Tag Archives: Google Assistant

Music to our ears: “The Voice” is now on Nest Audio

You know that feeling when you’ve overplayed your favorite artist? You know all the songs by heart, and you can tell when each key change is coming. We’ve all been there: a musical rut. It happens to us all, but now Nest Audio and Google can help get you out of it...with a little help from NBC’s "The Voice."


Google is teaming up with "The Voice" to help you explore and find new music—with the new Nest Audio playing a big role this season to help fans and Artists discover and control music using Google Assistant and YouTube Music. Starting today, you can listen to the official playlists with a YouTube Music subscription on your Nest Audio, or on other Google Assistant-enabled devices like Pixel phones and the Nest Hub Max. Be sure to check out the official "The Voice" Playlistto relive—or rather, relisten to—your favorite performances from the live episodes, beginning Nov. 30. 


And for fans of "The Voice," voting is getting a little easier. For the first time ever, you can use your voice to vote for your favorite Artists. Starting Nov. 24, you’ll be able to say, “Hey Google, vote for 'The Voice'” across Assistant-enabled devices like smart speakers, Smart Displays and Android and iOS phones. You’ll even have a chance to set a reminder so you don’t forget to vote during the next episode.  


The music inspiration doesn’t stop there. Starting Dec. 2, you’ll also be able to enjoy the brand new Nest Audio Sessions album, available exclusively on YouTube Music. The album features exclusive tracks from nine female artists from around the world: Ella Mai, Jessie Reyez, Mabel, Shizuku (Polkadot Stingray), BENEE, Tove Lo, Lola Indigo, Joy Denalane and Louanez. Each of these artists recorded tracks from their homes, just for Nest Audio Sessions. Some songs are entirely new, while others are a new spin on the artists’ existing hits. 


We’re also making it easier for you to enjoy this content on YouTube Music. Nest Audio users who have not tried YouTube Premium before can get a three-month free trial of YouTube Premium, which includes access to YouTube Music Premium, so you can listen to the exclusive content on your Nest Audio. 


Nest Audio, Google Assistant, and YouTube Music are here to help you fill your home with music you love—and maybe a few tunes, too.


Our favorite “smart” stocking stuffers this year

It’s never too early to start your holiday shopping. We all know how tough it can be to find that perfect gift to fit all the different people in our lives, and the last thing anyone wants to do is give (or get!) something generic. 

That’s why we’re stepping in to recommend some of our favorite smart devices that come with help from Google. So take a look and see if you can’t cross a few names off your shopping list.

For the fitness enthusiast

Fitbit Sense and Fitbit Versa 3
Staying healthy and active is important, especially with holiday treats around. To help fitness lovers keep track, check out the new Fitbit Sense and Versa 3 smartwatches, which now come with voice support from Google Assistant, starting in the U.S. Just long-press the left shortcut side button and say, “start run” or “what’s the weather?” to easily get things going. And of course, you’re easily able to set timers and alarms and control your smart home devices. When paired with an Android phone, you can also play music on your phone, ask about your sleep or send a text message directly from your wrist.  

Fossil Gen 5E Smartwatch
Fossil’s latest Gen 5E Smartwatches now come in new sizes and styles to fit more wrists at a more affordable price. Powered with Wear OS by Google, you’ll be able to track your progress with activity goals, make hands-free payments and get help from Google Assistant thanks to its built-in speaker. 

Pixel Buds
You can also try out Pixel Buds to get a wireless, comfortable, hands-free experience for listening to music  while you’re shooting hoops or practicing yoga—without reaching for your phone. Just say “Hey Google,” to change your playlist, send a quick text or hear what’s on your calendar. And Pixel Buds are waterproof, in case things get a bit sweaty. 


For the movie or TV buff 

Chromecast with Google TV
Can’t decide what to watch? Give them the all-new Chromecast with Google TV, it has their favorite Chromecast features and now comes with Google TV entertainment experience. Google TV brings together movies, shows, live TV and more from across their favorite apps and subscriptions and organizes them just for you. You’ll even get personal recommendations based on what you like to watch. And with the new voice remote, you can quickly ask Google to find a specific title or search by mood, genre, actor and more. 

