Assistant is Google’s personal assistant that is capable of answering questions, performing automated tasks, and more.
Xiaomi has now quietly launched the Mi Smart Smart Speaker in India — its first-ever Google Assistant-powered smart speaker.
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Over the past several months, Google has introduced more and more functionality for the Snapshot feed. You can now open Assistant Snapshot directly from the Android homescreen, thanks to a new shortcut that is rolling out.
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Work from home (WFH) has thrown work-life balance out the door for many, but Google wants to help you better manage that with a “Workday” Assistant routine. Meanwhile, it’s rolling out Gentle Sleep and Wake to all smart lighting.
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Google’s Nest Hub smart displays are useful for a lot of things, but they certainly push voice interaction over all else despite touchscreens being a core part of the device. Now, in a new video, we can see a complete redesign to the Nest Hub Max’s UI, complete with control panels and more.
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One handy feature of Google Assistant speakers is the ability to cast content from various subscriptions using a voice command. Now, Disney+ is adding support for Google Assistant casting.
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One of my favorite ways to use Google Assistant smart displays and speakers is to set timers and alarms, especially in the kitchen. But if you’ve walked away from that speaker into another room when your timer goes off, you had no way to dismiss your alarm. Now, the Google Assistant can stop these timers from anywhere!
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The Google Assistant usually has your back but birthday reminders have been a sore point for some time. However, after the recent unveiling of brand new Assistant Snapshot features, some users are reporting birthday reminders popping up on their devices.
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Over the past several years, some smart home products have become ubiquitous. Smart light bulbs, robot vacuums, etc. As those products have gotten more popular, others have also become much more affordable. For the past few months, I’ve been using a ceiling fan called the Hunter Cavera II, a smart home product that integrates with Google Assistant for just a fraction of the cost I expected it to be.
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After announcing last year, Google this May launched a tool for quickly accessing Assistant Actions from the Android homescreen. An update to Action Blocks today adds a vast number of UI tweaks, including dark theme widgets.
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When it comes to volume, the ability to set granular controls are pretty useful. On Android, you can adjust the volume for notifications, media, and calls individually, but another may soon be added — the ability to adjust Google Assistant volume.
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Over the past week, Google has been testing an Assistant notification on the lockscreen that provides tappable access to frequent commands. It looks to be an extension of Google making its voice assistant more ambient.
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Following Android Automotive’s launch with the Polestar 2, Google released a support page for car owners. It specifically focuses on how to use Google Assistant, Maps, and the Play Store, starting with the set-up process.
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One long-running critique of Google Assistant is how it doesn’t play well with work accounts, specifically Calendar events. While there is an Assistant for G Suite beta, it requires users to actively switch accounts. Google might soon let Assistant access data from multiple accounts alongside your primary one.
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Back in November, Google Assistant augmented user-curated “News briefings” with a personalized “mix of top headlines and stories based on your interests.” “Your News Update” is now coming to Google Podcasts, while more natural text-to-speech is also available.
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Last December, Google added “Food & drink” settings so that Smart Displays could recommend recipes that abide by your dietary restrictions. In a revamp, Google Assistant’s new “Food preferences” menu has a more friendly interface and fine-grained options.
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The growth of IoT tech like the Google Assistant is one that we often don’t notice. Google is now claiming that its industry-leading Assistant is now compatible with more than 50,000 devices available from more than 5,500 brands.
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Last year, the Lenovo Smart Clock was a great way to put the Google Assistant onto your bedside table. Today, Lenovo is unveiling the even more affordable Smart Clock Essential, with simple LEDs instead of a display.
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Back in March, Google revamped the Assistant Snapshot feed and has since added new cards. Google today is making Assistant Snapshot easier to launch with a “Hey Google, show me my day” command.
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The convenience and utility of Smart Displays can extend beyond the home. Google is now working to put a Nest Hub in every hotel room and extolling the contactless benefits of voice commands aided by onscreen visuals.
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Waze has supported Google Assistant for a while, but only on Android. Assistant is admittedly limited on iPhones and iPads, but its users are about to get a bonus. Starting today, Waze for iOS offers Google Assistant integration.
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For years now, the only way to get the Google Assistant onto your wrist has been through a Wear OS smartwatch. Now, as Google has begun to acquire Fitbit, the fitness company is bringing the Google Assistant to their latest smartwatches.
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Assistant is undoubtedly one of Google’s most important products today and its prominence, as well as capability, will only increase in the future. Google has made a small tweak to how Assistant visually appears on Pixel phones as the Pixel Launcher now opts for a microphone icon.
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Google’s next-generation Assistant debuted on its second device this week with the Pixel 4a. Popular messaging service Line yesterday announced support for a handful of new Google Assistant features, including sending screenshots and replies via voice.
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The Assistant feed has been available since March and continues to add new capabilities. This true Assistant successor to the original Google Now is now offering more Snapshot audio suggestions, including YouTube Music, and sports results.
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