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Google is rolling out some cloud-side change to Google Assistant that will be great additions.  The new updates were announced today with the headliner being that you can now set alarms to sound off with music instead of the default beeping.  To do this, just say “Hey Google, set an alarm for 6 tomorrow morning that plays (insert artist name)”.  This is a much more personal experience but also should prove to be far less jarring when you are woken up by your favorite artist instead of a harsh beeping.

Improvements have also been made in Google Assistant to help you find your favorite television shows.  This builds on some of the functionality that Assistant already has, including the ability to start playing a show from your Chromecast enabled television on Netflix or Google Movies & TV.

In a move that will surprise some, Microsoft has announced that the upcoming Microsoft Office 2019 release will only be able to run on Windows 10 PCs.  According to the announcement, the following platforms will be able to run the perpetual version of Office

• Any supported Windows 10 SAC release
• Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2018
• The next LTSC release of Windows Server

Further, Microsoft will not support MSI installs for Office 2019 but will be installed only by click-to-run technology.  MSI’s will be offered for the server products.

With virtually nothing other than the name revealed, Nintendo has Tweeted that a new Mario Kart game is heading to mobile devices sometime this year.  Mario Kart Tour will be the name of the mobile centric game and it can only be assumed that, like Super Mario Run, it will be a unique, mobile twist on a classic game.

The checkered flag has been raised and the finish line is near. A new mobile application is now in development: Mario Kart Tour! #MarioKartTour Releasing in the fiscal year ending in March 2019. pic.twitter.com/8GIyR7ZM4z

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) February 1, 2018

Obviously, a 13 month window to get an app out is a huge window but clearly Nintendo was wanting to keep expectations low on timing of the release, citing their financial year end of March 2019.

Last month, Google announced that they were going to be releasing an update to Google Play Services to address a network issues caused by the service.  The issue would essentially flood your home network with packets as your phone would continually try to connect to Chromecast devices on it – your Chromecast and Google Home devices specifically.

The update, at the time, rolled out into the beta for Play Services but today is rolling out to everyone.  The new build is version 11.9.75 and should be coming to devices over the course of the next few days.