More smart TVs with Google
If you grab a new big screen TV from Hisense, LG, Roku, Samsung or Vizio, you’ll also be able to use your voice to get help from Google. There's no more searching for the remote to turn down the volume. 

Bose Soundbar 300 
And for a home theater experience, you can try the Bose Smart Soundbar 300, which you can also control with your voice.


For the music lover

Nest Audio
Nest Audio is our newest smart speaker made for music lovers and powered by Google Assistant. It's full, clear and natural sound can fill any room in your home with your favorite songs, albums and playlists. You can even pair two devices for stereo sound, or create a speaker group with other compatible devices to play music throughout your home. And starting on Nov. 22, you can save $30 when you buy two Nest Audio devices. 

JBL Link Portable
If you’re looking for an on-the-go music machine, there’s the JBL Link Portable. With help from Google, you’ll be able to make music requests, access Spotify, YouTube Music and Apple Music. It’s fully wireless, waterproof and durable so it’s perfect for outdoor activities. 

For the gamer

Stadia
Stadia is a great way to instantly play AAA video games on screens you already own, from laptops to compatible phones, without a console. When paired with the Stadia Controller, you’ll have dedicated buttons that let you capture and stream your game content with YouTube, and another button to use Google Assistant to start a game or quickly get answers to questions.

Xbox Series X and Series S
For those of you lucky enough to get your hands on the next-generation gaming system from Xbox, you can control the console with Google-enabled smart speakers or Smart Displays. Try saying “Hey Google, turn on Xbox,” and “Hey Google, play Halo Infinite on Xbox.” If you own a Google-enabled speaker, pairing couldn’t be easier: Xbox will notify users on the console to link with Google Assistant if they have a Google device in their home (And even if you don’t have the latest Xbox, Assistant will work with the last-generation version, too).

For the minimalist 

Lenovo Smart Clock Essential
If you know someone who appreciates the little things, you should consider the new Lenovo Smart Clock Essential. It’s affordable and has a clear display that shows the time and weather—plus it comes with help from Google. Start your morning with routine by saying "Hey Google, good morning” and it can share things like your meeting schedule, the local weather and a morning news podcast. 


Nest Mini 
And of course, you can make sure you get hands-free help from Google in any room of the home with Nest Mini. Small and mighty, Mini sounds great, is made from partially sustainable materials and comes in four fun colors: Coral, Sky, Charcoal and Chalk.  


A more helpful Google for families this holiday season

As the holidays approach and hopefully bring some much-deserved rest, I've been reflecting on the things we built this year to help families.

We launched teacher-approved apps on Google Play and Kids Space on tablets, both of which help parents and kids find quality content to help them learn, play and grow. We also launched family mode on Duo to keep kids entertained while on video calls with loved ones. And we introduced a host of smart home features for back-to-schoolseason. But the year isn’t quite over—Google Assistant and Google Fi are closing out 2020 with a few new tools for families. 


Say "Hey Google" for ways to keep your family organized at home 

Families turn to Google Assistant for help each day—particularly on Nest Hub Max and other Smart Displays. And just in time for the holidays, we’re adding new features that make it easier to stay on track, entertained and connected with the people they love. With new Family Notes starting to roll out today, you can create digital sticky notes to centralize chores and to-dos so everyone stays on track. Just say, “Hey Google, leave a family note that says defrost the pie,” or “Hey Google, leave a family note that says we’re out of wrapping paper.” 

Family Notes

Family Bell has become a popular way to keep organized throughout the day. And now we’ve added new sound effects and suggested bells on smart speakers and Smart Displays, so your family can get scheduled reminders to start chores, unleash your creativity with art or enjoy quality time together. Simply create a bell by tapping on Family Bell in your Assistant settings, or say, “Hey Google, create a Family Bell.” In the coming weeks, we’ll also add the ability to pause your bells for a single day—or while you're enjoying time off from work or school.

