Assistant is Google’s personal assistant that is capable of answering questions, performing automated tasks, and more.
Since 2016, Google Assistant has let you ask for and hear the news. Users previously had to manually curate publications and sources, but a new “Your News Update” feature handles that work for you.
One of the most common uses for smart speakers is streaming music, and now Spotify’s experience on Google Assistant is getting an upgrade. Now, if you use Spotify with a Google Assistant device, recommended content is only a voice command away.
Google’s collection of smart speakers and displays has been slowly evolving over the past few years, but 2017’s Google Home Mini was largely regarded as the best product for most people. Now, we’ve been able to spend a few weeks with its followup, the Nest Mini, and we have no doubt that it’s the best option Google currently has on the market. Here are a few reasons why.
In September, Google announced Assistant Ambient Mode at IFA 2019. It provides a “visual overview” of your day — like a Smart Display — when your device is charging. Over the past day, there have been reports of the experience rolling out to more phones.
Last year, we saw signs that Xbox One might be picking up support for talking to the Google Assistant and Alexa through the console’s Kinect-powered voice controls, instead of Cortana. In the end, this capability only arrived for Alexa, but the Google Assistant isn’t going to be left out of the fun, with the announcement of a new Xbox Action.
In August, Google mysteriously disabled a core feature of Assistant for G Suite users: reminders. Four months later, the company is still sticking to its guns with that removal and, worse yet, it’s no longer listening to complaints about the issue.
This time last year Google Assistant smart speakers seemed to be extremely popular with huge sales numbers and explosive growth. However, a year later things aren’t looking so hot. According to a recent report, Google Assistant smart speakers shipments have dropped dramatically by over 40%.
It’s hard to argue that Apple’s Siri is better than Google Assistant, and, thanks to improvements on the Pixel 4, Google’s lead is only increasing. Now, a video comparison shows how much faster and more accurate Google Assistant is.
In addition to the speed improvements and expanded capabilities found on the Pixel 4, the “new Google Assistant” makes important design changes. Some of those visual elements are now making their way to other devices in the form of an even more compact Google Assistant.
Piece by piece, the Google Assistant has been working its way into new parts of our homes. The latest additions to the Google Assistant’s lineup are the bathtub and faucet.
Google Keep is getting ready for integration with the Google Assistant on all platforms, as well as the ability to upload audio from web. We’ve managed to enable a few features on Keep which show us how they work.
Google Assistant’s “Updates” feed provides a visual overview of your day that’s reminiscent of the original Google Now. A drastically different design that organizes information chronologically is now being tested on Android.
You can stream most major music services from a Google Assistant speaker or smart display, but today another one is being added. If you’re a SiriusXM Radio subscriber, the service now works with Google Assistant.
We already knew that Tile Bluetooth trackers were set to get more direct Google Assistant integration. Well, now the feature is live.
Google Assistant is what unifies the company’s first-party hardware across different form factors. Back in May, the company teased a “next-generation Assistant” that’s faster and more capable. In actual usage, the most important changes with the Pixel 4’s new Google Assistant are a new subtle design that borders on invisible and seamless “Continued Conversation,” while the much-touted phone control fails to live up to its promise.
Your Google Home speakers and displays get firmware updates fairly often, but they’re installed automatically and you usually don’t notice. However, it seems one of the recent Google Home firmware updates has been bricking some devices and they can’t be fixed.
There are more apps for Google Assistant than you’ll ever use, but apparently it’s also not that difficult to slip malicious apps through the cracks. Apparently, a security research lab managed to develop apps for Google Assistant and Alexa designed for phishing for user’s private information.
One of the key selling points of Pixel 4 is the fact that it has the much faster “new” Google Assistant on board. However, there are a couple of details that might ruin that for some users. The new Google Assistant requires that you use gesture navigation, and that you don’t have any G Suite accounts on your device.
Google Assistant is landing pretty much everywhere nowadays, and this week at CES 2019 it’s expanding further and further. Now, Verizon’s Hum car accessory is adding Google Assistant integration.
Nest has been one of the most popular brands for smart home products over the past few years, and Google is starting to take control of the various products now. However, that might have a negative effect on sales as residential builders are reportedly no longer using Nest products as a result.
Routines are a useful way to automate things with Google Assistant, and now, there’s a new preset being added. To prepare you for movie night, Google Assistant is getting a “showtime” preset.
If you primarily use a Google Voice number, there are a few little roadblocks you’ve got to put up with. However, one of those is going away, as the latest Google Voice update for iOS adds better support for Siri.
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With the launch of Android 10 last week, Google teased night-friendly looks for Gmail and Maps. A dark theme for Google Assistant and Search is now beginning to roll out for some users.
Google’s collection of smart home devices are arguably the company’s most successful products, especially in the case of the Google Home Mini. Today at its media event in New York City, Google announced an updated version of that product in the Google Nest Mini and we’ve had a chance to get our hands on it.
