Thứ Tư, 5 tháng 10, 2016
The first thing you notice about Google's Amazon Echo killer is how small it is. The second is that it actually looks pretty good. In fact, Google Home, which isn't much taller than the company's larger Pixel phone, looks better than most Bluetooth speakers and far better than Amazon's Echo. It's sleek and mostly white, though it comes with swappable bases. If it weren't for the LED lights that look like patterns for Google Assistant, you could easily forget it's a Google product. There is only one button on Google Home, a mute button on the back that stops its always-on listening. Everything else, however, is controlled via the touchpad on top of the speaker or through voice commands, which you initiate by saying "OK Google." The speaker itself has a range of about 10 to 15 feet, according to Google, so its mics should be able to cover most medium-sized rooms, though I didn't get a chance to test it out at a distance. The touchpad on top controls the volume and music playback and you can also hold it down to say a command if you don't feel like saying "OK Google." Google Home volume controls, here's what it sounds like at full volume. pic.twitter.com/6ucne0n2qF — Karissa Bell (@karissabe) October 4, 2016 The speaker gets surprisingly loud for its size. The demo space wasn't exactly quiet but the speaker didn't sound underpowered. I'm not an audiophile by any means but the music played through Google Home sounded at least as good (if not better) than the Amazon Echo. Additionally, if you have a soundbar or other speaker setup you already like, you can connect it to Google Home via a Chromecast Audio (the speaker doesn't support Bluetooth). This could be a decent workaround for those who want the convenience of Google Home without giving up their existing speaker. Image: JASON HENRY/MASHABLE The brains of the speaker are powered by Google Assistant, the same software baked into Google's new Pixel phones and its messaging app Allo. And you can use many of the same commands with Google Home as you can with the Assistant in other products. Google Home can provide calendar and flight info, news headlines, sports scores, translations, directions and answers to simple queries like "When is the sunrise?" or "How old is the president of the United States?" But Google stopped short of integrating all of its services into it. For example, it can scan your inbox for flight information but it can't read you your emails (at least, not yet). It can tell you about what's on your calendar but can't add a new event to it. Some of this will likely change over time but I could easily see how it could get frustrating to not have access to more of your Google services. Image: JASON HENRY/MASHABLE Home will also work with third-party services, though Google has only announced a handful so far, including Spotify, Pandora, IFTTT and Phillips. This too will likely ramp up in the coming months once the device goes on sale. But, at $129, Google Home looks to be a more than able Amazon Echo competitor. As good as the Echo is, it's far easier to make the case for having access to Google search and services in your home than Amazon shopping (as convenient as it is). And, unlike Google's Pixel phones, it comes at a price that will be hard to beat.
Thứ Bảy, 24 tháng 9, 2016
Amazon might be getting a little worried. Pricing details for Google's upcoming smart speaker, the Amazon Echo-like Google Home, may have just been leaked and they suggest that Google's speaker will be a lot cheaper than Amazon's. The speaker will sell for $129 when it goes on sale later this year, according to a report in Android Police. Google Home, which the company first introduced at its I/O developer conference in May, is a speaker that also has Google Assistant built in. (You can preview the assistant in the company's new messaging app, Allo.) It can also control smart home devices, complete searches and help you manage tasks like managing your grocery list. If true, the $129 price tag would make Google's offering extremely competitive with Amazon's Echo line. Amazon's flagship Echo sells for $179.99 while the portable Amazon Tap costs $129.99 The report didn't provide specifics around availability, just that the Google was set to unveil the price at its upcoming Pixel event in October. But, given that Google previously promised the device would be available in the fall, it seems safe to assume it will go on sale soon after October's unveiling. Android Police also reports that Google will show off a new 4k-ready Chromecast at that event, called Chromecast Ultra. That device will sell for $69, according to the site's sources. A Google spokesperson declined to comment on the report. Mashable will be covering the event live from San Francisco so stay tuned for our full coverage.
Thứ Sáu, 6 tháng 5, 2016
Summoning or parking your car with a tap on your phone is no longer cool. You know what's cool? Ordering a gadget to order your car to do your bidding. That's the result of a "weekend project" by Tesla Model S owner Jason Goecke, who managed to get Amazon Echo to summon his car out of the garage. Goecke did the trick by using an unofficial API (Tesla hasn't released a public API at this point), Amazon Echo's voice assistant Alexa and the Go programming language. In practice, it looks like this: Goecke tells Alexa "Ask KITT to pull out of the garage," KITT being a reference to cult '80s TV series Knight Rider. As the garage door opens and the Model S slowly glides out, Alexa responds, "I will now pull your Tesla out of the garage; keep an eye on it." Goecke admits that the system is too much of a security risk as is, and that additional security measures, such as voice biometrics, could be applied to make sure no unwanted third party can boss your Tesla around. This is not the first Summon-related hack we've seen. In February, iOS developer Allen Wong created an Apple Watch app which lets you summon or park a Tesla directly from your smartwatch. [H/T The Verge] Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.
Thứ Bảy, 23 tháng 4, 2016
Amazon's Echo digital assistant is one of its first bona fide hardware successes since the debut of the Kindle, and now the company is extending the device's reach deeper into Google's territory. Now the helpful little voice-controlled helper can also add events to your Google Calendar. Simply saying, "Add an event to my calendar," or, for example, saying, "Add Jennifer's party to my calendar for Tuesday at 10 p.m." will now add those events via the Alexa software agent. Details were revealed in an update to Amazon's website earlier this week. Before using the feature, you'll first need to enable the "link Google Calendar account" in your Alexa app. Although Alexa has been able to read your Google Calendar to you for a while now, this event creation feature raises the stakes. Specifically, it means that Alexa is beginning to encroach on Google's Android territory, threatening to make the company's "OK Google" digital assistant a mere also-ran for Amazon users who also happen to use Google services. The Amazon Echo was initially seen as something to help you shop and consume content offered by Amazon, but scheduling your day has little to do (directly) with commerce. So this, along with added features like ordering an Uber from Echo, hints at more non-Amazon ecommerce Echo developments to come. However, Google isn't sitting on the sidelines while this happens. Recent reports claim that Google is working on its own Amazon Echo competitor. Meanwhile, the clock has officially started ticking on what other Google digital assistant features Amazon Echo will try to take over in the coming months. Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.