COWABUNGA! Google today announced a whole new set of smart-home features for the Google Assistant, the company's AI-powered voice helper!
Especially during the holiday season, sticking to family habits can be challenging, whether that’s picking up toys, making the bed or getting started with homework. To make these a bit more fun, Google today announced that they are adding the ability to set up an alarm from popular animated characters with the Google Assistant on smart speakers. These new alarms will have signature music, jokes, facts, words of encouragement and wisdom, and other fun messages from many popular characters from children's entertainment, including Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Donatello and April O’Neil from Nickelodeon's brand-new TMNT series, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to remind everyone it’s time to finish playing and get in the bath or to brush their teeth. To activate it, just say, “Hey Google, set a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle alarm for 8:00 PM” for example, and then pick your favorite TMNT character. Cowabunga! These alarms are available to enable in the US now. Additional alarms include characters LEGO City, LEGO Life, and LEGO Friends, with plans to add characters from Spin Master’s Hatchimals later this year.
In the mood for a story? Just ask Google Assistant!
Update (5/20/19) - Google has announced that character alarms are now available even on Smart Displays!
Google has also announced that in the coming weeks, they will be adding 25 new family-friendly stories by Nickelodeon, including PAW Patrol’s “The Pups Save the Bunnies,” Dora the Explorer’s “Dora's Super Sleepover,” Blaze and Monster Machines’ “Let's Be Firefighters” and many more!
Update (11/29): Google Assistant has added brand-new holiday-themed Nick Jr. stories to celebrate the festive season, including Dora the Explorer’s "The Little Christmas Tree" and PAW Patrol’s "Holiday Helpers"!
Additionally, say “OK Google, call Santa,” and you’ll meet Santa in the middle of rehearsal for a concert at the North Pole!
A can find a full round-up of Google's latest new Assistant features, including Read Along, Choose Your Own Adventure stories, and personalized recipe recommendations The Keyword. All of these new features should be rolling out to Google Assistant in the coming weeks. Google unveiled the new features at a press event in San Francisco, California yesterday.
More Nick: Nickelodeon to Host '35 Years of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' Interactive Exhibit at the Paley Center for Media in NYC to Celebrate 35th Anniversary of TMNT!
Sources: Engadget UK, Android Police, The Verge, 9to5Google, Voicebot.
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