Google Home now works with some Sony speakers and Android TVs

The recently launched Google Home connected speaker is slowing adding new third-party devices that will work with the product. This week, Sony revealed that some of its Chromecast built-in Sony speakers can connect to Google’s latest hardware product, along with some of its and Android TV-based 4K HDR televisions.

If you own one of these Sony speakers and Google Home, you can say, “Ok Google, play some workout music on my Sony speaker”, for instance. You can also ask it to stream your favorite playlist from your preferred music service. Other voice commands will allow you to control the volume of the speaker, stop or skip over a music track, or even ask for a song’s title simply by saying, “Ok Google, what is playing?”

All of Sony’s Android TVs now support Google Home, too. The company’s sound bars that support the speaker include the HT-ST9, HT-NT5, HT-CT790, HT-XT2, and HT-RT5 models, along with the STR-DN1070, STR-DN1060, and STR-DN860 receivers. Finally, the Sony wireless speakers with the model numbers SRS-X99, SRS-ZR7, SRS-ZR5, and SRS-HG1 all now work with Google Home.

Nexus 6P Battery Problems: Users Report Early Shutdown Issue After Android Nougat Update

After the rollout of the Android 7.0 Nougat update, it appears that several Nexus 6P handsets started experiencing battery issues. The initially sporadic complaints seemed to have snowballed, and users are raising a ruckus at Google's forum and elsewhere.

All seem to indicate the same problem: early device shutdown.

Android 6.0 Nougat Battery Bug

The bug has already been reported since the Nougat update hit the Nexus 6P in the latter part of October. It completely turns the phone off even when there is still a good amount of power remaining. Owners point out that this usually happens whenever the device hits below 15 percent battery level.

"The phone flashes orange to go into battery saving mode and shuts down concurrently," a user complained. "The phone won't turn back on without charging. When on charge and powered back on the battery will show as being at least 15% full."

Interestingly, the problem is also inconsistent. The device could power off even when the battery still has around 20 percent charge or thereabouts. Sometimes the phone could use up its entire power reserve without turning itself off.

Such inconsistency has aggravated the issue further because it made it even more difficult to zoom in on the root cause of the bug.

Google's Fix

Since the issue emerged, however, Google has not yet issued any update to fix the problem. What is worse is that it has been labeled as low priority at the company's support page. It will not be surprising if some sectors start thinking that it is purposely degrading the Nexus 6P to bolster its latest Pixel handsets.

It is not yet known if the Android 7.1 Nougat update will fix the issue. If you are a Nexus 6P owner, let us know in the comment below if you are also experiencing the same problem.

Google Pixel XL

specification↴

• Aerospace-grade aluminum unibody (glass window on the back); splash and dust resistant (IP53)
• 5.5" AMOLED screen of QHD resolution, 534ppi, 100% NTSC; 2.5D Gorilla Glass 4
• Quad-core Kryo processor, Adreno 530 GPU, 4GB of RAM, Snapdragon 821 chipset
• Google-loaded Android 7.1 Nougat; 2 years of OS upgrades from launch, 3 years of security updates
• 12.3MP camera, f/2.0 lens, 1.55µm pixels, Phase and Laser AF, dual-LED, dual-tone flash; 2160p and 1080p @ 30/60/120fps video capture
• 8MP selfie camera, f/2.4 lens, 1.4µm pixels; 1080p video capture
• Comes with 32GB or 128GB of built-in storage, no expansion
• Fingerprint reader, Android Pay
• LTE Cat 9 or 11 (450Mbps or 600Mbps downlink, 50/75Mbps uplink); Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2 (A2DP, LE), GPS + GLONASS, NFC
• 3,450mAh battery; Fast charging over USB Type-C

Main shortcomings:

• Most expensive Google phone yet
• No stereo speakers
• No water resistance
• No OIS for the camera
• No wireless charging, no IR port or FM radio
• Snapdragon 821 chipset is downclocked to 820 speed
• Standard Nexus cons: no microSD slot, sealed battery
• Design is arguably bland

Google Nexus 5 2016 & Nexus 6 2016

Google unveils a new Nexus smartphone every year (in 2015 it announced two), which it uses as the launch vehicle for its annual Android update. In 2016 we will see Android N. Tradition sees the new operating system Developer Preview announced at Google I/O in early summer, and then released on the new Nexus 5 and/or new Nexus 6 phone around October time. However, the Android N Developer Preview was released a couple of months early this year,
Nothing has been confirmed about the price, but given that the Nexus 5X now costs from at £299 and the Nexus 6P from £449, we'd be very surprised if they were any more expensive.

 Huawei or HTC will be producing the new Nexus 6 2016. The Huawei rumour comes from Chinese electronics industry analyst Pan Jiutang, via Weibo.com, while a second Weibo post by Mocha RQ suggests it will in fact be HTC making both the new Nexus 5 and the new Nexus 6. In April 2016 serial leaker @evleaks backed the claim that HTC would be making both phones with the Tweet: "HTC is building a pair of Android N devices for Google internally dubbed M1 and S1."

Google wants to make self-driving vehicles a family affair

Can Google make minivans cool again?

Fiat Chrysler announced the partnership. The story was updated to reflect the official announcement.

Google and Fiat Chrysler collaborating on self-driving cars is a done deal. The two companies are working together to put Google's self-driving technology in Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans this year.

The project will spawn 100 autonomous minivans. Fiat Chrysler is in charge of vehicle design and engineering, at first, while Google is responsible for the software to take advantage of all the sensors and autonomous driving hardware.
Development for the autonomous Pacifica Hybrid takes place at a southeastern Michigan facility. Engineers from Google and Fiat Chrysler will work together at the facility to speed up development of autonomous cars. However, the vehicles will be tested in California at Google's private test track before traversing among human drivers.

While minivans lack the cool-factor of the Tesla Model X's falcon doors, it's a practical car that makes sense. Chrysler offers the Pacifica with optional full-speed adaptive cruise control (ACC), automatic emergency braking (AEB), lane keep assist (LKAS), parallel and perpendicular parking assist, and a 360-degree camera.

The Pacifica's vast suite of driver assist can help make a commute more pleasant or prevent an accident in a pinch, just strap on some higher resolution cameras, LiDAR and let Google's self-driving artificial intelligence (AI) take the wheel to pick up your kids from soccer practice.

Chrysler currently sells the minivan with a 3.6-liter V6 engine, but the Pacifica Hybrid lands this fall as a plug-in electric (PHEV) family hauler. The Pacifica Hybrid can drive solely on the electric motors and battery pack for up to 30 miles, which is more than I drive in a day.

Combine the Pacifica Hybrid with Google's self-driving AI and you have a fuel efficient shuttle that can transport up to eight Google employees around campus or pickup your kids from soccer practice, autonomously.

By Tuan Huynh  Car tech