If you’re looking for new activities to try together at home, try asking, “Hey Google, what can I learn with my family?” and choose from one of the learning activities shown on your Smart Display. With content from providers like ABCmouse, you’re sure to find something to enjoy. And be sure to ask, “Hey Google, tell me about the animal of the day” to hear fun facts about a new animal every day, listen to the sound each animal makes and try out the daily creative challenge, like drawing the animal in its natural habitat.

Learning Hub

For families with kids under 13, parents should watch YouTube content together with their kids.

Plus, we’ve added a new “interactive” story category on Smart Displays and phones, so your favorite stories come to life when you say, “Hey Google, tell me a story.” With new interactive stories from Noggin, Capstone and more, you can now flip through pages, decide how the story unfolds, follow along word-by-word and enjoy animations.

Tell me a story

To help families stay connected this holiday season, Assistant users aged 13 and above can now get an easy update on their family’s whereabouts with help from Life360 and Google Maps. Just ask, “Hey Google, where’s my family?” or ask for someone by name by saying,  “Hey Google, where’s Mark?” This feature is now available on Google Assistant-enabled devices including smart speakers (like the new Nest Audio), Smart Displays and Android and iOS phones.

Life360

With their parent's permission, children under 13 (or the applicable age in their country) can have a personalized Google Assistant experience when they log in with their own account, powered by Family Link. And finally, to make it easier to find all of these new features, families will soon be able to quickly access these different tools in one central place within the new “Family” tab on Smart Displays. Keep an eye out as this starts to roll out later this year.

Family tab on Stargazer

Manage phone habits and stay safer with Fi

It’s important to be able to manage your household's tech use, no matter the time of year. During the holidays, your family might be on their phones playing and staying connected with loved ones more than usual. To help everyone stay safer on their phones and build healthy digital habits, Google Fi is rolling out new family features over the next week. These features come included with all Fi plans at no extra cost. 

On Fi, you can block strangers from calling and texting your child on their Android phone by only allowing saved and recent contacts to reach them.

Block calls and text

You can also set a data budget to decide how much data your child can use before it slows down. This not only helps your family practice healthy tech use, but also makes it easier to manage how much you spend on data each month if you’re on the Fi Flexible plan and only pay for the data you use. Being on the Flexible plan can help you reduce your monthly expenses even more if your family spends a lot of time on home Wi-Fi. 

Data budget

We’ve also made it easier to set up Family Link from the Fi app on your child’s Android phone. With Family Link, you can establish digital ground rules like set content filters, limit screen time and manage app downloads. 

Family Link

You can learn more about Google Fi family features on the Fi website. If you’re getting started, you can bring a phone you already own or get a new phone on Fi that fits your budget. Currently, Fi is offering a free Moto G phone after $100 off and up to $199 in Fi credit when you join or add a member to your group plan.

We hope you’ll find these tools useful as the year winds down. Staying connected and creating healthy tech habits are both important, and we’re happy to be a part of helping your family do both over the holidays.

Some gourd, old-fashioned Halloween fun with Google

A socially distant Halloween doesn't have to be antisocial; there's plenty of family fun at home to be had. We're launching several spook-tacular features across our products to help you celebrate. From AR characters and 3D magical cats to Doodle games and Google Assistant riddles--you’re in for a real treat.

Magic cats and Search surprises 

This Halloween our 2016 Magic Cat Academy Doodle is back with a subaquatic shriek-quel! When you visit the Google homepage for the next 48 hours, click the Doodle to join Momo the cat in an underwater adventure filled with new friends, old foes, and spooky surprises. Want to find more hidden treats? Search for “Halloween” and hear from famous chefs on their favorite seasonal snacks. Then, scroll to the search results page navigation on desktop for more. Can you say, Boooooo-gle?
Halloween Doodle

AR Halloween Characters on Google 

What do dressed up pets have in common with ghosts and jack-o-lanterns? They are way too cute to spook! And now (even if you don’t have a dog or ghost of your own) we’re bringing them to life with augmented reality (AR). Search for Halloween, Jack-o-lantern, human skeleton, cat, dog, or German Shepherd in the Google App or on your mobile browser (Android or iOS) and you’ll find these de-fright-ful AR characters on Google. Tap "View in 3D" to see it up close and then bring it into your space with AR. Don't forget to take pictures or videos!
  • AR Ghost.gif
  • hotdog.gif
  • skeleton.gif

Google Assistant riddles, songs and more

Embark on a spooky-themed riddle room adventure when you ask “Hey Google, tell me a riddle” in English in the U.S. People can also ask, “Hey Google, sing the Halloween song” to hear about Google Assistant helping a werewolf, ghost and vampire get their haunting skills ready for Halloween. This song is available in Arabic, French, Indonesian, Japanese, Spanish, English across the globe and Portuguese in Brazil.

