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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.
'Ok Google' now works in Android Auto
With its large icons and stripped back interface, Android Auto is a simpler, safer way to access music and maps in your car. It's also designed for voice, and finally Google has enabled "Okay Google" commands for everyone. That means you don't have to touch the screen, or your phone, to start speaking with Google's assistant. The feature might sound small, but for drivers this could be a revelatory addition. Whether you want to switch playlists, check the weather, or settle an argument (how old is Obama again?) you can do this without taking your hands off the steering wheel. The feature was announced at Google I/O, and a few weeks back it started rolling out to select drivers. As a post on Google+ indicates, it should now be available to everyone who has Android Auto set up in their car. That could be through a compatible infotainment system, or directly through your smartphone with the Android Auto mode enabled. If you haven't already, maybe give it a whirl while you're driving home this Christmas.
