You can finally make Duo calls with Google Home smart speakers
You can now make Google Duo calls with Google Home speakers. Duo works with display devices like Google Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max in all countries and languages where Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max are sold, and on smart speakers like Google Home, Home Max, Home Mini. You can call speakers in your home, too.
Google Shopping gets a price tracker and a new ‘Buy on Google’ guarantee
Google Shopping is getting a slew of new features to make the retail site a little more robust, including price tracking and a "Buy on Google" guarantee. The latter is an icon you'll see next to certain products, and it means you'll get 24/7 access to customer service, easy checkout, and free returns up to 90 days.
Google’s new privacy update lets you delete Assistant’s voice command history
Google announced new privacy updates that include the ability to delete Google Assistant history and the addition of incognito mode in Google Maps. By saying things like “Hey Google, delete the last thing I said to you," the Assistant will delete your voice command history.
Digital Trends Live: Game streaming wars, Galaxy S11 rumors, and more
On this episode of Digital Trends Live, hosts Greg Nibler and Drew Prindle discuss the biggest trending tech stories of the day, including the battle for game streaming, Google’s “Personal Safety” app, Galaxy S11 rumors, artificial skin may let you feel VR, a Minecraft AR game, and more.
Google’s new Personal Safety app will detect car crashes and call 911 for you
Google is reportedly developing a new app called Personal Safety, which will be capable of figuring out when a user is involved in a crash and automatically alert first responders as and emergency contacts on their behalf. The app will depend on data from the GPS and microphone components.
Google’s Jacquard fabric tech now comes in two Levi’s jacket styles, costs less
Google and Levi's have partnered up again to produce two denim jackets with Jacquard technology woven in, allowing you to make gestures to control functions on your phone. The price of the jacket has been lowered, making it more accessible, and the styles offer up more choice.
Android 10 review: A small but beneficial update
Android 10 is the latest version of Google’s Android mobile operating system, and it brings numerous important changes, from improved privacy settings to a dark theme. It follows Android 9 Pie, and there’s a lot to know about the new OS. Here are our impressions after using it for several months.
Emails show Google’s control over Android thwarted Amazon’s phone efforts
Leaked emails show Google's control over how manufacturers used Android may have contributed to the failure of Amazon's Fire Phone. The emails state manufacturers would be unlikely to license a forked version of Android through Amazon, due to agreements made with Google.
YouTube Music replaces Google Play Music as default app for tunes in Android 10
Google has announced that YouTube Music will now come pre-installed on Android 10, essentially replacing Google Play Music as the default music-streaming app on Android. The service will also now come pre-installed on new devices sold with Android 9.
Now we know what was killing Mac Pros running Avid: Google Chrome
Macs running Google Chrome have been encountering a serious problem where their computer gets stuck in an endless rebooting loop. Luckily there’s a fix, but if you’re affected you mustn’t reboot until you’ve applied the fix.
A hacker terrorized this family through their smart camera and thermostat
A family in Wisconsin came home to a modern-age nightmare: their smart home under the control of a hacker who thought it would be some kind of twisted fun to terrorize them. And they aren't the first. Multiple smart homes have been hacked, and Google says it's because users do not use enough security.
Android 10 (Go Edition) adds encryption, performance upgrades to low-cost phones
Android Go is an offshoot of the Android OS, and it's meant to run on low-cost phones. The latest version, Android 10 (Go Edition), is now available, and it brings performance improvements in the way of faster app launch times. There is also now disk encryption, allowing everyone to enjoy some measure of security.
Android Go: Everything you need to know about Google’s low-power mobile OS
Android is great, but it can be a bit unwieldy for low-powered devices. That's why Google released Android Go, a lighter version of Android meant just for phones with less than 1.5GB of RAM and less. This light OS and a bevy of similarly refined Go apps provide everything a low-powered phone needs.
In a challenge to Apple Arcade, Google Play Pass offers ad-free games and apps
Had enough of ads on your apps and games? Google Play Pass is the latest service from Google that offers Android device owners ad-free access to select apps and games. You also won't see in-app purchases, and won't have to pay upfront fees. At the moment, only 350 apps and games are available.
Huawei says it was forced into leaving Google out of the Mate 30 Pro
The Google Play Store, and all the usual Google apps found on Android phones, will not be installed on the new Huawei Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro smartphones, a situation Huawei says has been forced upon it. While this is a big concern, Huawei is working on several solutions.
The mounting evidence that the Pixelbook 2 will launch at Google’s Oct. 15 event
The Pixelbook 2 may be unveiled during Google’s October 15 event. New evidence uncovered by 9to5Google indicates that a new device may soon be revealed and that it’s most likely a Pixelbook 2 or at least a Made by Google Chromebook. Either way it looks like there’s a new Google laptop coming soon.
The best Google Pixel 2 XL cases and covers
If you want to protect that 6-inch screen and aluminum body, it’s time to shop for the best Google Pixel 2 XL cases and covers. We have picked some of our favorite cases offering different styles and levels of protection. There's a Pixel 2 XL case here to suit every taste or budget, so dive in.
