Update: March 2, 2023 (3:22 AM AT): It appears that the issue has been fixed. Original article: February 28, 2023 (12:33 PM ET): If you tried to use Google Assistant this morning to do something like activate your lights or turn on your TV, you may have noticed something weird. It appears Google Assistant has forgotten how to control smart home devices.

The May 2020 update has arrived, and one noticeable change is Microsoft Cortana. If you were used to asking the virtual assistant questions, it may be time to switch to another assistant. Microsoft's decided to revamp Cortana into a productivity tool, eliminating many of the features you might have been used to. The big question – is Cortana still worth using for the average user? Even though some users absolutely love Microsoft Cortana, she never really caught on quite like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri. Instead of investing more time and money into trying to compete, Microsoft made the choice to turn Cortana into a system application versus the whole system integration the assistant once had.

Company's delayed, £319 smart speaker pitched as music-first wireless speaker that can be voice-controlled via Siri Tue 23 Jan 2018 09.44 EST Last modified on Tue 23 Jan 2018 11.13 EST Apple's delayed £319 HomePod smart speaker will finally be available to buy on Friday in the UK, US and Australia. The 17.8cm tall HomePod is pitched as a music-first wireless speaker that can be controlled by voice using Apple's Siri assistant, which can also set timers, reminders, check the weather and control smart home devices. "It brings advanced audio technologies like beam-forming tweeters, a high-excursion woofer and automatic spatial awareness, together with the entire Apple Music catalogue and the latest Siri intelligence, in a simple, beautiful design that is so much fun to use," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing. The HomePod was announced in June to ship before the end of 2017, but Apple was forced to delay shipping in November as the product needed more work. Apple could only watch as Amazon got an over three-year head start with the Echo – while Google's Home is 14 months old – and it now has some catching up to do. Ben Wood, chief of research at CCS Insight, said: "This is a critically important device for Apple given the significant head start Amazon and Google have in this area.

It's hard to believe that Black Friday and the 2016 holiday shopping season are almost here. The good news for those of us shopping for personal consumer electronics and tech gadgets for friends and family this holiday season is that there are some real bargains. Tech innovation has improved dramatically over the last year and because of competition the pricing has come down significantly. This year, I've structured the holiday tech gift guide a little differently. I had the opportunity to review many products this year, but I've narrowed the guide down to my top 30 featured products -- from tablets and phones to cameras and drones. I'm also putting together a future gift guide of less costly tech items in categories like kids, health/fitness, home/security and audio so be on the lookout for that. Always remember to check online for the lowest current prices on these items as most will be discounted as we get closer to the holidays. Remember, Hanukkah begins on the evening of December 24 this year. The Surface Pro 4 is the perfect holiday gift for a loved one looking for a device for work or play -- especially for the student who doesn't want to schlep around a heavy computer laptop. Powered by an Intel Core processor, it offers up to nine hours of battery life. Paired with the $60 Surface Pen you can use it for detailed sketches and handwritten notes.