Google's Rick Osterloh touted his company's combination of hardware, software and artificial intelligence technology at its Pixel 3 event. Google Duplex, technology to let human-sounding AI accomplish tasks by talking to people over the phone, will arrive in the real world starting in November on Google's Pixel phones. "Our new Google Assistant feature, powered by Duplex technology, is able to help users with real-world tasks over a phone, like calling a restaurant to book a table," said Brian Rakowski, a vice president of product management, at the Google Pixel 3 launch event Tuesday. "Pixel phones will be the first to get this feature when it rolls out, city by city, next month." That indicates the arrival will be gradual and won't reach the vast majority of people who don't have Google's own smartphones.

Google's new Pixel 3 smartphones attempt to push the computational photography envelope, challenging Apple's new iPhone XS and Samsung's Galaxy S9. As with last year's Pixel 2, Google is further flexing its artificial-intelligence muscle, with more and more local AI-driven features across every facet of the device, from the camera and smart Gmail replies to battery life and device control. "We've been very thoughtful about how we design phones, thinking about their purpose for consumers," said Mario Queiroz, head of Google's Pixel. "We want to make sure we have a the right balance between being really helpful but not intrusive, being delightful but not controlling, simple but not cumbersome." The Pixel devices look familiar on the outside, with a two-tone back that is now all glass with two finishes – polished at the top and etched at the bottom.

A link has been sent to your friend's email address. A link has been posted to your Facebook feed.

"Uhm," said the female voice. "Can I book a table for tomorrow?" The question came not from a person, but software called Duplex developed by Google to make phone calls. Before the end of the year, some of the company's users will be able to direct the bot to call restaurants and book tables on their behalf. In a demonstration last week, Duplex smartly handled questions from a Google employee playing the role of restaurant worker about details such as the size of the party and the name to hold the table under.

Google just announced the third generation of its Pixel-branded smartphone, the Google Pixel 3. Keeping consistent with previous Pixel phone releases, there are two versions of the new phone: the regular-size Pixel 3 and the larger Pixel 3 XL. Both phones have new glass backs. They have bigger displays, better cameras, and updated processors. And they're shipping with a new mobile security chip--the same kind of chip that Google uses to protect the information flowing through its data centers. But Google's hardware products are never as much about hardware as they are about software.

Smart displays are the new smart speakers. A day after Facebook revealed Portal, a WiFi-connected video-chatting device for your home, Google has announced Home Hub, a new 7-inch smart screen that acts as a voice-controlled conduit for the Google Assistant. It's Google's first smart home gadget that's comprised largely of a touchscreen display, after having launched three different display-free smart speakers over the past couple years. The Home Hub is also part of Google's larger strategy to make its virtual assistant infinitely more useful, and also, to get its tech into every facet of your life that it can. Both Google and Facebook's connected displays are coming on the heels of Amazon's second-generation Echo Show, another smart display that's equipped with Alexa and displays snippets of information.

Yes, those leaks of Google making its own smart display were true. The company has unveiled the Home Hub, which melds an Assistant-equipped smart speaker with a 7-inch touchscreen display. As with other smart displays, you can use to both get visual feedback for searches (such as the weather or recipes) as well as finding photos and videos. However, it does have a few stand-out features of its own -- including things that are missing. Google is clearly aware of privacy issues and wants you to feel comfortable putting a Home Hub in your bedroom and other sensitive areas, even if it means missing out on video chat.

To date, using Google Assistant to control your lighting away from your phone has typically meant shopping for both a smart speaker and bulbs with a hub serving as a go-between, such as Philips' Hue line. You won't have to spend quite so much cash going forward, because GE has unveiled the first Made-for-Google lightbulbs, and they don't require a hub at all. It's updating its C by GE lineup to automatically pair with any Google Home speaker through Bluetooth and show up in the Home app, making Assistant control almost as simple as screwing in the lights. You can still use Assistant on your phone, of course, and existing C by GE owners don't have to replace their illumination. Every bulb should have support by October 22nd.

Sure, Google's new Home Hub wasn't a secret today -- but I was still surprised at just how tiny the device is in real life. I imagined a tablet-sized screen perched on top of something resembling the giant Google Home Max, but I couldn't have been more wrong if I tried. The Home Hub is positively dainty -- thin, light and unobtrusive. The photo below with my iPhone 8 Plus next to the Home Hub should give you an idea just how small this device is. It still feels like a Google Home product, with the same acoustically transparent fabric found on the Home Mini and Max.

Google has unveiled a slew of new hardware including its $799 (£739) Pixel 3 phones, a new $599 (£549) tablet called Pixel Slate and a $149 (£139) smart speaker with a screen called Home Hub. The firm has pledged to build AI into its entire range at a New York event where Google's Rick Osterloh unveiled the new products, designed to take aim at Apple, Samsung and Amazon. Its new Pixel 3 handset includes AI features that allow it to answer calls itself, weeding out robocalls and transcribing messages if a user is busy, alongside a wide angle'superselfie' lens. Google's new range: The firm unveiled the Home Hub, Pixel Slate and Pixel 3 at a New York event. New handset starts at $799 (£739) for the Pixel and $899 (£869) for the XL and come in three colors - just black, clearly white, and not pink.