Sound Search in Google Assistant is slowly but surely getting better

There’s a lot going on with the Google Assistant — let’s break down the important stuff.

In May 2016, we got our very first taste of the Google Assistant with the debut of Allo. The Assistant was a big draw to Allo at the time, with Google marketing it as a helpful bot that could make restaurant reservations, search the web, and more within your conversations.

Since then, the Assistant has gained heaps of new features and expanded to smartphones, tablets, speakers, and more. Google’s shown no interest in slowing down development for the Assistant, meaning that it’s likely here for the long-haul.

Whether this is your first encounter with it or you just need a quick refresher, here’s everything you need to know about the Google Assistant.

The latest Google Assistant news

September 16, 2018 — Google details improvements made to Sound Search

Now Playing was a nifty little feature when it debuted on the Google Pixel 2, and Sound Search through Google Assistant paled in comparison to it. Google AI knows there’s still plenty of work to be done with Sound Search, but have shared some of the steps they’ve undertaken in the last several months to try and improve the Sound Search on Google Assistant and the Google app, including:

• Detailing of Now Playing’s musical fingerprinting system through embeddings to match a sound sample against a vast database
• Leveraging server-side resources and procession power for Sound Search to increase accuracy and speed of song matching
• Weighting the song sample catalog by popularity so that popular songs match quicker and obscure songs need higher levels of embedded matches to trigger a result

Google AI admits that trying to replicate the accuracy and success of Now Playing, which matches on-device against a small database, against a Sound Search sever-side database that’s 1000 times bigger, is not without difficulties that they’re continuing to work through, but they claim that they’ve already seen marked improvement to Sound Search in the last year. The challenges of identifying sounds in noisy environments like a crowded dance floor or sporting event are still being worked through, but knowing Google, it can only get better.

Read Google AI’s full Sound Search journey

September 11, 2018 — Google Assistant now supports Danish and Norwegian languages

Increased language support is always something we love to see with the Google Assistant, and most recently, everyone’s favorite AI can now speak in Danish and Norwegian.

The official Assistant pages are now live in both languages, but as we see with all of these rollouts, it may take some time for it to reach your devices. To check and see if the Assistant’s arrived for you, simply hold down the home button on a phone that’s set to either language and see if you’ve got the Assistant UI instead of the old Google voice search one.

September 10, 2018 — Disney doubles its Google Assistant content with three new games

Google Assistant can help your kids with questions about their homework or the universe, can help remind you and your kids when you need to get going for soccer practice, and it can even tell them a bedtime story. Disney is bringing a little more magic to the Google Home and beyond with three new Google Assistant activities.

• Maui’s Music Game lets kids help Maui defeat monster and reunite with Moana after getting separated from his hook in Lalotai, the Realm of Monsters. While playing, you’ll be rewarded with musical conch shells that play music from the film. You’re Welcome!
• Disney Princess brings you along on a daily adventure with one of your favorite princesses. Help Ariel learn what human world objects are called, navigate Jasmine through a horse race, and hear fun stories from Cinderella and Tiana. You can also get nerdy with Belle answering her questions about your favorite books.
• Toy Story Freeze Dance gets active with an interactive dance game that initiates you as one Bonnie’s new toys. Learn the moves and the meaning of being a toy, but make sure you pay attention, because at any moment, you could have to FREEZE! to avoid exposing the biggest secret in toydom.

These games are designed for Google Home, but you can also play them on phones and Google Assistant-enabled Chromebooks and TVs, as well as those nifty new Smart Displays. These games join Disney’s current Google Assistant offerings:

• Mickey Mouse Adventure
• Cars Adventure
• Belle’s Castle Adventure
• Star Wars Trivia Challenge

August 21, 2018 — “Hey Google, tell me something good” now dishes out “good news”

Staying up to date on all of the current news is important no matter who you are, but with everything going on in our world, sometimes it’s easy to feel like nothing good is happening. In an effort to bring “good news” to light, Google’s launching a new Assistant command in the U.S.

