Google Assistant no longer needs every ‘hey’ and ‘OK’

At last, you don't have to call out Google Assistant by name every time when you want to issue a command. As promised at I/O, Google has made Assistant's Continued Conversation available for US English speakers using a Home speaker. Enable it in your...

Google Podcasts is pretty but basic

Google has a long and disappointing history with podcasts. With Apple and iTunes, they were always an integral part of the experience. For Android, though, it was an afterthought. Google Listen was barely usable, but basically the only option for get...

Google Home now handles three requests at the same time

Google Home speakers can already perform two commands at the same time. But what if you live in a particularly connected household, where you may need to juggle more tasks? The company has an answer: support three simultaneous requests. So long as...

Did you know that Google Search on Android is a podcast player?

Whether you're listening to the newest installment of a daily podcast you're subscribed to or binging the latest true crime series, being able to pause a podcast on one device and pick it back up on another is a useful feature. And according to Pacif...

Google Assistant’s routines are an easy way to automate your home

Since Amazon's Echo arrived in late 2014, voice assistants have become increasingly important in making sense of the disparate smart home devices like speakers, light bulbs, thermostats, security cameras and more. But in the last few months, Alexa an...

Do you need a smart home hub?

When life gets chaotic, it can be convenient to have all your smart home devices operating on the same wavelength. Achieving this sort of harmony sometimes requires a hub to consolidate the myriad gadgets in your house. But not everyone needs a dedic...