This year’s CES saw LG Electronics announce a partnership with Google that is getting bigger with its AI (Artificial Intelligence)-enabled ThinQ TVs now set to offer Google Assistant in seven new countries and five languages.
The Google Assistant initially debuted in May 2016 as part of Google’s messaging app “Allo” is a virtual assistant powered by artificial intelligence.
It was previously exclusive for the Google Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones.
Now it extends across other Android devices and smart home appliances.
Just Like Google Now, the Assistant can search the Internet, manage events and alarms, adjust settings on users’ devices and display Google account information.
It is also capable of gathering visual data and identifying objects through the device’s camera.
It support purchasing and sending money as well as identifying songs.
The LG ThinQ TV allows users to use voice controls through the built-in AI running on LG’s ‘WebOS’ for TV-specific commands.
The addition of Google Assistant enables the TVs to function as a hub for smart homes, allowing users to control their smart lights, appliances and other home devices.
Google Assistant is compatible with more than 5,000 smart devices across hundreds of popular brands, making it easier to control speakers and other smart home devices connected via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
Using the embedded microphone in the remote, users can control ThinQ TV programming, channels, volume, etc, and interact with the assistant with voice commands.
The voice recognition solution is an effective way to make things easier by simply voicing out your queries and commands.
Users can “talk” to the smart TV and it will do just as they say.
Its integration with Google Photos will also allow users to display any photo stored on Google’s image back-up service directly to their screen.
The ThinQ TVs came integrated with Google Assistant when released in the US.
Now the digital assistant is available in Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom.
However, non-english support for France, Spain, South Korea and Germany is expected to arrive by the end of 2018.
The feature will be rolled out to TV sets connected to the internet via an update.
By ZuvielJ.Naazie/techvoiceafrica.com