When talking to the Assistant on your phone, Google Home, or Smart Display, you can now say “Hey Google, tell me something good” to hear about how people are solving real issues all around us.

Google partnered with Solutions Journalism Network for this feature, and per Google, solutions journalism, “highlights how problems are solvable and that doing better is possible.”

If you’re in the U.S., you can try out this command starting today.

August 14, 2018 — Pandora Premium now supported by Google Home and Smart Displays

Users have been able to stream Pandora through Google Home speakers for quite some time now, but starting today, you’ll be able to link your Pandora Premium account so you can listen to specific, on-demand songs/playlists in addition to the service’s popular radio stations.

Pandora Premium costs $9.99/month like the majority of its competitors, but if you own a Google Home, you can get a free 90-day trial to test out the service before handing over any of your hard-earned cash.

You can start listening to Pandora Premium on the Google Home, Home Mini, Home Max, Lenovo Smart Display, and other Google Assistant speakers right now.

August 9, 2018 — Deeper, more specific news coverage is now rolling out

Pretty much since the Assistant’s inception, you’ve been able to say “Hey, Google, what’s the news?” to get a quick overview of all the big headlines for any given day.

Starting today and rolling out to users across the U.S., you can now ask the Assistant about news for specific topics, such as “What’s the latest on NASA?” or “What’s the news on the women’s national soccer team?”. Asking these questions on a Smart Display will pull up related YouTube videos while audio-only speakers such as Google Home will read out excerpts from news articles.

Additionally, this command will also be available for Android Auto, Android phones, and Assistant-powered headphones like the Bose QC35 II.

August 3, 2018 — Google Home can now understand what room it’s in for contextual light controls

That title might make this not sound all that exciting, but this is actually pretty cool.

Up until now, asking your Google Home to “turn on the lights” or “tune off the lights” without specifying a certain room would result in every single connected light being turned on/off. However, a new update now allows the Google Home to only control the lights in the same room as it when this command is issued.

For example, if you have a Google Home assigned to the same room as the smart lights in your living room, asking that Google Home to turn on the lights will only activate the bulbs in the living room. You can still specify rooms with your voice, but this update should make these interactions a lot more natural.

Following numerous Redditors discovering this feature, Google confirmed to Android Police that this is indeed rolling out to users and will be making its way to everyone over the coming days.

July 27, 2018 — You can now schedule custom routines for specific times/days

Building upon Custom Routines that were added to Google Assistant earlier this year, users can now schedule these routines to go off at a certain time/day. Previously, custom routines you made could only be used after saying a specific command.

While creating a routine, you’ll now see a new “Set a time and day” option under the “When” section. Here, you can choose the time you want it to play and what day(s) it should repeat.

There are a lot of ways to take advantage of this, with one example being to have your coffee pot turn on, crank up the AC, and hear about the weather as you’re waking up without having to ever speak to your Google Home. Neat!

July 26, 2018 — Dutch is now an officially supported language

Good news, Dutch speakers! As of July 26, 2018, Google’s confirmed that the Google Assistant now speaks Dutch as one of its official languages.

Assuming you’ve got an Android phone running Marshmallow or later, you can now access the Assistant to ask it questions about the weather, create calendar appointments, control smart home devices, and more.

In addition to your phone, you’ll also be able to use Dutch on the Google Home later in the year once the smart speaker goes on sale in the Netherlands.

July 17, 2018 — New Google Assistant page shows commute times, packages, upcoming flights, and more

Starting today, the Assistant on your phone is getting a big visual overhaul. After prompting the Assistant, tap the icon near the top right that previously opened up the Explore page for finding new Assistant actions and it’ll now show a visual overview of your day.

Similar to old Google Now cards, this page shows things like your commute to work, the current weather, upcoming flights, packages that are on their way from recent online orders, calendar appointments, and much more.

In the near future, Google says it’ll let you see a quick overview of notes/lists from Google Keep, Todoist, Bring!, and more, a discovery page that’ll help you find nearby events/activities, reminders of where you last parked your car, and recommendations for songs and podcasts the Assistant thinks you’ll like.

