Google Assistant adds open support for speakers, streaming boxes, etc.

Google expands the support for Google Assistant by allowing developers to connect a variety of smart home entertainment devices to the virtual assistant. These include audio-video receivers, streaming boxes, streaming sticks, soundbars/streaming soundbars, and speakers. This new announcement makes the documentation public, allowing more device makers to integrate their products to the Google Assistant ecosystem. 

Google also introduces support for viewing and selecting TV channels using Google Assistant, making it more useful for TV users. But these features won't be outright available, device makers still need to develop new products or integrate Google Assistant into their lineup. Google will be talking about these new features at its "Hey Google" Smart Home Virtual Summit on July 8.

Source: Google, Via: 9to5Google

Microsoft to hold Xbox Games Showcase on July 23

Microsoft wants to show off more upcoming Xbox Series X titles through an Xbox Games Showcase stream happening on July 23 at noon Eastern Time. It's part of the company's Summer Game Fest. It can be streamed on the Xbox site, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch. 

The last Xbox Series X event focused more on third-party titles, so there might be a chance we see those that the studio has been working on itself, including the much-anticipated Halo Infinite. And perhaps we're going to hear about the console's price and availability, too.

Source: Engadget

Chrome tests feature that may extend battery life by up to 2 hours

There is an experimental feature in early Chrome 86 builds that will help address a common issue that laptop users face. It could save you up to two hours of battery life on a browser known as a battery hog. It'll reduce energy use by closing unnecessary JavaScript timers and trackers when a tab is open in the background. It's being reported that it can save two hours of battery life in a test with 36 background tabs and one black foreground tab open. That might seem like an extreme case, but some people do have that many tabs open.

As expected, the gains aren't quite that extreme if you're streaming a YouTube video there. The feature will reportedly be available both on the desktop and mobile. But it isn't known if it'll be ready by the time the new Chrome version is out. Or Google might scrap the feature. We'll keep you posted for any updates.

Source: TheWindowsClub, Via: Engadget

Spotify tests redesign of desktop app, looks similar to web player

Spotify might be thinking to unify its desktop app and web player. App researcher Jane Manchun Wong spotted the potential redesign, which she noted looks almost the same as the web player. Controls are more or less the same, but this means it could be less confusing to jump from the web app to the desktop app. 

Some users have already reported getting the new interface, but are complaining about things like not being able to sort playlists by name, song date, etc.; search for songs within playlists; or receive a warning if you're adding a duplicate song to the playlist. But again, this is still a test, and we hope Spotify improves usability. It isn't clear yet if more users will be getting the new version. Wong also mentions that lyrics are coming to the desktop, too.