Assistant is Google’s personal assistant that is capable of answering questions, performing automated tasks, and more.
Amazon Echo owners have been able to control their Dish Hopper DVRs over a year now using Alexa voice commands. If you’ve been living in envy, the wait is now over as the Google Assistant can now help you watch your favorite shows all without picking up a remote.
Google is always working on improving the Assistant and occasionally adds new voices for users to choose from. With eight currently available as of this writing, here’s how to pick the right one for you.
When you look at smart speakers, the primary use for most users seem to be streaming music. There’s no shortage of options that deliver excellent sound quality, but some of them are big, bulky, and expensive. Polk Audio is a renowned audio brand, and the company has recently debuted its first Assistant speaker, and it delivers a whole lot for its small size and affordable price…
Unveiled at I/O 2018, Google Duplex was a highlight of the keynote, but also a controversy in the ensuing days. From accusations of “tricking” humans with the use of “uh” and “umm” to the lack of a live demo, Google finally revealed more about the Assistant integrated feature today that is still on track for a limited launch this summer.
At I/O 2018, Google announced and immediately launched a slew of new Assistant features like six new voices, Multiple Actions, and Custom Routines. Today, the Google Home will no longer require that you repeat a hotword for every command thanks to Continued Conversation.
Last month, a peculiar glitch in the Google Android app was discovered that resulted in a specific query displaying your text messages. The bug has since been fixed, however, another similar bug has emerged that brings up the system volume slider when searching “9a songs.”
Unveiled at CES 2018 with availability announced at Google I/O, the first Assistant smart displays are set to hit the market next month. Ahead of that, the Google app is beginning to lay the groundwork by noting what first-party Assistant services will support the new device category.
Google Assistant’s biggest selling point is just how smart it is, and on smart speakers that especially shows its value. Now, Google Home devices are getting even smarter with improved support for multiple queries.
One of the most impressive aspects of Google Home and Assistant is the realistic speech that the company achieves. Regardless of language, things sound really natural for the most part. Now, Google is enhancing that for Spanish speakers with support for three new dialects.
Version 8.7 of the Google app rolled out yesterday detailing an upcoming “Google Podcast” app, and provided more details about the company’s upcoming updates. Since then, we’ve enabled the latest iteration of Assistant’s visual refresh expected later this year, as well as a new interface for the Podcasts app.
In important markets, like India, Google often hosts specialized events to announce country-specific features and initiatives. At the second annual Google for Brazil event, the company today announced Android Go, along with new features in Search and Maps.
We got our first look at Lenovo’s smart displays back at CES, and at I/O 2018, Google announced that the Assistant smart displays from Lenovo, LG, and JBL would be available this July. Now, B&H Photo has both sizes of Lenovo’s smart displays up for pre-order.
According to a report from Windows Central, the Xbox One will be receiving an update to gain support for Google Assistant and Alexa, in addition to its existing Cortana support.
Following the launch of the Google Home Mini in October, the company held pop-up events in various cities across the country. Visiting these “Donut Shops” offered the chance of winning the smart speaker or a pastry. Google is now continuing the marketing blitz with a “Mini Golf course” this summer.
With the announcement of YouTube Premium earlier this month, Google is planning more original content for its subscription service. The latest YouTube Original is arriving next week and cleverly being promoted through the Google Assistant.
Google Assistant has a lot of really useful features, but some of its best come from the company’s previous products. Taken from “Google Now on Tap,” Assistant has the ability to search what’s on your screen for information. Currently, though, that feature is broken for some users.
The latest Google app beta continues work on adding features announced at I/O 2018. Version 8.5 details Google Home’s upcoming Continued Conversation feature and Assistant payments. Meanwhile, there is also progress towards new functionality like Read later and Collections.
Last month, version 7.26 of the Google app included strings that detailed a new “Reservations” section for Google Assistant. Functionality was unclear at the time, but we now know what it does thanks to the feature going live on iOS.
Smart speakers have exploded in popularity for the past couple of years, and Google has seen a lot of growth, particularly this past year. Now, new market research suggests that Google has outsold Amazon for the first time ever…
At I/O 2018, Google detailed a big update to Google Lens a year after first announcing it. In addition to a new design and expanded availability in camera apps, Lens is slated to get real time lookup and smart text selection. This revamp is now slowly beginning to launch.
The amazement over Google Duplex at I/O 2018 quickly veered into criticism over the lack of disclosure and questions about the on-stage demo itself. I think, somewhat lost in this furor, is the sheer impressiveness of Duplex and what an achievement it is for technology. But what exactly is it, and how does it work? And what will it be able to do for you?
At I/O 2018, Google previewed a number of upcoming features for several major products and services. Assistant is slated to get a more visual experience, with version 8.4 of the Google app today providing a first glimpse at that revamped interface. Meanwhile, work continues on Feed reactions, Read Later, and more.
As we first spotted on iOS in March, Google Assistant is getting rid of the “Your stuff” section and switching to a single-tabbed “Explore” page. As a result, some of the sections found in that tab have been moved to the list of Assistant Services in settings.