Say bonjour to new Google Assistant voices in a wider variety of languages
Up until now, you could only change the voice of Google Assistant in English, and that option was only available in the United States. This week, Google is giving people internationally another voice option. You can now get a new voice in several languages, including Japanese and U.K. English.
Google Pixel 4 billboard spotted in Times Square shows off new coral color
Google is leaving little to the imagination when it comes to the release of the Pixel 4. The company has a billboard in New York's Times Square that shows off the back of the Pixel 4, as well as a new coral color. The phone will be released at an event in New York City on October 15.
Nest Wifi may be coming with Google Assistant speakers built-in
According to information obtained by 9to5Google, Google may be unveiling a new WiFi router at the October 15 annual Made by Google hardware showcase in New York City. The router is rumored to be called Nest Wifi and is believed to have beacons that double as Google Assistant speakers for voice control.
Google Fi finally gets an unlimited data plan … but read the fine print
Google has announced that Google Fi is finally getting an unlimited data plan. The new plan comes at $70 per month, which is pretty much on par with other carriers. However, there is some fine print to be aware of. Notably, data will be throttled after 22GB, and video may be limited to 480p.
Google got 20 workers in $40M deal for Fossil’s hybrid smartwatch tech
Google and Fossil announced a $40 million deal earlier this year, but little was known about what that deal included. According to a new report from Wareable, Google ended up getting a new hybrid watch technology, along with a hefty 20 engineers that helped develop the tech.
Google will launch the Pixel 4 and other hardware on October 15 in New York
Google has sent out invitations to its next big hardware event, where it's expected to unveil the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL. It's also possible that the company could launch a Pixelbook 2, new Google Home or Nest smart speakers, and more. The event will take place in New York City.
Google Maps adds tools to help people recover from drug, alcohol addiction
Google Maps, as part of National Recovery Month, added two new features that will support people on the path to recovery from drug or alcohol addiction. The first tool marks more than 83,000 recovery support meetings, while the second tool reveals nearby establishments where Naloxone may be obtained.
Google will promote original reporting in its search rankings
Google has announced it will elevate original reporting in search and news results, promoting in-depth news coverage which includes elements of investigation. It hopes that this will draw attention to quality news stories and credit individuals or publications which break news stories.
Google’s latest product is a $1,000 backpack that controls your smartphone
Google has announced a revamp of Project Jacquard, the connected clothing platform that was first found in the Levi's Commuter Jacket. Now, the revamped version of the Project Jacquard tag is available in a new backpack from Yves Saint Laurent -- and it costs a hefty $1,000.
A perfect match? Google Assistant comes to Control4’s Smart Home OS 3
If you use Control4 products, there's a new way to get control. At CEDIA 2019, Google and SnapAV, a producer of A/V, surveillance, networking, automation, and remote management products, announced their new collaboration. This collaboration adds Google Assistant to Control4's new Smart Home OS 3.
Video shows Google Pixel 4 in all its glory weeks ahead of launch
The Google Pixel 4 has been leaked into oblivion, but a few new ones offer perhaps the last details that we hadn't seen just yet. The two leaks come in the form of videos, showing the phone in all its glory and confirming a 90Hz display and the use of a Snapdragon 855 processor.
Gmail for Android finally gets a dark theme. Assistant and Maps likely to follow
With the release of Android 10 to the public, Google rolled out a systemwide dark theme, but a few apps were missing from the list of those that support the dark theme. Now, however, there's one more app to be added to that list -- Gmail now finally has support for dark theme.
Samsung Galaxy Fold’s development paved the way for Android 10 foldable support
According to a new blog post from Samsung, work that Samsung and Google did together on the Galaxy Fold helped pave the way for full native foldable support in Android 10. With native foldable support, other companies will be able to build their own foldable devices without having to worry about Android.
50 U.S. states and territories announce an antitrust investigation of Google
Fifty U.S states and territories announced an antitrust investigation into Google on Monday, focusing on the company’s advertising practices and its control over internet search. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said that Google “dominates all aspects of advertising on the Internet and searching on the Internet."
Tile deepens Google Assistant integration as competition with Apple looms
Tile deepened the integration of its item trackers with Google Assistant, allowing users to ask help in finding their lost things even if their phone is not around. It remains to be seen if more updates are on the way, in preparation for the rumored launch of Apple's own version of the accessory.
Google’s future baby monitor could spy on your kid to alert you before they cry
Could the smart baby monitors of the future send parents a notification when the baby is starting to stir before that first cry? A recently published Google patent details an A.I. that could track the baby's eyes and movements for smarter alerts from a camera like the Google Nest.
Google Pixel 4’s camera will have an even better Night Sight mode, report says
According to a new report, the Google Pixel 4 will seriously step things up in the camera department, offering a new Motion Mode for sports shots, and an even better Night Sight mode that will apparently be able to capture photos of stars in the night sky. The Pixel 4 is expected to launch in October.