
Google Home and Assistant can speak Canadian French now
The first of several new languages for Google's Assistant AI is here, as users have noticed Canadian French as a language option. I was able to switch it on for my Google Home by looking for Assistant Language under device settings in its control app, while The Android Soul reports they could turn it on simply by saying "Ok Google, speak to me in French Canadian," however I could not get that to work. The new language is obviously there to get ready for the Google Home launch in Canada on the 26th, making it the first one Assistant supports outside of English. At Google's I/O event in May, the company announced that German, Brazilian-Portuguese and Japanese will be added this summer, followed by Italian, Spanish and Korean later in the year.
