Google just added two new natural language Assistant voices to their platform so that developers can deliver higher quality experiences to their users. The two new English-speaking voices come as an updated to their prosody model. You can listen to one of them below to get a sense for how different … [Read more...] about Google Assistant is receiving more natural sounding voice models again
videos
Support our independent tech coverage. Chrome Unboxed is written by real people, for real people—not search algorithms. Join Chrome Unboxed Plus for just $2 a month to get an ad-free experience, access to our private Discord, and more. Learn more about membership here.
START FREE TRIAL (MONTHLY)START FREE TRIAL (ANNUAL)
Google Nest Hub Max gets complete UI rework, dark theme and sticky notes
Thanks to Youtuber Jan Boromeusz reporting to Ben Schoon over at 9to5Google, we now have a full look at the Nest Hub Max's refreshed UI which focuses on placing more useful and personal information in front of the user. There's also a new dark theme and the long awaited sticky notes feature. Let's … [Read more...] about Google Nest Hub Max gets complete UI rework, dark theme and sticky notes
Chrome OS Capture Mode: Say hello to your Chromebook’s new snippet tool and screen recorder
Last month, Robby unearthed a new screen capture feature that will soon give Chromebooks a proper UI for the screenshot tool. Shortly thereafter, Chrome Story discovered that the new "capture mode" is more than just a simple interface upgrade. Instead, the new screen capture feature will also allow … [Read more...] about Chrome OS Capture Mode: Say hello to your Chromebook’s new snippet tool and screen recorder
Nearby Share fully functional in latest Chrome OS Canary build
It has barely been two months since Google formally announced Android's Nearby Sharing feature that allows users to quickly share files via Bluetooth, Bluetooth LE, WebRTC, and peer-to-peer Wi-Fi between Android devices. This feature is pretty much Android's answer to Apple's AirDrop For a few weeks … [Read more...] about Nearby Share fully functional in latest Chrome OS Canary build
Deal Alert: Steal this $230 Assistant speaker from Harmon Kardon for $80
We haven't had the pleasure of reviewing Harmon Kardon's Citation One speaker with Google Assistant but some reviewers tout it as a more affordable alternative to the $300 Google Home Max. The only major nits found by most reviewers are the speaker's lack-luster listening abilities when attempting … [Read more...] about Deal Alert: Steal this $230 Assistant speaker from Harmon Kardon for $80
Nest Audio unboxing and initial impressions [VIDEO]
Well, the true successor to the original Google Home smart speaker is officially available from various retailers. It has been a while since we added a new smart speaker to the list of smart devices around the office. So, we went and picked one up. We're going to spend a little time with the new … [Read more...] about Nest Audio unboxing and initial impressions [VIDEO]
Chromecast with Google TV unboxing and initial hands-on [VIDEO]
Today was finally the day that we were able to get our hands on the new Chromecast with Google TV. We were hoping for one directly from Google, but as that failed to pan out our hopes were revived when a handful of the devices showed up at our local Home Depot. After loading up and heading over to … [Read more...] about Chromecast with Google TV unboxing and initial hands-on [VIDEO]
Google releases new Stadia advertisement that should have been seen at service’s launch
When Google first launched Stadia, their cloud gaming service, they focused their rather strange marketing on features that don't really matter to the average user. They continually touted 4K resolution and 60 frames per second. Yes, those things are impressive, especially for a streaming service … [Read more...] about Google releases new Stadia advertisement that should have been seen at service’s launch
The $169 “cheap” Lenovo Chromebook 3 is back in stock
I don't like throwing the word "cheap" around when I'm talking about a device that I'd actually recommend. However, there are exceptions to that rule that the Lenovo Chromebook 3 certainly falls into that category. Lenovo now has three variations of this device since the quiet launch of the $199 AMD … [Read more...] about The $169 “cheap” Lenovo Chromebook 3 is back in stock
Google’s All New Chromecast with Google TV just stole Roku’s spotlight
At long last we get the scoop on Google's all new Chromecast with Google TV built-in. They began their 'Launch Night In' event today by stating how TV is at the heart of the home for our families and they're not wrong. It's sporting a revamped and re-branded Google TV instead, which seeks to help … [Read more...] about Google’s All New Chromecast with Google TV just stole Roku’s spotlight
Google makes the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G official
It's not like we didn't already know this was coming, right? We've seen every basic detail on both of Google's new phones for weeks and Google's brief, tight presentation today didn't bring a whole lot in the way of surprise. Don't get me wrong, the event was very considerate of all our time and … [Read more...] about Google makes the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G official
Everything we expect at Google’s ‘Launch Night In’ event tomorrow
With Google's 'Launch Night In' less than 24 hours away, we wanted to quickly recap all we expect to see at the virtual event that is slated for 2PM EST tomorrow on September 30th. This will be the first all-virtual Google hardware event and it will be interesting to see how Google approaches … [Read more...] about Everything we expect at Google’s ‘Launch Night In’ event tomorrow