Assistant

Want to add some haunted vibes to your home? Just say, “Hey Google, haunt my house” to hear Halloween sounds and music play on your Assistant-enabled devices. If you have smart lights set up, they’ll even flash violet, green and orange. And if you still need some last-minute costume ideas, just ask “Hey Google, what should I be for Halloween?”

Assistant

Nest presents spooky ringtones 

Ding dong! Change up your doorbell ringtone to our “Spooky sounds” theme. This year we added two new sounds, “Black Cat” and “Werewolf” along with our popular ghoulish sounds from last year; ghost, vampire, monster and witch. Ringtones are available globally on Nest Hello through November 1st, 2020.
Nest Doorbell

Google Trends o’ Treats

There are still several socially distanced activities people can do to feel festive for fall. Pumpkin patches, corn mazes and horror movies are the most-searched Halloween activities across the country over the past month. It seems like more than half of the U.S. is searching to carve out some time for the pumpkin patch this year!
Trends Map

And if you’re still looking for that perfect Halloween costume, head over to this year’s Halloween Frightgeist for inspiration and explore what’s being searched across the U.S.

Following the 2020 U.S. Election with Google

With just one week to go until Election Day in the U.S., we’re here to help you to navigate the voting process and follow results after the polls close. As they do every election, Americans are turning to Google to find information on voter registration, polling locations, election results and more.

As we look toward Election Day, we’re working with The Associated Press (AP) -- a trusted source of information on election results -- to provide authoritative results on Google. Similar to previous elections, when people come to Search and Assistant looking for information on election results they’ll find a dedicated feature with data provided by the AP. Simply search for “election results” and you’ll find real-time information on Google, for both federal and state level races, in more than 70 languages. You can also ask, “Hey Google, what are the current election results?” and Google Assistant will share information on mobile, smart speakers and Smart Displays.

AP Results Image

As we’ve done for previous election nights, we’ll feature real-time election night live streams from major news providers on YouTube and link to coverage from news sources on Google Search. You can read more here about how to follow the election on YouTube. You can also check out our 2020 US Election experience on Google News, which lets you follow national and local news, major interviews, and in-depth analysis so you can stay up to date and informed on Election Day and beyond.

In the many months leading up to Election Day, we have consistently focused our efforts on helping voters, protecting our platforms from abuse, and equipping campaigns. In advance of nationwide voter deadlines -- which varied significantly by state -- we helped make it easier for you to find your local deadlines, requirements and voting options. We were proud to partner with the nonpartisan National Voter Registration Day again this year to spread awareness about voter registration and make this information accessible and easy for you to find. On YouTube, we surfaced information panels to connect you with authoritative context about relevant election-related search results, including for searches about federal or presidential candidates, voter registration, and how to vote.

Through November 3rd, not only can you come to Google Search and Maps -- and ask Google Assistant -- for trusted information on how to vote; we’ve also made it even easier for you to find voting locations and ballot drop boxes near you. Just look for “voting locations near me” on Google Search or ask Google Assistant, “Hey Google, where do I vote?” and up-to-date results will surface.