This new interface is rolling out today and is available on Android and iOS for all languages the Assistant supports.

July 10, 2018 — Google updates the UX for selecting the Assistant’s voice

During Google I/O this past May, four new voices were added to the Assistant’s existing male and female voices to help give it some more personality. Starting today, English users in the United States will see a new user interface when changing the voice.

With the new UX, users will now see a horizontal row of colors that denotes each voice rather than a vertical list of Voice 1, Voice 2, etc. The colors are entirely random and consist of Red, Orange, Amber, Green, Cyan, Blue, Purple, and Pink.

Google says the new look should be live for everyone by the end of the week!

July 10, 2018 — Deezer Premium is now supported on Google Homes in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and Italy

Deezer may not be as popular as rivals like Spotify and Pandora, but for subscribers of the paid Deezer Premium service, you’ll be happy to know that you can now listen to all of your Deezer songs and playlists through your Google Home.

Deezer Premium streaming has been available through Google Home since August 2017, but it was initially only live in France and Germany. This was later expanded to the United Kingdom in April of this year, and with this latest rollout, Deezer Premium now works on Google Homes that are in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Italy.

To link Deezer Premium to your Google Home, open the Home app, go to Music, and link your Deezer account.

The service regularly costs $9.99/month, but if you’re a new member, Google’s offering three months for just $0.99. If you want to take advantage of this offer, it’s good until September 20.

June 26, 2018 — All Google Home speakers now support Spanish

While users have been able to talk to Assistant in Spanish on their phones, we’re just now getting the ability to do the same on Google Home speakers.

Now, users in the United States, Spain, Mexico and other countries can choose to speak to Google Assistant in Spanish. If you want to change what language Google Home uses, open the Home app on your phone. The tap Settings -> Preferences -> Español.

All Google Home Speakers now support Spanish

June 12, 2018 — Google Home can now handle up to three commands at once

It can get old trying to ask multiple questions to our smart speakers — “What’s the weather” and “How’s my schedule” — but nowGoogle Home can understand up to three commands. Now, you can get your calendar, find out the weather and start playing music by only saying “Okay Google” once.

Another new feature is support for Multiple Actions. So now, instead of asking, “What’s the weather in New York and the weather in San Francisco?”, you can ask, “What’s the weather in New York and San Francisco?” This is a subtle change, but it makes conversing with Google Assistant much more like conversing with a human.

Google Home can now handle up to three commands at once

May 9, 2018 — Google announced a heap of new features at I/O

To little surprise, the Google Assistant was the star of the show for a good chunk of I/O’s opening keynote this year.

A lot of new features were announced for the Assistant, including new voices, the ability to ask follow-up questions without having to say “Hey, Google” each time, and an option for making your own custom Routines.

However, the most exciting thing was a system called Google Duplex. With this, the Assistant can call businesses and make appointments/reservations on your behalf. It’s wickedly cool and definitely one of the wildest things to come out of this year’s conference.

What’s new in Google Home and Assistant at Google I/O 2018

All the important details

Google Now paved the way for Google Assistant

The Google Now page compared to the new Google Feed.

Before there was the Google Assistant, we had Google Now. Google Now was introduced to the world all the way back in 2012, offering contextual info through the Google Now page and helpful answers to random questions with an “OK Google” voice command.

A lot of what made Google Now so great can still be found in the Google Assistant today, with the exception of the Google Now page. The Google Now page used to be home to cards showcasing the weather, information on packages that had shipped from online orders, boarding passes, and more. It’s since been replaced by the Google Feed – a collection of news stories Google thinks you’ll be interested in – and it’s definitely the biggest departure between the two services.

The Google Assistant as a whole is still more powerful than Google Now ever was, but long-time Android users like myself are still mourning the loss of that Now page. RIP, old friend.

Read more: Google Now is being left to wither and die as Google Assistant takes the focus

It’s available on just about everything

In just a few short years, the Google Assistant’s gone from being exclusive to a now-failed chat app to being integrated into just about anything you can think of.

