Google Assistant

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…

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To bring the Next Billion Users online, Google has developed specialized apps like Tez and Files Go, while optimizing others for specific needs, like limited connectivity. To popularize Assistant, Maps, and other services to those using feature phones, Google today invested $22 million in KaiOS.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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…

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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.

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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?

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