Where to vote

Our global Trust and Safety teams and our Threat Analysis Group monitor our platforms around the clock for potential abuse. Over the past few years, we’ve made numerous changes to secure our platforms and the integrity of elections around the world. This year, we’ve further increased transparency around these efforts: we launched the quarterly Threat Analysis Group Bulletin to provide regular updates on our work to combat coordinated influence operations across our platforms; in June, we shared information about phishing attempts against the presidential campaigns; and just this month, we published the latest update on our efforts to thwart phishing attempts and disinformation campaigns. In addition to the work our own teams are doing, we’ve continued to meet regularly with law enforcement officials and other technology companies to share leads and threat information around suspected election interference. We will remain in close coordination in the days preceding and following the election. And given the possibility of delayed election results this year (and to limit the potential for ads to increase confusion post-election), we made the decision to enforce our Sensitive Events policy as soon as the polls close on November 3, which will temporarily pause ads referencing the 2020 election, the candidates, or its outcome.

In the many months leading up to Election Day, we’ve made it a priority to equip campaigns with the tools they need to strengthen their own security, protect themselves against digital attacks, and reach voters. When the 2020 primaries kicked off, we teamed up with the Defending Digital Campaigns to provide federal campaigns with free security keys, the strongest form of two-factor authentication. Even in the final days preceding the election, we will continue to educate campaigns about digital security and urge them to enroll in our Advanced Protection Program.

As our Election Cybersecurity Initiative with the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School comes to an end, we’re proud to report that the program’s nonpartisan trainers have educated nearly 4,000 participants in all 50 states -- including elected officials, secretaries of state, campaign staffers, political party representatives, state election directors and more -- on the importance of protecting their campaigns against cyberattacks. Moreover, we’ve seen campaigns use YouTube to reach voters in myriad ways over the course of this election cycle: through live-streamed press conferences and town halls, interactive conversations through Stories and Community, and interviews with creators across the political spectrum.

Whether you’ve already voted, are searching for a drop box, or plan to vote in-person at the polls next week, we’re here to help you find authoritative information, vote, and follow live results as soon as the polls close on Election Day.

Our favorite 10 new things coming to Smart Displays

Every day, people ask Google for help with things like catching up on their favorite shows, turning on their garage lights, filling their homes with relaxing music, playing games and even keeping their family on track. As we expect more of our smart home devices, Smart Displays are increasingly becoming a hub that entertains and connects the whole home and whole family, all day (and night) long. 

Today, we’re introducing a brand new experience that builds on the smarts of Google and visual capabilities of Smart Displays. Here are 10 ways these updates make the whole day go a little more smoothly:

  1. A new visual experience to jumpstart your day.As you begin your day, just tap the new “Your morning” page to get things off to a good start. You’ll see things like a reminder for your first meeting, a run down of the morning news and a glance at the weather ahead. This page evolves throughout the day to reflect “Your afternoon” and “Your evening” so that the recommendations you see changes as your day does. 
  2. Entertainment for the whole family.Whether you want to listen to a podcast while you prepare breakfast in the morning or are looking for a TV show to wind down after a long day, the “Media” page will suggest videos or shows to keep everyone in the house entertained, while also offering suggestions from our music and video platforms like Disney+, Netflix, YouTube TV and Spotify.
  3. Control the whole home in one place.The new visual layout also has a “Home control” page, where you can control the connected devices throughout the house (so you can turn off the lights in the bedroom or take a look at who’s at the front door). 
  4. More tools for staying in touch and staying productive.We recently added more ways to stay in touch with friends, family and coworkers on your Smart Display with Google Meet and Duo—and Zoom is coming to Assistant-enabled Smart Displays later this year. Use the “Communicate” page to start a new meeting, call one of your household contacts or even message your kids in another room using a Broadcast card..
  5. Discover other helpful features.While the new visual experience is catered to help you manage your day, we know everyone likes to have a little fun with the device too. Scroll over to the "Discover" page to explore more of what your smart display can do.
  6. Now available: All of your accounts in one place. If you have separate personal and work accounts, you can now set up multiple accounts on Google Assistant devices to see and interact with all of your upcoming events and meetings in one place—without having to switch between your personal or work account. For example, on your Google Nest Hub Max, you can now quickly tap or ask to join your next meeting (“Hey Google, join my next meeting”), whether it’s a personal yoga class or a conference call.  This is now supported on Assistant-enabled devices where you can access your Calendar, like phones (Android and iOS), shared devices such as smart speakers and Smart Displays, and for Google Workspace users enrolled in the Google Assistant Beta Program. 
  7. Make sure you’re always in the picture.Meet on Nest Hub Max will now auto-frame to keep the camera centered on you if you move around. You can also customize how Meet looks on your Smart Display so it’s easier to see a specific person or details in a presentation with pinning, four-person grids and pinch and zoom—coming later this year. We’ve also added new menu options to give you the ability to cancel and reschedule Meet meetings right from your Smart Displays, and you can even send a message to let others know if you need to find a new time or if you’re running late.
  8. Dark theme, now on your Smart Display.Dark Theme changes the color scheme of the interface and reduces light emission, so it's easier on the eyes at night while still providing you with visual and touch access. You can also keep the classic Light Theme or set to “Automatic'' so that the display will adjust naturally based on the ambient light or when the sun rises and sets. 
  9. Choose relaxing sounds for drifting off to sleep.The new visual experience also features the “Your evening” page, where you can select from different relaxing sounds to make going to sleep just a little more pleasant. Maybe you prefer tranquil rainfall or the sounds of crickets, or you can ask Google to choose one for you. A sleep timer will fade out the sound, or you can let it play all night—go ahead, you deserve it.
  10. Finally, start the next day with the new Sunrise Alarm.With Sunrise Alarm—coming to Smart Displays soon—the brightness of the screen will gradually increase starting 30 minutes before your alarm goes off, mimicking the sunrise so you wake up naturally. You can also set different alarms for different days of the week and choose different ringtones for them (because who wants to wake up at 7 a.m. on Saturday!?). The best part? When the alarm goes off, you can just say “stop” without having to say “Hey Google.”



