Google Assistant is now used by half a billion people around the world
At CES 2020, Google Assistant celebrated a huge milestone: The smart assistant is used by more than 500 million people around the world. Google also announced several new features to make the system even better, including better security features and more natural speech patterns.
Facebook Portal vs Google Nest Hub Max
When it comes to the best smart displays, the new Facebook Portal and the Google Nest Hub Max are two great choices. This can make choosing the right one for you difficult. To help, we've pitted the two against each other in a head-to-head battle to find out which one is the better pick.
Google Assistant’s interpreter mode is coming to mobile devices
Google Assistant's interpreter mode, which enables the live translation of words as you speak them, is coming to iOS and Android smart devices across the world. With support for 44 languages, Google Assistant's interpreter mode is likely to become a staple addition to many traveler toolkits.
Ringtones become smarter with the new alarm feature for the Lenovo Alarm Clock
Google has today announced a new update for the Assistant-powered Lenovo Smart Clock that brings smart and contextual alarm ringtones. Called Impromptu, the new feature takes into account factors such as the time and weather and automatically switches to an alarm tune that best fits the scenario.
The Pixel 4’s A.I. will soon screen robocallers without disturbing you
The first Pixel feature drop will arrive this month, and it's going to improve some of the Pixel 4's best features, including the A.I.-powered Call Screen, background blur in photos, and video calls on Google Duo. Older Pixels will be getting some of the Pixel 4's best new tools as well.
You can now set your notes app of choice as the default on Google Assistant
At long last and after several weeks in beta, Google is rolling out Google Assistant’s third-party notes and lists app integration. Originally announced last year at the Google I/O event, the new feature lets you directly plug in your notes and lists app of choice to the Google Assistant.
Google Assistant can now book movie tickets for you all by itself
Google has released a new feature to Google Assistant on your phone -- the ability for Assistant to navigate through movie-booking websites and book tickets for you. The feature works with a range of different cinemas and movie-booking services in both the U.S. and the U.K.
Google’s plan for the helpful home all goes back to privacy
The smart home landscape continues to evolve, and one of its biggest proponents is Google. We sat down with Google's Michele Turner, who talks about the company's vision for the smart home, what it's doing to get there, and what we can expect surrounding the helpful home.
Google Assistant provides a smarter way to listen to the news you care about
The "Your News Update" feature from Google Assistant makes it easier than ever to listen to the news when you're on the go. Just ask to hear the news and receive a tailored series of stories based on your interests. The update is available now and can be selected within the Google Assistant app.
What Blade Runner got right (and wrong) about 2019
1982's Blade Runner is rightly considered a masterpiece among science fiction movies. But how accurate were its predictions about the future? With November 2019 being the far-flung month and year in which the movie is set, here’s what the movie got right and, in one case, very wrong.
Your Alexa speaker can be hacked with malicious audio tracks. And lasers.
Smart speakers are awesome. But they're also subject to some pretty terrifying vulnerabilities, as two recent proof-of-concept demonstrations show. Whether it's adversarial sound attacks or laser hacks, here are two ways researchers have found to exploit smart speaker weaknesses.
Android is a dead-end for new devices — and Google knows it
Google launched Android over a decade ago but has struggled to replicate the explosive success of the OS beyond phones. There was only one Android-powered device at Google's hardware event. Is Android a one-trick pony? As Google increasingly focuses more on the Assistant, where is Android really headed?
Philips’ kitchen-friendly, 24-inch Android TV finally available for $299
After a long delay, Philips has finally launched its 24-inch Android TV aimed at those who like to watch YouTube videos while cooking in the kitchen. Thanks to the Google Assistant onboard, the $299 TV and smart speaker combo can play all kinds of media without needing to touch the included remote control.
Let Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant spook you on Halloween
Need help with a last-minute costume idea? Want to listen to spooky music or a scary book? Recruit Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant for help. Here are the best Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant Halloween tips and tricks for your Halloween party, decorations, games, family activities, and more.
SiriusXM comes to Nest Home devices to boost your listening and watching options
Internet radio service SiriusXM is coming to U.S. and Canadian Google Nest smart speakers and smart displays this week, giving you even more choice where listening is concerned. With options to listen to talk radio stations, dedicated artist channels, and even watch exclusive video content through a SiriusXM sub.
JBL drops massive $300 off the Link 500 speaker with Google Assistant
Get chart-topping sound quality and performance-worth connectivity anywhere in your home with the JBL 500 voice-activated speaker now on sale at a $300 discount only on the company's website.
Finally, stereo speaker pairing comes to the Google Home and Home Mini
At first, only Google Home Max could pair with stereo speakers, and then Google added the Nest Mini. Over the weekend, though, Android Police discovered that now you can pair your stereo speaker system with Google Home and Google Home Mini speakers, too. Here's what you need to know and how to set it up.
Google Nest Mini hands-on review: New name, few changes
Google's new Nest Mini looks a lot like the older Google Home Mini speaker, and that's not the only similarity. Despite the new name, the Nest Mini is only a minor revision of its predecessor, and the focus is still on Google Assistant.