You’ll find Google Assistant built right into most Android phones, it’s the star of the show for the Google Home lineup, and it’s even making its way into sound bars.

Here’s the full list of devices with Google Assistant

Setting up the Google Assistant is as easy or complex as you want

When you set up a device for the first time that has the Assistant, getting started is pretty simple. Accessing it is just a voice command or tap away depending on what gadget you’re using, but if you want to really fine-tune your experience, Google’s got you covered.

Take a quick dive into your Assistant settings and you’ll find options for just about everything – including your weather preferences, changing the Assistant’s voice, retraining your voice model, picking out preferred news sources, and much more.

How to set up and customize Google Assistant

Google Assistant is available in multiple regions and languages

Of course, a smart voice assistant isn’t any good if you can’t actually use it. Fortunately, Google Assistant will be available in 52 countries —adding 38 countries this year — and 17 languages by the end of 2018.

More: Google Assistant will expand to 38 countries and 17 languages in 2018

Google Home’s the premier way to get the Assistant in your house (at least for now)

It’s great to have the Google Assistant on your phone, but if you want to truly experience just how helpful it can be, you’ll want to consider picking up a Google Home.

Google Home is Google’s line of smart speakers that put the Assistant on full-display, allowing you to control smart devices, ask random questions, set timers, play music, and more by just using your voice.

You can spend as little as $49 for the Google Home Mini, $129 for the original Google Home, or a whopping $399 for the Google Home Max.

However, as great as the Home series is, don’t forget that Smart Displays are just on the horizon.

Announced at CES 2018, Smart Displays are essentially smart speakers with the Google Assistant and a touch screen display that can show you helpful visuals when talking to them. It’s basically Google’s answer to the Amazon Echo Show and Echo Spot, and we can’t wait to see more from them.

Everything you need to know about Google’s Home speakers

Then again, is an always-listening speaker the right fit for your home?

However, the convenience of a Google Home (or any smart speaker for that matter) does come at the cost of privacy. Speakers like the Google Home are “always listening”, meaning they’re constantly on the lookout for a hot word to know when you’re talking to it (such as “Ok, Google” and “Hey, Google”).

This means the microphone on a Google Home is always active, but it’s not necessarily storing all the audio it hears when it doesn’t detect its hot word.

Most all speakers allow you to restore some privacy by being able to mute the microphone, but if you want to start asking the Assistant questions, you’ll need to unmute it first.

To learn more about these “always listening” speakers, I’ll pass the mic over to Jerry

Big upgrades are coming to the Assistant on Wear OS

Switching gears for a second, the Google Assistant on Wear OS (formerly Android Wear) is about to get a big upgrade.

In the near future, the Assistant on Wear OS will support Assistant Actions (basically apps for the Assistant) and give you the option to hear its responses through your watch’s speaker or a pair of connected Bluetooth headphones.

Along with this, Google will be adding something called “smart suggestions.” After asking the Assistant for the weather, for example, you’ll see little bubbles for “weather tonight”, “use celsius”, and more so you can continue the conversation with just the tap of your finger. Google Assistant on Android offers something similar, and it’s a great tool to have.

IFTTT supercharges the Assistant’s usefulness

IFTTT (If This Then That) is a powerful online tool that allows you trigger something (that) if a certain event (this) happens. You can connect IFTTT to the Google Assistant to create your own recipes using this formula, and it can allow for some incredibly helpful combinations.

Some of our favorite uses for IFTTT and the Assistant include adding contacts to your Google account, setting your Google Calendar status to Busy for a certain period of time, and much, much more.

Getting started with IFTTT can take some time and patience if you’re new to it, but once you’re all set up and ready to go, it can prove to be a lifesaver.

How to connect Google Home and IFTTT to do amazing things with your connected tech

You’ll get the same experience no matter what devices you use

With so many devices capable of running the Assistant, it’d be easy to think that the experience you get on one gadget would be different from another. This is something that Google struggled with for a while at first, but we’re finally in a position where the Assistant experience you get on a smart speaker, for example, is the same you’ll get on your phone.