Find voting and ballot drop box locations on Google

This year, searches for "how to vote" in the U.S. are higher than ever before. To make it easier to find information about how and where to vote—regardless of your preferred voting method—we’ve launched election-related features with information from trusted and authoritative organizations in Google Search.  


Starting today, when you go to Google Search and Maps for information on where to vote, you’ll find helpful features that show the voting locations closest to you. On Google, search for things like “early voting locations” or “ballot drop boxes near me” and you'll find details on where you can vote in person or return your mail-in ballot, whether you're voting early or on Election Day. It will also include helpful reminders, like to bring your ballot completed and sealed. 


Just as easily, you’ll soon be able to ask, “Hey Google, where do I vote?” and Google Assistant will share details on where to vote nearby on your Assistant-enabled phone, smart speaker or Smart Display.

Where to vote.gif

After you’ve selected a voting location or ballot drop box in your area, you can click through from Google Search or Google Assistant to Google Maps for quick information about how far it is, how to get there, and voting hours. Similarly, if you search for your voting location in Google Maps you’ll have easy access to the feature in Search to help you confirm where you can cast your vote. 


The official information in this feature comes from the Voting Information Project, a partnership between Democracy Works, a nonprofit, nonpartisan civic organization, and state election officials. Through the Voting Information Project, we plan to have more than 200,000 voting locations available across the country. For places where voting locations are not yet available, we’ll surface state and local election websites. As more locations become available, or if there are changes, we’ll continue to update the information provided across Google Search, Assistant and Maps.

Duplex is getting smarter and making life a little easier

In 2018, we introduced Duplex, our AI technology that uses natural conversation to get things done. Since then, we’ve been exploring how conversational technology can be both easy to interact with and  help people save more time. 

Today, during our Search On event, we shared an update on how Duplex and Google Assistant are helping people in their everyday lives. From providing more accurate business information in products like Google Maps, to booking appointments and reservations on your behalf, to waiting on hold for you, we’re continuing to bring Duplex to new places to make life a little easier.


Keeping local businesses information fresh 

This pandemic has shown us how critical up-to-date local information is, both for people trying to find services nearby and for businesses looking for ways to serve their customers. Whether you’re looking to grab dinner from your favorite restaurant or stop by your neighborhood florist, chances are you’ll check their hours of operation online first, and maybe find out if they offer things like dine-in or curbside pickup. 

