The new Google Home speaker-slash-personal-assistant has gained a rather wondrous new skill; the ability to control Netflix with your voice.
Those who’ve snapped up the new Google Assistant-powered hub can now command Netflix play TV shows or movies, provided they have a Chromecast dongle hooked up to their display.
Related: Google Home vs Amazon Echo
The update enables viewers to use their voice to pause, resume and skip episodes. It’s also possible to rewind or turn on the subtitles for shows.
Previously, the voice functionality had only supported YouTube videos for Chromecast owners.
Elsewhere, Google is now enabling the Photos app with Home, making it easy to beam favorite snaps to a Chromecast-connected display.
On the Google blog the firm explains: “Simply say, “Ok Google, show my photos of Lake Tahoe on my TV” to see your beautiful pictures bigger. Even if you can’t remember the name of the album, you can search for pictures. Try “Ok Google, show my photos of selfies at Christmas on my TV” or “Ok Google, show my photos of Brazil sunsets on Chromecast”. You can even use your voice to search for your places, things and people.”
Currently the Google Home speaker is only available in the United States. We’re currently taking it for a test drive so stay tuned for the full review.
Amazon Echo review
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.