After Hours: Focals by North glasses, Alexa speaks Hindi, Facebook Portal

Ben Schoon | Sep 18 2019 - 5:30 pm PT

Some of the day’s biggest stories included a huge report about Google’s efforts with a “Pixel Watch,” new details on Android TV, as well as some news regarding Google Stadia’s popularity. In other news, Focals by North is getting a convenient new Showroom app, Alexa expands its language support, and more.

About After Hours: In this daily roundup, we cover some of the more minor stories regarding Android and Google from the day with additional commentary. To catch up on everything we publish, check out some of the biggest stories of the day below, and listen to 9to5Google Daily every morning.

Focals by North can now be purchased at home… unless you have Android

While Google Glass is essentially dead to consumers, Focals by North has proven one of the best options available. One big caveat, though, has been that Focals buyers had to visit a physical showroom location in order to get fitted for the glasses. That’s changing now, though, as North has launched a new app that scans your face to find the right fit. The only big problem? It doesn’t work on Android.

The Focals Showroom app uses the same sensors that make up Apple’s Face ID on the iPhone X, XS, XR, and iPhone 11 devices to help you order a pair of the smart glasses. Perhaps the Pixel 4 will be able to do it too?

Alexa now supports the Hindi language

Amazon Alexa still takes the majority of smart speaker sales today, but it’s playing catchup to Google Assistant in many ways. Today, Amazon announced that Alexa would finally support the Hindi language (via TechCrunch). That functionality rolls out today, nearly a year after Google Home started supporting the Hindi language.

Facebook debuts new Portal devices, including one for your TV

Facebook also launched new Portal devices today. The company’s take on a smart display gets a second generation that has a new, less-unique design that looks like a picture frame. There’s a standard 10-inch Portal that costs $179, and also a smaller 8-inch model that takes the price down to $129 — squarely in line with the Google Nest Hub. These devices are also adding support for WhatsApp calls.

facebook portal family

On top of that, there’s the brand-new Portal TV. This device adds a camera to your TV and acts as a typical set-top box with Prime Video, Netflix, and other services. It costs $149 and also allows for video calling as well as a picture-in-picture mode to “watch” shows with your friends. More details on all three devices are available in a Facebook post.