Google could owe you some money, now that it’s moving to settle a class-action lawsuit over how it handled recordings captured when its devices were activated by something other than Google Assistant’s actual trigger word, “Ok Google.” German outlet VRT NWS’s 2019 report exposed the issue, and court filings from last Friday say the proposed […]
This morning, I asked my Alexa-enabled Bosch coffee machine to make me a coffee. Instead of running my routine, it told me it couldn’t do that. Ever since I upgraded to Alexa Plus, Amazon’s generative-AI-powered voice assistant, it has failed to reliably run my coffee routine, coming up with a different excuse almost every time […]
It’s finally happening. Three years after Matter launched, the interoperability standard now includes the most popular smart home devices: cameras. The Matter 1.5 spec, announced today, adds support for all types of video cameras – from indoor and outdoor, wired and battery-powered cameras, to video doorbells, baby monitors, pet cams, and more. Matter support should […]
Google started rolling out its new Gemini voice assistant for its smart speakers two weeks ago and, in a blog post marking the anniversary, the company seems to think everything is going great. It’s even quoting a user who said, “My Google Home just got upgraded with Gemini. It’s actually useful now beyond asking for […]
My front door unlocks automatically as I walk up to it, and the home security system disarms itself – no code or app required. The system has recognized me using the Google Nest Doorbell’s Familiar Faces, and confirmed I’m me using my phone’s location. The dual-factor authentication triggers the automatic disarming and unlocking, so all […]
Last week, Amazon and Google kick-started what could be the next chapter of the smart home. Their new voice assistants, Alexa Plus and Gemini for Home, have been rebuilt from the ground up on generative AI and large language models to be more conversational, understand context, and take actions. This marks the biggest shift in […]
Last week, Google announced a new smart speaker for its AI-infused Gemini smart home platform, but there was no sign of a new smart display. The good news for fans of Google’s Nest Hubs is that Google Home’s Anish Kattukaran tells The Verge the company is “definitely committed to smart displays,” and that they’ll “have […]
Hi! I’m Jennifer Pattison Tuohy (aka Jen), The Verge’s smart home reviewer. I just spent the last week in New York City checking out the new smart displays, smart speakers, smart voice assistants, and smart security cameras launched by Amazon and Google. I haven’t tested any of them yet, but I’ve had some hands-on time […]
Walmart is adding cameras to its in-house tech brand Onn, and these low-cost gadgets were designed and built to work with Google Home and its new Gemini features. The $22.96 Onn Indoor camera and $49.86 Onn Video Doorbell launch today, October 1st, at Walmart.com. Both cameras work with the Google Home app for setup and […]
Following the announcement that it is bringing Gemini to its Google Home smart home platform, it appears the company is updating its Google Home app to incorporate the new features. Android Authority dove into code for the upcoming v3.41.50.3 version of the app and found “a significant redesign.” While the overall UI doesn’t look like […]