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LG appliances now respond to both Alexa and Google Assistant
LG has officially joined the ranks of appliance makers that support more than one voice assistant. The electronics giant has announced that its current collection of ThinQ-branded appliances now takes commands from both Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant. The amount of control you'll have will vary, of course, but there are common elements: you can make ice in your fridge door, turn off the oven or cool down with your air conditioner.
LG will release new AI products under the 'ThinQ' brand
LG is getting serious with artificial intelligence and will launch products and services that use AI under a new sub-brand called "ThinQ" starting in 2018. All its upcoming TVs, fridges, even electronic devices and services under the new brand will have features developed with deep learning techniques and will be able to communicate with one another. LG says you can expect its new offerings to use its own AI tech, DeepThinQ, as well as its partners', but it didn't elaborate further or listed possible features.
LG's robots control your home and guide you through the airport
LG said it had big plans for its robots at CES, and it wasn't kidding around. The tech giant has unveiled a handful of robotic helpers that clearly go well beyond vacuums. To start, it's introducing the Hub Robot and its Mini-size counterpart. They can control your smart home devices, play music, offer advice on commuting times and otherwise make your life a little easier, all while offering a friendly face. It basically amounts to an Amazon Echo with cute expressions, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. And, importantly, they're not alone -- they have a much bigger sibling.
Amazon Alexa support coming to LG's SmartThinQ hub
When LG launched its SmartThinQ hub at CES this year, you couldn't help but notice that it was a dead ringer for Amazon's Echo but, well, dumber. That's because the device could play music and control LG SmartThinQ appliances, but wouldn't obey your voice commands like an Echo. However, LG has announced that that it will join Amazon rather than fighting it by adding support for the Echo's Alexa voice assistant.
LG's SmartThinQ wants to be the main hub for your smart home
LG's SmartThinQ home automation platform has existed for a few years now, but it's always felt like an afterthought for the electronics giant. This could be changing soon, however. Last week, LG introduced the SmartThinQ Hub, an Amazon Echo–esque device designed to be the centerpiece that controls your smart home, and it brought it to CES 2016 for everyone to see.
LG has a smarthome hub that looks a lot like an Amazon Echo
LG is like the kid who can't keep what he got you for Christmas a secret. Except here, it isn't gifts wrapped under the tree, it's what the electronics giant will be showing off at CES. A home automation hub, dubbed "SmartThinQ Hub," will join its smattering of monitors and laptops in Las Vegas next week. And honestly, you'd be forgiven if you mistook it for Amazon's cylindrical Echo after a quick glance. LG says that the Internet of Things gizmo "serves as a gateway to smart sensors and connected appliances" but it'll also stream music and via its 3.5-inch LCD, display calendar reminders. No TV required!
LG sensor adds smarts to your 'dumb' home appliances
Sure, it's easy to find connected home appliances, but what if you want to add a dash of intelligence to many of your existing appliances (not just one or two)? LG might come to your rescue before long. It's launching a SmartThinQ Sensor which uses feedback like temperature and vibration to tell you what your devices are doing. It can tell when your washer has finished by waiting for the shaking to stop, for instance, or tell you if someone left the fridge door open while you were out. In some cases, you can even remotely control those older machines. There's no word on when the sensor arrives, but it'll be joined by the smartphone-controlled Smart Lightwave Oven and Smart Air Conditioner at the upcoming IFA trade show.
LG announces upgraded Smart ThinQ appliances, average refrigerator IQ set to rise in 2012
Were last year's ThinQ appliances from LG just not quite... sophisticated enough for you? Well, noble reader, screw that monocle a little tighter into your eye and get a load of this year's crop, which LG has dubbed Smart ThinQ. This includes a whole range of appliances like washing machines, ovens and even the company's robotic vacuum cleaners. Most promising to us is the refrigerator, which sports an LCD that indicates what food is in the refrigerator, where it's located and when it expires -- information that you can access from your similarly smart phone as well. That sounds fascinating, but it also sounds just like last year's more remedial ThinQ models, so we're not sure how much new functionality is included in this update. We'll endeavor to go find out once these hit the CES show floor next week.
