Google is bringing Google Assistant voice controls to select third-party Android apps, the company announced in a blog post Thursday. Examples of new, app-specific voice commands Android users can take advantage of. Google “Opening and searching within Android apps using ‘Hey Google’ is now available to all Assistant-enabled Android phones,” wrote Google product manager Adam …
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Google on Wednesday unveiled a pair of online products designed to better protect the security and privacy of Google users’ information. The company said it will soon introduce a redesigned critical alert to warn Google Account users when a serious security threat is detected, such as a suspected hack. Unlike alerts that arrive in your email or on your phone, …
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Samsonite’s new smart backpack can connect to your phone and control music and Google Assistant remotely. In a year where many people aren’t commuting or traveling much, it’s a weirdly timed product. But the Konnect-i looks like a well-made but expensive Google-powered backpack ($200 or $220 for the slim or full-sized versions). Google’s Jacquard tech, which weaves touch-enabled controls into …
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I seldom use Google Maps to actually get directions, but I open the app almost every day for other reasons that might not be so obvious. Truth is, Google Maps is useful for a lot more than just showing you how to get from Point A to Point B. Beneath all those Christmas-colored traffic patterns and high-res satellite images hides a powerful …
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Google’s original Chromecast helped popularize streaming to TVs when it first came out in 2013. The $35 device allowed you to “cast” video from apps on your phone, like YouTube, Hulu and Netflix, to watch on a big TV. That’s a common feature in TVs now, but subsequent iterations of the dongle have gained new capabilities like 4K streaming. On Wednesday Google …
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Google introduced the new Hold For Me feature at its virtual Launch Night In on Wednesday. Instead of having to wait for ages when you’re placed on hold — listening to bad elevator music — the new feature lets Google Assistant do it for you. When someone comes on the line, Google will alert you. Google’s Hold for Me feature …
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Pricing not available With the $950 (£799 or about AU$1,350) Xperia 5 II, Sony is essentially selling a more compact, more affordable version of the Xperia 1 II, which Sony released in May. Sony packed the Xperia 1 II with photo and video tools from its popular Alpha line of full-frame mirrorless cameras, and for $1,200 the phone targeted creative types who …
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For months, we’ve been hearing rumors that a new Google Chromecast streamer was in the works. Code-named Sabrina, the device was reportedly being built around a revised and full-fledged Android TV interface, with a debut planned for fall. Now, weeks ahead of the Sept. 30 virtual event where we expect it to debut, a new leak posted on the German …
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Zoom is expanding its massive video chat presence to several smart display devices, as COVID-19 cases continue to spike across the US and keep many people working and socializing from home. In the coming months, you’ll be able to video chat on Zoom via your Amazon Echo Show devices, Google Nest smart displays and the Facebook Portal, the company said in …
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Google’s smart audio news playlist, “Your News Update” — which previously launched on Google Assistant — is arriving on Google Podcasts. The move makes it easier for listeners to find news that’s timely and relevant to them, according to a release from Google on Wednesday. To use the Your News Update feature, open the Google Podcast app and choose the Explore …
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