There are a handful of features here and there that still create for some discrepency, but for the most part, the Assistant you use on your Pixel 2 is the same one found on Google Home.

Google Home and Google Assistant finally offer the same experience

Google Duplex is actually going to be a thing

Google showed off Duplex — Google Assistant making natural-sounding phone calls on your behalf — at I/O 2018, but quickly noted that it was just an experiment. Flash forward a couple months, and Google announced that certain users have started testing Duplex, and a public release will be here in the next few months. Before you know it, Google Assistant will be able to book hotels, dinner reservations, hair appointments and more without you lifting a finger.

More: What is Google Duplex?

Updated July 2018: Added the Google Duplex and language support sections, as well as links to recent Assistant news.

Where to buy discontinued limited edition PlayStation 4 consoles

On the hunt for a limited edition PS4 that is no longer available? Try looking here.

The PlayStation 4 has been out on the market for quite a while now. This means there has been a vast multitude of special edition, limited release consoles put out on to the market. There have been so many that it’s honestly a bit hard to keep track of.

What if you found out about a limited special edition console after it was no longer available? Or maybe you just didn’t have the money to pick one up at the time.
If you are in the market for a limited edition PS4 console that is no longer available, here are some of your options when it comes to buying after it’s too late.

Swappa

When it comes to buying used technology of any flavor, Swappa is a great option and that is certainly the case for PlayStations. You buy directly from sellers so there is no middleman. In addition, you can be sure that you are buying a functioning item and if anything goes wrong with your transaction there is plenty of protection built into the process for buyer and seller alike.

See at Swappa

eBay

eBay has long been reigning supreme over the online resale market. If you are looking for just about anything that can no longer be found in a store, eBay probably has it. Just cursory glance and the consoles they have available, it would seem that any PS4 could possibly hope for could be had here. Just make sure to always check the sellers rating. You don’t want to give $500 for a discontinued console and get nothing in return.

Discontinued consoles at Ebay

Gamestop

The old trusty standby Gamestop is always there for you right? In all likelihood, you are not going to find an unopened console that has been discontinued. However, Gamestop does offer used and refurbished systems so you might be able to find one there. You can also call around to your local shops and ask if they have what you are looking for.

Used consoles at Gamestop

Amazon

This is actually one of the places where Amazon does not excel. They do actually offer quite a bit of options when it comes to consoles that are no longer available. Unfortunately, these are most often offered by individual sellers with exorbitant markups. If you absolutely have to have it and you have money to burn, fire away. However, I would suggest the previous two sellers first.

Finding consoles that are no longer available on store shelves can be a bit difficult and times but it can be incredibly rewarding when the hunt is difficult. I can still remember how excited I was when I finally found a TurboGrafx 16 in good working order for a reasonable price.
I wish you the best in your hunt and hope that you come home with the trophy you have been looking for!

Which limited edition PS4 would you want?

Let us know in the comments.

PlayStation 4

• PS4 vs. PS4 Slim vs. PS4 Pro: Which should you buy?
• PlayStation VR Review
• Playing PS4 games through your phone is awesome

Amazon

How to manually add activities in Google Fit

Keep track of your progress, even when you forgot to turn tracking on.

Just because you forgot to start a workout from your phone or wrist means that data is gone forever. It’s super easy to add past activities to Google Fit!

Products Used In This Guide

• Any Android smartphone
• Google Play Store: Google Fit (Free)
• Amazon: TicWatch Pro ($250)

How to add a workout you’ve already completed

If you’ve already completed your workout but forgot to turn on tracking, no need to fear! It’s easy to manually enter a workout you’ve already finished:

Open the Google Fit application.
Tap the Plus Sign in the lower-right corner.

Tap Add activity.

By default, Google Fit will use the same workout that you last tracked. If you need to change this, tap the drop down menu near the top.
Tap the activity type you’re entering.
Fill out the form with your activity title, duration, any notes, calories burned, steps taken and/or miles completed.
The app will automatically calculate your Move Minutes and Heart Points.
Tap Save at the top of the screen.

