Google Assistant may have come after Amazon introduced Alexa into the world, but it’s rapidly making up for lost time. The voice assistant from the search giant is available on everything from your phone to headphones, to smart speakers and even TVs. With over 1 million “Actions” and a rapidly expanding list of supported devices, Google’s smart assistant will soon be everywhere.
Google’s more powerful, conversational assistant for the home is now available on first-generation Google Home Mini speaker and Google Nest Hub display. You’ll need a Google Home Premium subscription to make it work though.
When Google launched Gemini for Home, it put one key feature behind a paywall. Continued Conversation became available only on Gemini Live, which required Google Home Premium.
Starting today, users in Early Access can once again ask follow-up questions to Google’s voice assistant on their Google Home devices without saying “Hey Google” every time, and without paying. Another bonus is that the feature now works with all supported languages and in all regions.
[Google Nest Community Blog]
The arrival of generative AI assistants in our smart homes held such promise; instead, they struggle to turn on the lights.
The 1.5 spec fills a huge gap in the standards’ promise of universal smart home compatibility.
6
Verge Score
Smart security, no hands required.
After years of false starts, the promise of ambient intelligence has arrived, but will it be worth the price?
Amazon and Google just launched a bunch of new smart home hardware and software features this week, and I know you have questions. I haven’t tested any of them yet, but I got some hands-on time with the new gadgets and spoke with folks at both companies about the new features, so come ask me anything! I’ll go live at 1 PM ET.
First look at Google’s new $99 Home Speaker, launching in 2026 with a vastly improved Gemini assistant
An update to Google Home for web lets you control more devices from your browser, including Nest thermostats. A new Devices tab alongside Cameras and Automations tabs now lets you view the live status of and control connected gadgets such as lights, locks, blinds, robot vacuums, garage doors, plugs, and switches.
With Nest stripped for parts, can Google’s new AI-powered Google Home win back users?
The speaker spotted at Google’s Pixel event could be called the Google Home Speaker -- reviving the original branding of Google’s smart speakers, which was dropped in 2019 in favor of Nest.
Code spotted by 9to5Google suggests the new name. The speaker is expected to arrive on October 1st.
This Wired article shows how an indirect prompt injection attack against a Gemini-powered AI assistant could cause the bot to curse in responses and take over smart home controls by turning on the heat unexpectedly or opening blinds in response to saying “thanks.”
In a report dubbed “Invitation is all you need” (Sound familiar?), their Google Calendar invite passed instructions to the AI bot that were triggered by asking for a summary. Google was informed of the vulnerabilities they found in February and said it has already introduced “multiple fixes.”
Google’s AI is rolling out to more wearables, after the company announced it was coming at I/O in May, then debuted it on the Galaxy Watch 8 this month.
Gemini replaces Google Assistant, and should be available from the Play Store for any watch running Wear OS 4 or later that has Assistant. But if your watch doesn’t have Assistant already, you’re not getting the Gemini upgrade.
[9to5google.com]
Increasingly frustrated users of Google’s smart home platform just got tossed a lifeline. After apologizing for Google Assistant’s reliability, the platform’s chief product officer offered this promise:
All the Matter-compatible devices you can buy, plus the latest on the smart home standard backed by Apple, Amazon, Google, and Samsung.
After a recent update, Android Auto now displays a circle with Google Assistant’s trademark four-color bar along its edge when the voice assistant is waiting for a reply from users.
As 9to5Google notes, it bears at least a little resemblance to Siri’s glowing orb, which is set for a glow-up when Apple updates that UI for Apple Intelligence.
As of this week, Samsung TVs released between 2018 and 2021 can’t show a video feed from the Ring Doorbell Pro, according to a support page. The news comes after Samsung also announced it would be dropping its TV’s built-in Google Assistant support as of March 1st, 2024.
Between this and the subscription price increases, it’s been a frustrating week for Ring owners.
[Samsung Electronics America]
7
Verge Score
JBL is the first to make Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant coexist on the same speaker, and it works quite well. But the price you pay for that convenience feels a little uneven.
