Google just released a $100 speaker with three far-field microphones. always on. always listening. waiting for the wake word. Reviews focused on the audio quality. nobody is talking about what it actually is. a permanently active microphone array made by the world's largest advertising company. sitting in your kitchen. connected to your Google account. linked to your search history, your Gmail, your YouTube watch history, your location data, and now your home. Google knows what you search. what you watch. where you go. who you email. now it also knows what you say out loud when you think nobody is listening. the speaker also requires a subscription to unlock the features that justify buying it. $10 a month for Gemini Live. $20 a month for extended camera history if you have Google home cameras. so the business model is: you pay $100 for the hardware. you pay $10-$20 a month for the features. Google gets permanent audio access to your home. Gemini learns your routines, your preferences, your household dynamics. and the privacy policy: Google says voice recordings are processed to improve its services. you can review and delete them in My Activity. the setting is opt-out not opt-in. the speaker that randomly told a reviewer jokes they didn't ask for is now in your kitchen. listening. all the time. for $100 plus tax.

Google made a new smart speaker with Gemini built right in. 360° sound, a glowing LED ring on the bottom, a body knitted from 37% recycled materials, and four colorways (Jade, Berry, Porcelain, Hazel). Comes with 6 months of Google Home Premium included, currently up for pre-orders ($99.99) The Google Home Speaker...

Friendly? Yes. A genius? Not quite. We tested the Google Home smart speaker for a week to see if conversational AI is truly ready for your living room. 🔗

The Gemini Spark @GoogleChrome integration is rolling out to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the U.S., and will expand to additional regions in the future. More info on this update:

Gemini Spark 🤝 @GoogleChrome Gemini Spark is now integrated with auto browse in Google Chrome. With your permission, Spark can handle web tasks for you right in your Chrome browser, like scheduling apartment viewings or auto-filling flight info.