Google announced a slew of new gadgets and capabilities at its event in San Francisco on Wednesday and while a some are yawn-worthy, many are absolutely amazing (read to the end for “amazing”.)
The event began with advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning, shared updates on existing products and announced some brand new products.
The event was heavily focused on Google’s combination of AI and hardware. Pixel will use the technology to improve photos and videos while Google Wi-Fi will use AI to intelligently connect users to the best Wi-Fi source as they move through their homes and all Google devices feature voice technology that lets users talk to it without “talking like a robot.”
Their voice recognition technology “Voice Match” allows Google devices to respond to requests according to the who the requestor is – it knows who you are and what kinds of information is helpful based on who you are.
Google then announced an update to its Google Daydream View ($99), its virtual reality headset that works with the Pixel smartphones. The updated headset features new colors, lenses and fabrics and a slew of new content including 250+ VR titles.
The next few features at the conference weren’t devices, it was a capability called “Smart Home” which includes “routines” which competes with Amazon’s Echo that also added this capability to create a series of tasks based on a single command into its echo line of devices. By saying “good morning” the Google home could read out your schedule, tell you the weather and play your favorite playlist while turning the heat up, the bedroom and bathroom lights on and kicking the coffee maker into gear. Smart Home can talk to over 1000 brands of smart home devices including thermostats, appliances, lights and security devices.
After an interesting NEST technology ‘internet of everything’ sales schpiel, Google announced an AI improvement for families with kids. Games, learning and better voice recognition for the way kids speak and want to interact.
Then came Google Home Max ($399) with Smart Sound, their biggest and best sounding Google Home device ever. It includes two woofers and two tweeters that can fill the just about any room as it uses machine learning to figure out where the speaker is placed and re-tune the speaker to match the space in which it’s placed. It can play internet streaming music, receive tunes from Bluetooth or plugin aux sources while still able to deliver the Google Home assistant features.
One feature that I, and perhaps only I, found amazing came when Google introduced Pixel Buds, their wireless earbuds for the Pixel Smartphone. Sure, their wireless and sound great, but so do a lot of Bluetooth earbuds. And yes, they allow the wearer to interact with Google Assistant by voice. But, they also, live on stage, translated one language into another AND BACK (1:34:14 in the video above)… in real time. As someone who loves to travel, this feature immediately created a wow moment. Imagine needing to communicate with anyone in a foreign language and all you have to do is speak through your earbuds and your phone translates it into their language and when they respond, the phone transmits their words, translated into your language into the earbuds. Way cool. Yeah… that might be a game changer for me. (yeah, I know, maybe only me.) It can do this in 40 languages.
Lastly, and perhaps leastly, was Google Clips – a leave-alone camera that takes 7-second video of stuff it thinks you might like. Maybe I’m missing the point, but yeah, I don’t get it. Feel free to explain it to me in the comments below. Heck, even Google knew it had no Wow Factor as they cut short the demo at the end of the reveal.
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