To help people find accurate information about local businesses online, Duplex conversational technology is now calling businesses to automatically update business listings on Search and Maps with modified store hours and details like takeout or no-contact delivery. We began using Duplex to automatically update business information and add it to Search and Maps at scale in the U.S. last year. That means business owners don’t have to worry about manually updating these details, and potential customers get access to the most accurate information. When the pandemic started, we expanded business updates to eight countries, and have since made over 3 million updates to businesses like pharmacies, restaurants and grocery stores that have been seen over 20 billion times in Maps and Search. 


A personal assistant to save you time

From restaurant reservations to salon appointments, Duplex powers Google Assistant to help people save time, having completed more than a million bookings since its launch. So whenever you’re ready to dine out again, you can try asking your Assistant to book you a table at your favorite restaurant and let Duplex get it done. 

With Duplex on the web, Google Assistant can also complete tasks on the mobile web that would otherwise take up to 20 steps to complete, like booking a rental car or buying movie tickets. And we’re currently piloting the same experience with things like shopping and food ordering for a faster checkout.

Another way conversational AI helps people save time is with Call Screen, which lets Google Assistant answer unknown calls on Android phones to avoid spam calls. Every month, Call Screen helps save more than 2 million minutes on the phone. And now with Hold for Me, Duplex is powering Google Assistant to wait on hold for you and let you know when someone is on the line. 


More natural conversations

We still have a way to go towards having truly natural-feeling conversations with machines, so it’s exciting to see the great progress across the industry in neural speech recognition and synthesis, and in our own new language understanding models. For Duplex, these and many other advancements translate into significant improvements in quality. In fact, 99 percent of calls made by Duplex today are entirely automated. 

Our ability to interact with technology as naturally as we interact with each other remains a long-standing promise. As Duplex continues to take steps in this direction, we remain committed to developing our conversational technology in a responsible way, upholding the standards outlined in our AI principles and with transparency. For example, we always disclose that you’re speaking with an automated system when making a call. We're excited by how far we've come, and more importantly, by how many people and businesses this technology can help in ways big and small.

From smart clocks to TVs, new ways to get help from Google

One of the things I love most about Google Assistant is how it can automate mundane tasks like setting up an alarm or playing relaxing music, and how it allows me to control devices using just my voice. As more people discover the helpfulness of a smart home, we continue to work with our partners to bring the best of the Assistant experience to your favorite devices. Over the last few weeks, we’ve worked with some of the most popular brands to introduce new devices with Google Assistant that you can try out today. 


A smarter, affordable alarm clock

Smart devices should be easy to use, and it’s even better when they’re affordable. That’s what we set out to do with the launch of the new Lenovo SmartTM Clock Essential now available at major retailers like Best Buy and Walmart. As a follow-up to the very popular Lenovo Smart Clock, the latest version fits just about anywhere in your home, thanks to its smaller footprint. And its easy-to-read 4-inch LED screen display that simply gives you what you need to know: the time, day of the week and weather. Even though it’s something of a minimalist, you’re still able to enjoy all the features of Google Assistant. 

Whether it ends up on your desk or your nightstand, Lenovo Smart Clock Essential packs solid sound for its size and helps you get things done with just your voice. You can say "Hey Google” to set an alarm to kick off a morning routine, control your compatible smart home devices, set up important reminders, get answers to general questions or ask to play your favorite show on your Chromecast-compatible TV. Bonus feature: It has a built-in nightlight so you can get up at night without stumbling around. Just say "Hey Google, turn on the nightlight."


Enjoy Assistant on the big screen or on your wrist 

It's as good a time as any to get cozy with the family and binge your favorite TV and movies. To make it even easier to search what’s available, you’ll now be able to use Google Assistant on Samsung’s latest lineup of Smart TVs, starting in the U.S. and rolling out to more countries soon.

When you press down on your remote control’s mic button, you can use your voice to ask Google to change channels, adjust the volume, control playback, open apps and all sorts of other things. We’ve also made it easier to discover new content, search by mood, genre, actor and get personalized recommendations—for example, you can say, “show me funny movies” to find a comedy. Of course, you can also ask Google to do things like turn on different smart home devices or for information about the weather forecast, and you’ll get answers on your screen.

