Google Assistant now compatible with over 5,000 devices

Google's voice-powered assistant is now compatible with 5,000 devices. Showing that Google is growing its ecosystem to compete with Amazon's Alexa, which is has 12,000 can work with smart home devices from over 2,000 brands. Google Assistant can be accessed using smartphones, Google Home smart speakers, Wear OS devices and Chromebooks.

“Over the past year, we’ve made great progress ensuring that the Google Assistant can work with all types of connected devices, and now every major device brand works with the Assistant in the U.S.,” Google’s Michele Turner writes. She notes that the smart devices with which Google Assistant is compatible include “cameras, dishwashers, doorbells, dryers, lights, plugs, thermostats, security systems, switches, vacuums, washers, fans, locks, sensors, heaters, AC units, air purifiers, refrigerators, ovens [and more].”

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Downloading podcasts for offline listening is now live in the Google app

We reported late last month that searching and listening to podcasts is now an easier affair using Google app. We mentioned then that you could download episodes for offline listening but it wasn’t live yet at the time. That changes now as the said feature is live. Aside from being able to download episodes, you can set automatic removal of the downloaded shows, whether you listened to the episodes or not. By default, completed episodes will be removed after 24 hours and unfinished ones will be taken out after 30 days. You can extend the former to seven days and the latter to 90 days. Or if you’d rather keep episodes with you, you can turn off this option.

Source: Android Police

‘Avengers: Infinity War’ is the fastest movie to hit US$1 billion mark

Marvel Studios’ most colossal film yet has made history books by becoming the fastest movie to cross the US$1 billion mark in global box office sales this weekend. Disney confirmed the film posted an estimated $275 million in movie ticket sales around the world for its second weekend in theatres. This puts the total global ticket sales at $1.16 billion. The film has now bested 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, which earned $1.15 billion. It also recently broke another Disney franchise’s record. It earned $250 million in the US on its opening weekend, besting the $248 million opening weekend record of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Source: CNET

Vine isn’t making a comeback in the immediate future

If you’ve been waiting for Vine 2.0 to happen, you might have to wait for an “indefinite” amount of time. Vine co-creator Dom Hoffman shared the announcement on v2app Twitter account about postponing the release of the new app. Some of the big reasons he cited include the legal fees and other expenses needed to get the project off the ground. And since that would require external funding, investors wouldn’t be happy with Hoffman splitting his time with Vine 2 and his other startup project, which he says he’s started on already. However, Hoffman assures people they aren’t completely abandoning the return of Vine but it might take a long time for it to pick right back up.