Earlier this week, YouTube introduced several new features to its app with the hopes of making it more accessible and easier to use. The most noteworthy addition was that viewers can now use voice search when casting the YouTube app to their smart TV.
Read More[Update: Official] Google accessibility tool Voice Access exits beta, improves Google Assistant integration
Though the smartphone market is relatively mature (some might even say stagnant), there's been a notable lack of progress on accessibility. The simple fact is that not everyone can easily manipulate a smartphone or tablet's touchscreen, and there aren't a lot of cheap or free ways to make it easier. That's no doubt why, even in a low-profile beta, Google's voice command navigation app Voice Access climbed to more than a million downloads on the Play Store over the past two years. The app was also exceedingly popular on APK Mirror, where the original release was downloaded 1.5 million times.
Read MoreYou can now ask Google Home to play news videos on your TV
The Google Home doesn't have a display of its own, but it's becoming very good at controlling other screens around your house. You can start playback of content from Google Photos, YouTube, and others with a simple voice command, turning the Home into a voice-controlled TV remote. Google has now added the ability to easily watch news videos on your TV using Assistant commands.
Read More"Hey Google" hotword now works for some on phones too [Update]
You know how you can say both "OK Google" and "Hey Google" to Google Home and it will respond to the two hotwords without any discrimination? The same isn't true of Assistant on your Android phone: it only answers to "OK Google." Wait, scratch that, it wasn't true as the command is now working on phones too.
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You can now turn on and off your Chromecast-connected TV with a Google Home command
It's the little things you guys. Sometimes, you're sitting in the living room and you just want to turn on your TV without reaching for that remote. Sure, you can ask Home to play something on your Chromecast, which will automatically turn the TV on, but then it'll start playing something while maybe you just wanted to see those pretty backdrops. And forget about turning the TV off, that just didn't work.
Until yesterday that is. Google published a new support document that explains that you can now turn on and off the TV with Google Home. You'll need to have a Chromecast connected to your TV and for the TV to support HDMI-CEC with CEC turned on (basically this is what allows the TV to turn on automatically through an HDMI command).
Read More"OK Google, what's this song?" is finally coming to Google Assistant
We don't distribute "finally" in titles gratuitously. In order for a piece of news to earn its "finally," it has to be a popular request and one that's been long in the making and, more often than not, it has to be so logical that its absence baffled us. But today, we have a much-earned "finally" for song search on Assistant.
One of the most beloved features of Google Search has long been asking it what's playing to identify songs around you. It works like Shazam or SoundHound, but without requiring a third-party app. When Google introduced Assistant, everyone was disappointed to see what the command didn't work.
Read MoreAssistant voice command lets you take a screenshot and instantly gets it ready for sharing
Assistant's history with screenshots is long and fraught with complications. First, Now on Tap added a screenshot option, then it was removed and re-added when it was renamed to Screen Search, and when the Assistant came, the screenshot option was nowhere to be found but it was added again through Assistant's What's on my screen feature. But it looks like Google has made it even easier to take a screenshot and it no longer requires special know-how.
Simply say or type, "take a screenshot," in Google Assistant, and the nice lady will reply with, "OK, taking a screenshot, touch to continue." The screenshot will appear in the background and the sharing menu will automatically show on top of it.
Read MoreOK Google voice command is broken on Android Auto, but a fix is coming soon
The "OK Google" voice command first came to fruition on the Nexus 5, but it's since made its way across the Google product portfolio. It's especially useful on Android Auto, where it enables drivers to interact with their head units without getting too distracted. Unfortunately, it's currently broken and requires a workaround.
Read MoreChatting with Google: The many ways Assistant replaces or augments OK Google, Google Now, and Now on Tap
Hi Google, it's me Rita. I believe we've met before. Somewhere between Gmail, Google Photos, and Chrome, you must know a lot about me. Things I might not want others to discover, so hushhhh. (There are thousands of people reading us, let's not tell them about my love for Winnie The Pooh.) But our relationship doesn't feel equal; I barely have any information about you. Your new guy, this Assistant you've sent here to talk to me, I'd like to get to know him better. He looks a lot like the other guys you've sent before, Now and On Tap, but he seems special.
Read MoreAmazing site lists nearly every 'OK Google' voice command
Have you ever wondered just how many things 'OK Google' voice commands can do? Wonder no more (or at least wonder less) - a new site called ok-google.io has set about documenting over 150 voice commands for Google on your Android device. Examples include:
- Open [webpage]
- Increase/decrease brightness
- Take a picture
- Show me my messages
- What's my next appointment?
- When is my next alarm?
- Set the volume to full.
And so on and so forth. The site overs a total of over 1000 example permutations for these commands, too. I didn't even know the "increase brightness" one was a thing, or "set volume to full" (max also works).
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