Samsung_TV copy.png

But you don’t always need this information on the biggest screen in your home. For the moments when you’re looking for quick answers with a flick of your wrist, you can now turn to two new smartwatches. Coming this winter, Google Assistant on the new Fitbit Sense™ and Fitbit Versa 3™ smartwatches brings more convenience to your wrist, making it easy to start a Fitbit Exercise, control your timers, manage your tasks or add something like hand sanitizer to your shopping list–all on-the-go, using just your voice and without having to reach for your phone.  

Music lovers will definitely want to check out the new Nest Audio available on Google Store and other retailers or Xiaomi’s Mi Smart Speaker now available for sale in India, both of which offer rich sound. And for the home theater, you can try the Bose Smart Soundbar 300, which comes with all the helpful voice capabilities from Google. And there’s more in the works as we’ll continue partnering with high quality speaker brands to bring Google into more and more homes.

6 ways your Android is getting more helpful this fall

 

It was only a few weeks ago that we released Android 11, the latest version of the operating system. Today, we’re highlighting six of the latest Google features for Android—available even on older versions—that make your life a little easier and more enjoyable this fall.


1. Do even more with Google Assistant and your favorite apps

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Click on the image above to see the video of Google Assistant working with Android apps

Your Android phone comes with Google Assistant, and now you can ask it to open or search across Android apps. Try saying “Hey Google, send snap with Cartoon Lens” or “Hey Google, log a berry smoothie on MyFitnessPal." We’ve partnered with many of the top apps on Google Play including Walmart, Mint, Spotify, Etsy, and Discord, to do specific tasks unique to those individual apps. Get started by saying, “Hey Google, show my shortcuts.”


2. New ways to connect with Google Duo

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Click on the image above to see the video of screen sharing in Google Duo

When your friends and family video call you with Google Duo, you can now share your screen to browse photos or plan activities together while on the call. If they aren’t catching you at a good time, they can leave a video message, which has automatic captions to help if you have hearing loss or are in a spot where you can’t play audio. Download Google Duo on Google Play.


3. Say goodbye to spam calls with Google’s Phone app


With Google’s Phone app, your Android device will stop spam callers for good and it’ll tell you who’s calling and why. We’ve been working to bring the app to more people, and it’s now available to download for the first time on most Android devices running Android 9 or above. Download Phone by Google on Google Play to get spam protection and other helpful features, and easily connect with friends and family no matter what type of devices they use. 


4. New tools for hearing loss with Sound Notifications

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Click on the image above to see the video of Sound Notifications

Sound Notifications flags important, inconvenient, or alarming noises around you when you have hearing loss or are even wearing headphones. Set up Sound Notifications in the Live Transcribe app, and your phone will flash, vibrate, and provide push notifications when it detects a fire alarm, a door knocking, household appliance beeps, and more. You can also set up your Wear OS smartwatch to vibrate and send a push notification, as well. Download Live Transcribe on Google Play.


5. Communicate with Action Blocks when you don’t use your voice

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Caption: Action Blocks makes communication more accessible

Built for people with cognitive disabilities and age-related conditions, Action Blocks can now be used to communicate short phrases. It acts as an artificial voice for people with cerebral palsy, Down Syndrome, autism, aphasia, and other speech related disabilities. In addition, Action Blocks now incorporates thousands of Picture Communication Symbols from Tobii Dynavox, making it easier to use the Android app alongside existing speech therapy and special education materials. It also now supports Japanese, French, German, and Italian. Download Action Blocks on Google Play.


6. Enjoy the entertainment you love, with a little help from Google

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Click on the image above to see a video of the Google TV app on Android

Your TV isn't the only place for finding and watching entertainment. Starting on Android phones in the U.S., the Google Play Movies & TV app is being updated to Google TV. Google TV helps you discover what to watch with recommendations for movies and shows from across your streaming apps. And with the Google TV app, your recommendations, Library, and Watchlist go with you wherever you are, whether it’s out the front door or just to the other room. Learn more on Google Play. 

Source: Android