Google's phones and other gadgets have had a bumpy ride

Google, which prides itself on developing simple, intuitive software that seems to know what you want almost before you do, is finding itself in a very different world when it comes to its own phones and other gadgets. Its new Pixel 2 phones, released in October, got high marks for their camera and design - at least until some users complained about'burned in' afterimages on their screens, a bluish tint, periodic clicking sounds and occasionally unresponsive touch commands. Then the company's new Home Mini smart speaker was caught always listening. In this Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2017, file photo, a woman holds up the Google Pixel 2 phone, left, next to the Pixel 2 XL phone at a Google event at the SFJAZZ Center in San Francisco. In short, Google is re-learning an old adage in the technology business: Hardware is hard.