GOOGLE HOME $130
Bot is off to a good start
To get an idea of how annoying it can be to say "OK, Google" multiple times a day, try replacing the word Google with another brand.
OK, Pepsi. OK, Skittles. You get the picture: It's difficult to utter "OK, Google," the phrase used to control Google's new Home smart speaker, without sounding like a marketing tool.
That is too bad because Google's Home is otherwise a preternaturally smarter speaker than its closest rival, Amazon's Echo.
Echo is currently more capable than Home, partly because a larger number of third-party companies have worked with Amazon to add capabilities to its speaker. Home's link to Google's database of information means it should be able to give superior answers in the future. In addition, music played from Home sounds clearer and its virtual assistant is a better listener than Alexa.
Google's speaker is called Home because of a vision that the gadget will work with many devices in someone's residence, be it a coffeemaker or a garage door opener. Yet on Day 1, the speaker will work with products from only three smart home companies — Nest, Samsung and Philips.
The capabilities that Home currently lacks, like movie showtimes or support for other smart home accessories, will probably show up in software updates or promised future partnerships. But a final verdict on weighing Home against Echo must wait until they are announced. At that point, the $50 difference might tilt people toward Home.
NEW YORK TIMES
MICROSOFT TEAMS FREE WITH OFFICE 365 PACKAGEs
New software will add messaging capability
Taking a cue from competing online services like Slack, which let workers chat and share information on the job, Microsoft is adding a new program called Teams to its Office 365 suite of internet productivity software.
Catching up to competing services, Teams provides a central place online for workplace groups to chat, share files and perform other tasks. But unlike competitors, Microsoft is offering the ability to easily transition into other widely used Microsoft programs, such as Outlook for e-mail and calendars and Skype for voice and video conferences. Teams can also incorporate artificially intelligent "bots" and other software programs created by outside developers.
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