Any hope that Google might have had for keeping the design of its newest web-connected speaker a secret was blown out of the water today by the good folks at Walmart who inadvertently posted the device on Walmart.com for all the world to see, a day in advance of Google’s press event. [More]
Google Home
‘South Park’ Screws With Viewers’ Google Home, Echo Devices
By 9.14.17
Fans of the show South Park who watched the season premiere last night got more than the usual fart jokes and foul-mouthed rants: Amazon Echo and Google Home devices were woken up throughout the episode, triggered by commands from the characters. Of course, hilarity — or headaches, depending on your point of view — ensued. [More]
Best Buy Is Now A Showroom For Amazon, Google Home Products
By 6.28.17
How quickly tides turn. Not that long ago, Best Buy looked upon Amazon and Google with disdain, angry that “showrooming” customers were coming into Best Buy stores just to look at products that they would then — sometimes while in the store — purchase online for less. Now Amazon and Google have turned to Best Buy to showroom their growing array of devices.
[More]
It’s Not Just You: Google Home Users Report Widespread Problems
By 6.5.17
If you’ve been having issues getting your Google Home to respond to your commands recently, you’re not alone: Many users reported issues over the weekend, and Google says it’s looking into the problem. [More]
Google Assistant Now Works On iPhone
By 5.17.17
While Apple’s iPhone apps don’t cross over onto Google’s Android devices, an array of Google apps have long been available for iOS, and today Google confirmed that its virtual Assistant service will soon be sharing space on your iPhone next to Siri. [More]
Google Home Now Recognizes Specific Users’ Voices, Allows For Multiple Accounts
By 4.20.17
In a move to differentiate its Google Home voice-activated assistant from competitors like Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, or Microsoft’s Clippy (yes, we know it’s Cortana, but we prefer Clippy), Google has tweaked its Google Home assistant to allow for multiple users, each of whom can supposedly be uniquely identified by their voice. [More]
Google Blocks Burger King Whopper Ad From Triggering Google Home
By 4.13.17
Well, that was quick: Soon after Burger King launched a new ad designed to force any Google Home devices within range to wake up and spit out a list of the Whopper’s ingredients, Google has apparently disabled the functionality that triggers the devices. [More]
This Burger King Ad Forces Your Google Home Device To Tell You About Whoppers
By 4.12.17
You might think you’re the master of your own home, controlling all the internet-connected devices within it and bending them to your will with the touch of a button or an uttered command. But Burger King is trying to sneak into your home through the TV with a new ad that tries to trigger the voice-activated Google Home. [More]
The Internet Is Transfixed By The Wonderfully Pointless, Surreal, Circular Debate Between Two Google Home Devices
By 1.6.17
Hundreds of thousands of people have tuned in to Twitch today to be amused, befuddled, and delighted (often at the same time) by the Internet of Things’ version of a dog chasing its own tail — two Google Home hubs speaking to each other about everything and nothing, with no immediate end in sight. [More]
Google Wants You To Switch From iPhone; Announces Home, Pixel Pre-Orders Start Today
By 10.4.16 — Updated: 10.5.16
In an event today in San Francisco, Google executives announced some of the worst-kept secrets in tech since the iPhone 7 turned out to exist. And although everyone expected the Pixel phone and Google Home to be today’s showcases, Google still managed to cram a whole lot into its 90 minutes… including a whole lot of not-so-subtle digs that anyone who wants to walk out on Apple might find today’s the time. [More]
Google Launching Home AI Competitor To “Accidental Winner” Amazon Echo This Week
By 10.3.16
If growing up on Star Trek: The Next Generation reruns taught us anything, it’s that the future would be brought to us by computers that could recognize our voice commands and do whatever we asked. And while none of the products on the market today sound like the late Majel Barrett-Roddenberry, we are still surrounded by machine-generated female voices that answer our questions, queue up our favorite tunes, and dim our room lights on request. But the dominant player in that space is one that, just a few years ago, nobody would have expected — because it’s Amazon, not Google, connecting homes. [More]
Apple Reportedly Looking To Create Competitor To Amazon Echo
By 9.23.16
With the iPod, iPhone, and iPad, Apple led the charge to make new personal digital products accessible, popular, and now all but necessary. But the electronics giant may now be playing catch-up to Amazon in the connected-home market, as the e-tailer’s Echo device and its various spinoffs become more affordable and functional. Now comes news that Apple is looking to build a connected-home speaker/assistant of its own to go head-to-head with Echo. [More]
All Those Smart Devices That Listen To Your House May Be Unlawfully Violating Kids’ Privacy
By 5.26.16
“The walls have ears” used to be a metaphorical expression. These days, as the era of the Internet of Things dawns and marches on apace, it’s becoming a little more literal every day. And while that’s all well and good for the adults who buy and install a device in their home, it might not be quite so legal for the house to listen to their kids. [More]
Google Home Will Try To Be More Conversational, Flexible Than Amazon Echo
By 5.18.16
As expected, Google pulled back the covers today on Google Home, the combination WiFi music speaker, voice-activated personal assistant, and connected-home control console that it intends to go face-to-face with Amazon’s Echo device. While Google did not reveal a price for Home, it did detail some of the features it expects to make the product competitive. [More]