Your activity will be added to your journal, just as if you tracked it it the first place. And that’s it!

Our top equipment picks

If you’re all in on Google Fit, it’s worth getting a Wear OS watch to track your workouts right from your wrist.

The best watch for Google Fit

Mobvoi TicWatch Pro

$250 at Amazon

The best Wear OS watch is also the best for tracking your workouts.

The Ticwatch Pro features a GPS tracker, heart-rate monitor, and NFC payments.

The Ticwatch Pro is a genuinely good watch even if you don’t care about fitness tracking. If you do, it’s even better. There’s a GPS chip to better track your jogs, a heart-rate monitor for keeping your beats in check, and an NFC chip so you can leave your phone at home and still use Google Pay.

Logitech’s Harmony remote, Samsung’s T5 SSD, and more are discounted today

Whether you’re looking for new tech gear or household items, we’ve got you covered.

We found plenty of great deals today that include big discounts on Logitech’s Harmony remote, the Samsung T5 SSD, Jabra Move headphones and more!

View the rest of the deals

If you want to know about the deals as soon as they are happening, you’ll want to follow Thrifter on Twitter, and sign up for the newsletter, because missing out on a great deal stinks!

Jabra’s $50 Move Bluetooth headphones are comfortable and sound great

Jam to your favorite tracks with these Bluetooth headphones.

The Jabra Move wireless Bluetooth headphones are down to $49.99 on Amazon. Today’s price marks the lowest these headphones have ever been there; they regularly sell for around $64 on average and up to $100 at times. This deal is available on every color of these headphones, including black, gold, red, and cobalt.

These headphones are not going to blow you away with their style. They aren’t supposed to. They are supposed to be budget headphones with high-quality sound, a solid build, a comfortable fit, and nothing more. That’s exactly what you get. If you want nice Bluetooth headphones and don’t care about impressing people on the street, this is what you get.

These headphones have 4 stars and an Editor’s Choice from PC Mag, 4 stars from What Hi-Fi?, and 3.9 stars based on more than 1,000 user reviews.

See at Amazon

The Prime version of the LG Stylo 4 just got a price drop on Amazon

The LG Stylo 4 is an affordable Android phone, and it just got even more affordable at Amazon.

If you’re looking for a phone with a large display without a large price tag, good news! Amazon has the Prime Exclusive version of the LG Stylo 4 down to $210. This phone may not be as shiny and feature-packed as a Samsung Galaxy Note 9, but it’s a stylish and affordable phone with a stylus. LG kicked it out of the park with the Stylo 4, giving it a snappy octa-core processor and a beautiful, extra-tall 6.2-inch display.

This phone came out not even 4 months ago and has already been discounted twice by Amazon, first to $249.99 a while back and now down to $209.99. This is currently our favorite phone on Metro PCS right now, and while the Metro PCS version is a little cheaper with the rebate at $180, that’s a carrier-locked phone rather than the unlocked Prime Exclusive model.

Amazon Prime Exlcusive phones come with a slew of Amazon apps pre-installed, but you can uninstall most of it and disable the rest if you don’t want it, giving you a cheaper phone with very little bloat. Here’s everything you need to know about Amazon Prime Exclusive phones.

$210 at Amazon

YouTube TV’s web app is getting a dark theme!

YouTube TV delivers a great package, and if you have questions, we have answers!

For those considering cutting the cord, YouTube TV is a viable option. If you live in the United States, anyway. We’ve got the details on everything you need to get the most out of this app, and everything that it offers. From details on the ins and outs of YouTube TV to how to troubleshoot issues, everything you need is here.

The latest YouTube TV news

September 16, 2018 — YouTube TV’s web app is getting a dark theme!

YouTube for Android finally got its dark theme two weeks ago, and I guess YouTube TV was feeling left out, so it’s bringing a dark theme to the YouTube TV web app!

The new dark theme has popped up on YouTube TV’s Help site, including the super-simple steps to turn it on:

Open YouTube TV on a web browser.
Tap your profile photo.
Tap Settings.
Tap Dark theme.
Tap Dark theme to toggle it on.

