If you've put off getting a smart speaker and you're wondering which is the most effective, a new small study from Loup Ventures suggests Google Assistant is the best solution for getting the most correct answers. Though Google Assistant, Siri, and Alexa all had similar abilities to understand questions, only Google Assistant answered more than 90-percent of the questions correctly.
Modern day living is hectic, and often, we need to remind those we love to actually get things done. Soon, Google Assistant will be able to take care of that, allowing you to set reminders for yourself or other people in your family group. If you have a family and each day has a packed schedule, it sounds like this new feature can come in particularly handy.
Google Assistant is a truly smart helper but even with all its AI capabilities, it's limited by what Google and third-party app developers allow it to do. Take, for example, the ability to read messages out loud let alone respond to them through voice. While Google Assistant already does that, it only does so for Google's own Messages and Hangouts apps, practically snubbing the rest of the world that use other services. Fortunately, it seems that different parties have come to an understanding and Google Assistant will soon read out those messages for you and answer them, too.
It may have been a running joke that Google and other companies are hearing your embarrassing conversations or expressions said in the presence of smart speakers and smart assistants but little did we know that reality was far stranger than fiction. It turned out, strangers are actually privy to some, but not all, of those audio clips for the usual sake of improving the service. Governments and regulators, however, are putting that process under a microscope, causing Apple and Google to halt such systems in Europe while they try to evaluate privacy implications and, if possible, work around the legal requirements.
Smart TVs and the set top boxes that make regular TVs smarter offer all sorts of advanced features that go beyond simply changing channels but most of them seem to still be rooted in the past in one important way. The remote control and its dozens of buttons have become an indispensable part of the experience even when it's also the most cumbersome means of control. Some, like DISH' Hopper systems, do offer some amount of voice control and they're getting a huge boost today with the arrival of Google Assistant on their remotes.
Smart assistants can make life easier in a lot of ways, but for folks living with disabilities that limit their mobility, their usefulness can skyrocket. With that in mind, Google Nest has teamed up with the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation to give out 100,000 Google Home Minis to people living with paralysis. Not only that, but the company is making it easier for Google Home users to donate to the Reeve Foundation and help its cause.
Virtual assistants are definitely handy when it comes to things like home automation, but they could still use a lesson in situational awareness. Today, Google Assistant is getting just that, at least within the context of Google Home. Now, when you ask Google Home or Nest Hub to turn off your lights, it won't play its usual response where it confirms that it's turning off said light, but with a simple chime instead.
Google Assistant has admittedly grown up to be one of the biggest examples of the practical use of AI and machine learning technologies today. It lets users accomplish a lot of things on their phones or in their homes without even lifting a finger, literally. It is almost ironic then that the one thing it can't do without unlocking your phone is to send a simple text message. It might be able to do soon if this new A/B testing gets to final release.
It's arguable that Samsung's smartwatches may have an edge over Wear OS devices but there is one thing that Google's platform naturally does better. It does come with better integration with Google Assistant, which is normal considering who develops both software. Owners of Galaxy Watch models can request all they want but they're pretty out of luck. Fortunately, some developers have taken it upon themselves to do the work, like this GAssist app that unofficially brings Google Assistant to these Tizen-based smartwatches.
Google just recently came under fire for what could be a privacy violation involving Google Assistant on Google Home smart speakers. According to the anonymous source, just like Amazon, Google is sending some recordings to human auditors who process and tag the clips to improve Google Assistant. Google doesn't deny the role that these reviewers play in improving the service but also clarifies its stance on the privacy of its processes.
Just three months ago, Amazon was revealed to be sending its presumed anonymous and very private Alexa recordings to humans that listen to and process the audio to help the assistant become smarter. It turns out that it might not be alone in doing so. A new report claims that even Google may be guilty of the same thing, with Google Home recording clips even without the customary "Hey Google" trigger.
Premium audio company Sonos is bringing Google Assistant to its Sonos One and Sonos Beam speakers in another six countries. The rollout follows Google Assistant's initial arrival on these speaker models in the United States in mid-May, enabling device owners to utilize Google's personal assistant in the same way they would use one of the company's Home speakers.