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Google has released the December 2017 Android Distribution Report this week.  The report reflects the version of Android on devices that visited the Google Play Store for the 7 day period ending January 8, 2018 and it shows that while Android Oreo was only one of two versions that saw growth for the reporting period, that growth is anemic.  And that is putting it nicely.

Oreo gained just .2% in this month’s report, with both 8.0 and 8.1 accounting for a total of just .7% of device share.  The only other gainer in the report, Android Nougat, gained 3% and now sits at 26.3% for device share.  That moves Nougat into second behind Android Marshmallow as the most widely used version of the platform.

ASUS has announced an update version of their Chromebox will be coming later this year.  The new ASUS Chromebox 3 will be powered by 8th generation Intel Core processors, have DDR4-2400 energy efficient and fast memory, and have HDMI connectivity for 4K UHD playback.

ASUS has indicated that the Chromebox 3 will be available in the second half of 2018, meaning that we have to wait until at least July before this gets to market.  For that reason, the exact processors that will be available as well as the amount of RAM that is standard in the new Chromebox were not disclosed.

Today at CES, Google announced that they are merging Android Pay and Google Wallet into a new app & service, Google Pay.  Google Pay will be the one-stop solution for making purchases online, at retailers, and through in-app purchases such as those found in Airbnb and Fandango.

The new solution has been in the works for the past year according to the Mountain View company and it will not only allow for you to make purchases but to also send funds to friends & family.  That’s the Google Wallet part of the equation for those who don’t recall.

Long time accessories manufacture iHome has announced a new smart speaker powered by Google Assistant at CES 2018.  The new iGV1 looks similar in design to Google Home, albeit a bit shorter, with controls on the top of the device as well as a LED clock display on the side.

The iGV1 is equipped with WiFi connectivity as well as Bluetooth.  It also has a USB-A port for charging devices.  Unfortunately very little else was released about this new Google Assistant powered smart speaker.  It is unclear when it will be available or the pricing.