Google is currently the subject of allegations of lyric-lifting by the song lyrics site Genius. The folks at Genius suggested that the work they'd put into transcribing and/or attaining song lyrics from artists was essentially copied and pasted by Google in a "Knowledge Panels" feature in Google Search. Google responded once yesterday and again today with similar information on the subject.
The Google Assistant continues its spread, with Google's much-appreciated Waze app adding support for the voice technology in the name of better avoiding traffic - or reporting it. Waze relies on driver reports of traffic congestion, road issues, and other factors that might affect motorists, but until now it has demanded you take your hands off the wheel in order to submit them.
The Lenovo Smart Clock is undoubtedly the cutest smart display out there, but it takes more than soft-touch charm to earn a spot on the nightstand. The $79 addition to the company's smart display range is now the cheapest way to get the Google Assistant with a touchscreen, but it's actually an unexpectedly different experience in use than, say, a Google Nest Hub.
When people talk about smart homes and smart appliances, most probably imagine smart lighting, smart speakers, or maybe even smart washing machines. Few might think of connected refrigerators and fewer will probably think of ovens and microwaves. Yet that is exactly the kind of future that GE Appliances is trying to push with its Wi-Fi enabled appliances, including microwaves that can now respond to "Hey, Google".
Google Assistant turns three this year. Whether you love it or not, it’s the AI for everyone. Google’s intelligent little helper has been powering almost every other smartphone for the past few years, getting better and smarter each day. Despite its dominance on mobile devices, Google shows no signs of slowing down. Aggressive marketing, widespread device integration and new innovations show where Google is placing its eggs.
Obsequious, coy, and above all female virtual assistants like Alexa, Siri, and the Google Assistant are a widespread example of sexism, a new UN report argues, blasting gender bias coded into tech products. The use of default female voices for digital assistants, and their programmed reactions to insults and inappropriate requests, could be contributing to a growing gender gap, it's suggested.
Finding something to eat is difficult enough without having to browse through the various services that would like to deliver it to you. There are a lot of them these days too, so Google is trying to streamline the food delivery process by surfacing new features in Search, Maps, and Assistant when you look for food, hopefully decreasing the time between that initial search and when it shows up at your door.
It was more than a year ago that Google started rolling support for transit tickets into Google Wallet, and now it's looking to further simplify the process of riding public transit. Today, Google announced a new "pay-per-ride" feature for Google Pay, meaning you can use your phone to pay for single-ride tickets instead of buying multi-ride passes ahead of time. Going hand-in-hand with this update to Google Pay are a new transit-related features for both Google Maps and Google Assistant.
Google Duplex, the AI-powered restaurant reservation service which made headlines last year, relies on humans to make calls more often than you might think, new tests have revealed. Google unveiled Duplex at I/O 2018, wowing attendees with a demo of its AI-powered Assistant calling a restaurant and discussing a reservation with staff there, all apparently independent of the human user.
It would appear that Comcast wants to monetize your health. Word this afternoon is that Comcast is working on a smart home device not unlike that of the Amazon Echo and/or Google Home. Smart home speaker is the name of the game, and Comcast is aiming at making cash via hospitals. If they can keep you out of the emergency room, surely they deserve compensation for your health - and the health of your grandmother?
Bose smart speakers are getting a Google Assistant upgrade today, with the company's connected models adding Google's helpful AI, though you may want to wait until the summer for the newest Bose hardware. The update is being released today for existing Bose models, including both standalone smart speakers and the company's range of connected soundbars too.
At I/O 2019 last week, Google announced that Nest would be its single brand not just for existing Nest products but also for its other smart home devices, like the Home smart speakers. It was meant to consolidate the branding strategy and lessen confusion but, as with any reorganization, it produces more confusion at the start. Now Google is providing details on how that transition will proceed, especially with the Works with Nest platform.