Assistant is Google’s personal assistant that is capable of answering questions, performing automated tasks, and more.
The Google Assistant Ambient mode for OnePlus devices is rolling out right now, with all previously “flagship killers” also included — as far back as 2016’s OnePlus 3/3T.
Screen search is one underrated Assistant feature that’s gone by the wayside due to the rise of Google Lens. “What’s on my screen” now looks to be returning on Android after disappearing last May.
The smart speaker market continues to grow each year, but Google still has a lot of catching up to do. A report from eMarketer (via TechCrunch) reveals that Amazon is expected to dominate the smart speaker market in 2020 with 70% share while Google lags behind with just over 30%.
Last November, Ambient Mode rolled out to more Android phones following a debut on Nokia and Lenovo devices at IFA 2019. OnePlus announced this evening that the proactive Google Assistant experience will soon be available on its phones.
This week has seen a flurry of YouTube Music developments, including our report today that the promised cloud locker is en route. The Android app is now prompting listeners about being able to like songs with Google Assistant.
Even without direct interaction, Assistant does a lot in the background through alerts. Google is now looking to give users a better way to manage Assistant through unified notification settings for phones.
Compared to previous generations, a handful of Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL features were geographically limited at launch. Pixel 4 devices in Japan are now getting Soli-powered Motion Sense and the new Google Assistant.
Google’s collection of smart speakers, formerly Google Home, is usually pretty reliable. However, a faulty software update seems to be killing some Google Home units over the past few days for those enrolled in the Preview Program.
In previous years, we’ve seen Google target specific areas of its own “ecosystem,” but for its Super Bowl LIV commercial, the star of the show is undoubtedly the Google Assistant.
The new Google Assistant launched on the Pixel 4 with a handful of restrictions. One of those is requiring Android 10 gesture navigation, though the latest Google app beta allows the new Assistant with 3-button nav.
On Chrome for Android, it’s all too easy to get more information about a word or phrase on a website by simply selecting it, then opening the new Google Search panel that appears on screen. Spotted by Chrome Story, a similar, but more powerful version of this feature, “Quick Answers,” is being developed for Chrome OS, similar to Look Up on macOS.
Google Assistant routines are a handy way to automate some tasks, but the feature doesn’t work everywhere. Technically, it’s supposed to work on Android Auto, but Assistant routines have weirdly been broken for over a year on the platform, with no fix in sight.
Just before the holidays last month, a Google app beta disabled the new Assistant on Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL. Another beta bug today breaks Google Assistant on Wear OS.
Google Assistant has taken over many of the company’s products to replace previous forms of voice search. Now, it seems Google is finally preparing to integrate Google Assistant into Chrome for Android to replace the old voice search function.
The Google Home and Nest Home devices all activate from the “Hey Google” and “OK Google” commands but they can be a little hit and miss. But did you know that you can activate your Google Assistant with a number of weird and wonderful “Hey Google” alternatives?
Like other Google apps, Assistant is not prone to service outages. However, Google Assistant settings are currently down this afternoon and inaccessible across all devices.
Noise-canceling headphones are becoming the go-to accessory for many smartphone owners, and the Sony WH-XB900N headphones might be the best value option for those wanting great audio and the ability to block out the background noise.
Google seems to have a fascination with slides at its events, and at CES 2020, I finally got the chance to give one of them a ride. Here’s a full review of Google’s CES 2020 slide.
At this point there are a crazy amount of Google Assistant speakers on the market, but the majority of them really only serve a single purpose. Personally, I love it when companies do something creative to turn two products into one, and that’s exactly what Belkin has done with its Soundform Elite Hi-Fi.
Over the past few years, Google has had an increasingly large presence at CES. In the new decade, things aren’t changing, with Google delivering another huge booth at CES 2020, tons of products held within, a strong focus on Google Assistant, and a fun experience to demo it.
American Airlines is set to utilize the interpreter mode on the Google Assistant in select airport lounges as a translator for non-English-speaking travelers.
CES has become a Google Assistant show where new features are announced alongside the year’s third-party hardware. For 2020, Google wants to give you more granular control over the smart devices in your home with Assistant Scheduled Actions.
Kids are naturally attracted to smart speakers given their ease of use. Recognizing that, Google over the past several years has built out family-friendly features and is continuing that at CES 2020 with Smart Display sticky notes and a speed dial.
