Category: Google Assistant

For the second time in less than six months, it looks like Google is going to be revamping the online Google Store.  A report from Bloomberg, citing unnamed sources within Google, suggests that the revamp will have Google Assistant front-and-center in the redesign where Google will sell their devices and those of sister Alphabet companies like Nest.

The move is in response to Amazon and their own digital assistant, Amazon Alexa.  Amazon had a two year start on Google when it came to personal AI-driven assistants, with Amazon still holding an estimated 68% market share with their Amazon Echo devices compared to the 25% for Google with Google Home.  The disparity has the Mountain View company worried and they are going all out to meet Amazon head on in the space.

Continuing the theme of this year’s CES, which is “Google Assistant all the things”, Dish Network has announced that Google’s AI assistant will be coming to customers in the first half of 2018.

“Throughout 2017, DISH took major strides toward building a suite of voice control options for our customers, including a new DISH voice remote,” said Niraj Desai, DISH vice president of product management. “We’re pleased to be working with the Google Assistant to offer our customers the ability to control Hopper’s video experiences through the Assistant on speakers and phones.”

Assistant will be coming to three specific Dish devices:  Hopper DVR (all generations), Joey client (all models), and the Wally single-tuner HD receiver.  Users will be able to use Assistant when it is paired with a Google Home or their phone.

As Google Assistant has grown in capabilities, both natively as well as integration from developer and manufactures, sorting out what Assistant can do has become increasingly challenging.  I have several friends who have Google Home and when they ask me if Assistant can do this or that, my default answer to this point has been, “I don’t know.  Just ask it and let’s see if it can do it.”  Now that is going to change.

Google has turned on a new Google Assistant actions page which, in one location, shows you all of the actions that Assistant can perform.  You will see the over 1 million actions that can be done natively or through 3rd party integrations.

File this one under the “yeah, that makes sense” category.  Google has made a slew of announcements regarding Google Assistant today at CES 2018.  A lot of new products are coming out with Assistant support and with the AI-driven Assistant on over 400 million devices already, it is getting close being everywhere.

Now Google has decided to call your requests of Google Assistant what they really are:  Actions.  Amazon Alexa and Microsoft Cortana have skills.  Assistant has Actions.  Google is referring to anything Assistant can do natively or through a third party integration as an Action going forward.

Home deadbolt and locking manufacture Schlage has announced that Google Assistant support will be coming to their range of Sense Smart deadbolts in the coming months.  It will allow owners of the locks to use Assistant via their phone or Google Home devices to lock or unlock the deadbolt on their homes.

The integration with the Schlage locks and Google Assistant will also allow users to check if they locked the deadbolt.  Using voice commands, they can ask Assistant if the deadbolt is locked and, if it is not, will be prompted on if they want to lock it.  This can be done both inside the house as well as outside.  The idea being, if you were in a rush to get to the office in the morning and can’t remember if you locked the front door, you will be able to ask Assistant if you did and lock it remotely.

For the first time in many years, Google will be at CES in Las Vegas this coming week.  It is the first time the company has had any real presence at the massive electronics show since 2015 but it has been a lot longer than that since they have had a booth.  Not only will they have a booth, a massive one in the Central Plaza, but it looks like they are going to be heavily focusing on Google Assistant during the show.

The company made a blog post yesterday, highlighting the growth of Google Assistant and Google home over the course of 2017.  Assistant is now available on 400 million devices and in a doze different countries.  But the takeaway from the post was the last paragraph.

No matter where you are, the Google Assistant is here to help you make the most of 2018. And next week, we have even more things in store for the Assistant at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. If you’re at CES, stop by the Google Assistant Playground (Central Plaza-21) to check out some of our new integrations, devices, and the newest ways you can use your Assistant

It would appear that next week, we are going to see some announcements about Assistant and, potentially, some new hardware.