Here’s how to watch the Pixel 4 Made by Google event from today
The Google Pixel 4 launch is just around the corner and Google is throwing a party to celebrate. With new phones, a new Pixelbook, and some new smart devices expected, it's due to be quite the show. But how can you tune in and watch it live? Here's how you can watch all the Made by Google October 2019 reveals.
Google Assistant 2.0 is now rolling out, starting with Pixel phones
At Google's annual hardware event, the company also announced some impressive improvements to Google Assistant. Notably, Assistant will now largely live on-device, ensuring that it's a whole lot faster than it was previously. The device will also now be a whole lot more natural to use.
Google is giving away free Home Mini ahead of its Pixel event next week
Google is currently giving away free Home Minis to lucky YouTube Premium and Google Assistant users. The promotion looks to be limited to the United States. While Google is waiving the entire $49 price tag, the lucky users do need to pay for the shipping cost of about $5.
The voice of Insecure’s Issa Rae is coming to Google Assistant
So far, you have only been able to make John Legend your own personal assistant. As of today, October 10, though, you can also make actress and director Issa Rae your new Google Assistant voice. Rae recently co-starred in the the movie comedy Little with Regina Hall and Marsai Martin.
Google’s new privacy update lets you delete Assistant’s voice command history
Google announced new privacy updates that include the ability to delete Google Assistant history and the addition of incognito mode in Google Maps. By saying things like “Hey Google, delete the last thing I said to you," the Assistant will delete your voice command history.
Marshall updates its Major III wireless headphones with Google Assistant
Improving on a popular product is always risky, but Marshall seems to have gambled and won with its new $169 Major III Voice, an update to its wireless Major II headphones that adds both Google Assistant access and an enormous boost in battery life. Here's what we know about the new cans.
Digital Trends Live: Google Assistant’s enhanced security, Vimeo’s marketplace
On this episode of Digital Trends Live, we dive into the biggest trending tech topics of the day, including Google Assistant’s enhanced security, Vimeo’s new marketplace, Disney+ pre-orders, and a new baldness-banishing baseball cap zaps your head until your hair grows again.
The best Google Nest Hub Max tips and tricks to check out
The Google Nest Hub Max is finally here after its introduction at Google I/O earlier this year, which means it’s time to dissect everything you should know about it. These tips and tricks we're going to be diving into will help you become better acquainted with this powerful smart display.
The Alcatel Go Flip 3 is a lightweight, cheap KaiOS phone with Google Assistant
Alcatel announced a new flip phone called the Go Flip 3, or the Smartflip, depending on the carrier it's on. The device offers the lightweight KaiOS operating system, as well as Google Assistant built into it — making it much more powerful than it otherwise would be.
How to order pizza with your smart speaker
Any day you're craving some pizza pie, getting it fast is a must. If you have Alexa or Google Assistant, ordering from favorites like Pizza Hut, Domino's or Papa John's is just a few voice commands away. Here's how to order pizza using just your voice and a smart speaker like Google Home or Amazon Echo.
Say bonjour to new Google Assistant voices in a wider variety of languages
Up until now, you could only change the voice of Google Assistant in English, and that option was only available in the United States. This week, Google is giving people internationally another voice option. You can now get a new voice in several languages, including Japanese and U.K. English.
Google Nest Hub vs. Google Nest Hub Max: Which smart display is better?
With the release of the Nest Hub Max, Google adds a new smart display to complement its existing Nest Hub. They may look the same and offer the same tight smart home integrations, but there are actually quite a few things that make them different. It's the battle of the Google Assistant home hubs
Gmail for Android finally gets a dark theme. Assistant and Maps likely to follow
With the release of Android 10 to the public, Google rolled out a systemwide dark theme, but a few apps were missing from the list of those that support the dark theme. Now, however, there's one more app to be added to that list -- Gmail now finally has support for dark theme.
Tile deepens Google Assistant integration as competition with Apple looms
Tile deepened the integration of its item trackers with Google Assistant, allowing users to ask help in finding their lost things even if their phone is not around. It remains to be seen if more updates are on the way, in preparation for the rumored launch of Apple's own version of the accessory.
Google’s Ambient Mode turns phone screens into Assistant-powered smart displays
Google's Ambient Mode turns select smartphones and tablets into Assistant-powered smart displays, with an interface resembling the one on the Nest Hub. The feature is limited to the Nokia 6.2 and the Nokia 7.2, along with new tablets from Lenovo, but it's unclear if it will make its way to other devices.
Simplehuman’s Sensor Mirror Hi-Fi now responds to Amazon Alexa commands
Smart mirrors are all the rage these days, and now Simplehuman is upping its game by adding voice control via Amazon's Alexa voice assistant. The Simplehuman Sensor Mirror Hi-Fi also serves as a super-cool night-light, a smart speaker, and, well, you know, a mirror. It also has Google Assistant support.