Again, this is for the web app, not the Android app, but one can only hope it will be coming to the Android app before too long, right?

(crickets)

Right?

February 13, 2018 — The monthly cost is going up to $40 on March 13

Ever since it launched in April of 2017, YouTube TV has offered one single plan that costs $35 per month. However, starting next month, new subscribers are going to pay even more.

Beginning March 13, new YouTube TV customers will pay $40/month as opposed to the old $35/month rate. Current subscribers and anyone that signs up before then will still get the more affordable pricing, so if you’ve been thinking about signing up for YouTube TV, you may want to do so sooner rather than later.

Everything you need to know about YouTube TV!

YouTube TV delivers a whole lot in a pretty smile package, with a sensible price tag attached. If you have questions about anything from price, to availability, the answer is hiding here.

Everything you need to know about YouTube TV

What channels are available on YouTube TV?

YouTube TV gets you access to tons of great programming, including region-specific channels in certain cities and media markets. Everywhere can access great channels like AMC, The CW, and even ESPN, but there are excellent sports specific channels available for certain media markets. Every channel currently available is listed out for you here!

Most recently, YouTube TV announced that it was finally going to start airing Turner channels — including TNT, Cartoon Network, truTV, and more.

What channels are available on YouTube TV

How to get set up with YouTube TV

The first thing that you’ll need to know when you get started with YouTube TV. From connecting your account to figuring out how to stream your first show, we cover it all for you here!

How to get set up with YouTube TV

Where is YouTube TV available?

There is a set of programming available in every region YouTube TV is offered, but there are specific regions that will be able to access local programming. While the number of media markets currently available is still fairly small, it’s grown to over 30 markets already, and it’s only been a few months since the app became available.

Where is YouTube TV available?

How to find the shows you want to watch on YouTube TV

The sheer number of programs that are available to be watched, recorded, and rewatched is just a bit staggering. If you picked up a subscription in order to stay caught up on your favorite shows, then you’ll need to know how to find them. From searching out a specific show to adding it to your DVR list to finding programs on a specific network, we’ve got the details you want!

How to find the shows you want to watch on YouTube TV

How to get the most out of sports with YouTube TV

Football, Soccer, Baseball, Basketball, Hockey… There is a sport out there for every sports fan. Being able to stay caught up on the game, keep an eye on scores, and catch every appearance is key, and YouTube TV does an excellent job. It delivers everything the discerning sports fan needs to keep up, even when you’re on the go!

How to get the most out of sports with YouTube TV

How to DVR programs on YouTube TV

One of the best perks of YouTube TV is the ability to easily record your favorite shows and then watch them later at your leisure. Of course, in order to watch those shows later, you need to know how to record them. We cover everything from recording shows, to deleting shows from your DVR list, so that you can get to record your favorites without a problem.

How to DVR programs on YouTube TV

How to stream YouTube TV using a Chromecast

While YouTube TV lets you easily watch live and recorded television on your phone, computer, or tablet, you can also cast to your television. You’ll need a Chromecast, but once you do that, casting your shows right to the TV is easier than ever.

How to stream YouTube TV using a Chromecast

How to troubleshoot casting problems with YouTube TV

YouTube TV lets you go take advantage of your Chromecast to watch live and recorded tv from the app on your Television. However, there are a few unfortunate problems you may run into. If you’ve been having issues getting your Chromecast to work properly with YouTube TV then this is the place to figure out how to deal with it!

How to troubleshoot casting problems with YouTube TV

Questions?

Let us know in the comments below!

OnePlus is making its foray into the TV segment with the OnePlus TV

OnePlus will launch its first TV next year as the company looks to diversify its portfolio.

OnePlus has focused its attention exclusively on the smartphone segment, but that’s all set to change soon. OnePlus founder and CEO Pete Lau has announced that the company will make its foray into the TV segment next year with the launch of the OnePlus TV.

