Google's smart home speakers and Chromecasts are great when they work. You can throw any supported content on them and have it play almost instantly, without worrying about hardware compatibility and app availability as you'd have to on set-top boxes or consoles. However, Google's offers are only great when they really do work. That isn't the case for some users, with their Chromecasts and Homes repeatedly disappearing from the Home app, rendering them effectively useless for many cast-enabled apps.
Read MoreChromecasts and Assistant speakers keep disappearing from the Google Home app for some, making them near useless
How to unlink your account from a Google Home or Smart Display, even when not on the same Wi-Fi network anymore
Even several years after its announcement, using a Google Home speaker, or any other device with Assistant, feels a little like participating in a special beta test. Things seem really simple, until they're not. Delve a little beneath the surface and there's a smorgasbord of nuances and quirks, like native smart home integrations versus Actions on Google, or voice-dependent actions versus ones available for all guests, that aren't easy to wrap your head around unless you're as involved with the ecosystem as possible.
But one misstep leaves many of us puzzled. Once a Google Home, Assistant speaker, Nest Hub, or other Smart Display is linked to your Google account, you may not be able to remove it unless you're on the same Wi-Fi network.
Read More[Update: Possibly fixed] Google Homes are having an identity crisis as Assistant mixes US and British accents
Google Assistant keeps learning new languages and can even speak them with the local accent. Indeed, it can differentiate between Canadian, Belgian and, French variants of the same tongue, and also pronounce words in the Queen's English. However, it seems some devices are rebelling by speaking in opposite accents, as users have reported their Google Homes have switched to US or UK English.
Read MoreGoogle discounts Home, Home Mini, Home Max, and Nest Hub smart speakers and display
Although Google's smart home devices have been going on sale several times in the past, the company is currently discounting almost the entire Home range, including the Nest Hub smart display. This is a great opportunity to get an extra intelligent device in your household, or even to buy your first one if you don't have one already.
Read MoreNew Google media device with battery shows up at the FCC, possibly a Home follow-up... or not
Google has been very active at the FCC in May. We've seen the Nest Hub Max get approval, a new mysterious Bluetooth-only device, and now a third product has been approved by the FCC, in the Google Home family. What it is though is a riddle as different parts of the filing point to different explanations.
Read MoreStart setting up your smart home with 26% off Nest Hub, Hello Doorbell, and Google Home Mini bundle, now for $280
If you're thinking of making your home smarter or even improving your game to replace your smart speaker with an intelligent display, you're in luck, as this deal lets you get a nice bundle for $98 less than the regular MSRP. For this price, you'll get a Nest Hub smart display, a Hello doorbell, and a Google Home Mini speaker, which work seamlessly together to make your life easier.
Read MoreGoogle offering consultations to people who are considering buying Google and Nest products
Google wants to sell you a phone. And a speaker. And a thermostat. Maybe a stick for your TV, too. Not convinced? The company is trying to get you to let it convince you to buy its wares with a new product consultation hotline. And if a service rep isn't breathless enough for you, customers in Southern California can even book in-home appointments.
Read More[Update: Color bulbs are out] C by GE announces new Made for Google color bulbs and accessories
C by GE already makes white, dimmable smart lights designed specifically to work with Google Home — there's even a starter kit with a Home Mini — but now the company is adding full-color LEDs to the range, along with some additional smart products.
Read MoreThe Best Of AP
[Update: Available today] Sonos will roll out Google Assistant to the One and Beam next week, 19 months after it first teased it
In October of 2017, Sonos introduced the One speaker with Alexa built in, but it promised Assistant would be coming the next year. Most of 2018 came and went and it wasn't until November that users were able to sign up for a private and demanding beta to test the feature. Then at CES this year, Google teased Sonos compatibility again, but we still had no official date. Thanks to Sonos's second quarter financial report, we now have an official confirmation: Assistant will come to Sonos next week.
Read More[Update: Live, timers too] You can finally just say 'stop' to silence your Google Home and Smart Display alarms
Google is sharing some pretty cool stuff at I/O this year, but this one new feature is certainly among the biggest: starting today, users in English-speaking locales will be able to stop ringing alarms and timers on Google Home and Smart Display devices simply by saying "stop," no hotword required.
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