Google Assistant

In recent weeks, Wear OS has undergone a lot of notable developments from the rebrand to the Android P Developer Preview. Today, just ahead of I/O 2018 next week, Google is announcing a number of updates to make Google Assistant more full featured.

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When it first launched, one of Google Assistant’s biggest weak points was the number of smart home devices and services it could connect to. While there are still a few services we wish it could integrate, Google has done a lot to round out the smart home functionality, now working with 5,000 different devices.

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With I/O 2018 less than a week away, Google has updated the official Android companion app with a more detailed map and better navigation tools for conference attendees. Meanwhile, earlier in the week, Google also launched an Assistant Action.

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This morning, LG officially unveiled the G7 ThinQ. While there wasn’t much new about the handset, the South Korean company did add a physical button to the handset’s left side that can be used to trigger Google Assistant and Lens.

Would you want Google to include a physical Google Assistant/Lens button on the Pixel 3?

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Hot off the heels of supporting Assistant Actions and hardware with a new investment fund, Google today also launched a new design guide for creating apps on its latest platform. Similar to the Material Design guidelines, it provides an introduction and walkthrough for both new and experienced developers.

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For Google, artificial intelligence and Assistant is frequently touted as the future of technology and the company. To keep its lead, Google often invests in startups through GV, while also maintaining a VC fund specifically aimed at AI investments. Today, the company is now investing in startups that work on the Google Assistant.

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LG officially unveiled its latest flagship smartphone today with the LG G7 ThinQ. The phone offers quite a few new features, but one of its most interesting aspects is how it integrates Google Assistant. Hidden in LG’s press release, though, is an interesting tidbit about Google Lens – we’re getting new features at I/O.

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We’ve been hearing about it for weeks, and now it’s finally official. Following an event this morning, LG has officially debuted the LG G7 ThinQ, it’s latest flagship smartphone…

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Google Assistant speakers come in all shapes and sizes as this point, but one form factor we haven’t seen much of is the “retro” look. There were a couple of options that launched back at CES, but it’s been quiet since. Now, Como Audio is bringing a new “SpeakEasy” Hi-Fi speaker to the market.

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Google Assistant continues to add new first-party capabilities and update existing functionality, like remembering podcast playback across devices. Its latest feature is slightly more minor and sees the addition of a “Stocks” section to Settings.

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Google Assistant may have launched with somewhat limited capabilities, but over the past year or so the company’s “Actions on Google” platform has exploded with thousands of excellent apps and integrations. Now, users can provide feedback on those with reviews.

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The Google Assistant can do a lot, with the company touting “over 1 million actions to try.” Since launch, one way to find out the smart assistant’s capabilities was by viewing the aptly named “What can you do?” section. However, in recent days, Google has removed and swapped that help screen out.

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Virtual assistants aren’t really a new technology, but over the past couple of years, they’ve become more and more important to our daily lives. Amazon had a big head start with its Alexa platform, but Google quickly caught up with its own Assistant. Now, a study is confirming what we already knew – Google’s is better.

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Podcasts are a great way to keep up with topics you care about, but it can be hard to keep up with a bunch of them. There are dozens of apps out there, but one of the most convenient has been the one built into Google Assistant. Now, that podcast manager is finally getting an upgrade that allows it to remember your progress.

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Google Assistant is a powerful tool, but some of its best tricks are only handy if you can access them in time. On LG’s upcoming flagship, the G7 ThinQ, the company wants to solve that with a dedicated button for launching the Assistant…

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Beyond a brief ill-fated “experiment” involving Beauty and the Beast last year, Google has yet to monetize its Home smart speakers with ads. However, this may soon change as the company plans to debut a new “How To” video format for Google Assistant at I/O 2018.

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A Google Home user recently asked the Assistant about the current weather and was greeted with a response about checking it with a third-party service. If this has happened to you, don’t worry, this isn’t an ad…

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Coachella and YouTube have long been partners with the latter livestreaming the concert series. This year, the rest of Google is joining with an Assistant Action for Home and phones, while the Made by Google team is continuing its advertising blitz with Pixel photo booths.

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