Calling it the first step in “building a connected human experience,” Lau mentioned that the TV will feature the same premium design that its phones are known for, with a focus on image quality and audio experience:

For most of us, there are four major environments we experience each day: the home, the workplace, the commute, and being on-the-move. The home – perhaps the most important environment experience – is just starting to enjoy the benefits of intelligent connectivity.

We want to bring the home environment to the next level of intelligent connectivity. To do this, we are building a new product of OnePlus’ premium flagship design, image quality and audio experience to more seamlessly connect the home.

For now, we don’t have a lot of details on the specs that the OnePlus TV will offer, but it’s safe to assume that it will have 4K with HDR. Speaking to Business Insider, Lau stated that the OnePlus TV will be unveiled sometime next year.

TVs have a longer lifespan than phones, and as such OnePlus will offer software updates for five years following the launch of the TV. That’s a huge deal, and one that could differentiate the OnePlus TV in this category:

At present, we feel the current market of TVs is still feeling quite traditional in their functionality and experience. And they haven’t really well-integrated the internet into the experience, and making the experience match with what would be expected in today’s connected society.

The OnePlus TV will also feature an AI assistant, but at this point it’s unclear whether we’ll see Google Assistant or Alexa, or even an in-house solution. The company is also looking at ways to seamlessly connect the TV with your phone, which would allow it to show reminders and surface traffic information for your daily commute.

This is a huge step in the OnePlus journey, but like each step along the way, one that we have taken with intense consideration and deliberation. There is great challenge in pushing new boundaries in technology and innovation, but even greater fulfillment in meeting people around the world impacted by our products every day. Here’s to taking the next step together.

Xiaomi Mi Max 3 with 5500mAh battery is all set to launch in India

The latest iteration in the Mi Max series features a 6.9-inch display and 5500mAh battery.

After launching the Redmi 6 series in India earlier this month, Xiaomi is turning its attention toward the phablet segment. The Mi Max series continues to do well in the sub-₹20,000 segment, and it looks like Xiaomi is all set to launch the Mi Max 3 in the country shortly if a recent tweet is any indication:

Something really BIG is coming your way! pic.twitter.com/yNbUc2cmDh

— Mi (@xiaomi) September 16, 2018

The Mi Max 3 was unveiled in China back in July, with the device offering upgrades in key areas from the Mi Max 2. Notably, the Mi Max 3 is based on the 18:9 form factor, which has allowed Xiaomi to fit a tablet-sized 6.9-inch display into the chassis, and the phone has dual cameras at the back. The Mi Max 3 also has a larger 5500mAh battery, which should allow the phone to deliver over two days’ worth of usage. Thankfully, Quick Charge 3.0 is standard, and the phone charges over USB-C.

Elsewhere, the Mi Max 3 is powered by a Snapdragon 636 chipset, and comes with up to 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The device is running MIUI 9.5 on the software side of things, but it should come with MIUI 10 out of the box in India.

Right now there’s no mention as to when the device will launch in India, but it should be in the coming weeks. As for pricing, the base variant of the Mi Max 2 with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage retails for the equivalent of $250, so it’s safe to assume that the phone will launch at around the ₹16,999 ($235) price point.

We should have plenty more to talk about the Mi Max 3 in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, what are your thoughts on the device?

Power up 10 of your devices at once with this $17 desktop charging station

So. Many. Ports!

Today only, Amazon has the Sabrent 60W 10-port desktop USB charging station on sale for $16.99, which is $13 less than it normally sells for. This item doesn’t fluctuate in price, and hasn’t had a price drop near this in about a year, so if you’re in the market for something to charge multiple devices at the same time with ease, you won’t want to miss this deal. It offers a max output of 60 watt and 12A, which is about 2.4 Amps per port. This won’t quick charge your devices, but it also won’t trickle power to them.

You add your own USB cables to this hub, meaning you’ll be able to charge nearly anything with it from tablets to smartphones, action cameras, e-readers, Bluetooth headphones, and more. It has built-in overcharge protection to prevent damaging your devices. This price is good for today only, so don’t miss out.

See at Amazon