Have you heard the good news? Disney is available to stream on Google smart displays, just like many other popular streaming services including Netflix and Hulu. Technically you've always been able to watch Disney on a Google smart display (like the Nest Hub Max) by casting from another device, but that's not quite as smooth as calling out, "Hey Google, play Hamilton on Disney ." With the new update, it's easier than ever to catch up on all of your favorite movies and more when your Disney account is connected to a Google smart display--all you have to do is ask. Here's how to watch Disney using your Google-enabled smart display.

Need to remind the family to take out the garbage, pick up a prescription at the drugstore, or perform some other household duty? Just leave a digital sticky note on your Google smart display. First announced back at CES in January, the Family Notes feature is rolling out to Google smart displays starting today, along with an update to the Family Bell feature, interactive stories, and "find my family" functionality. First up, you'll soon be able to ask Google Assistant to leave a sticky note on your Google Nest Hub, Google Nest Hub Max, or another Google Assistant-enabled display. Just ask, "Hey Google, leave a family note that says pick up the dry cleaning," and Google Assistant will leave a digital sticky note in the top-right corner of the screen that reads, "Pick up the dry cleaning," along with a timestamp and the name of the person who left the note.

You can now use Google Assistant voice controls to navigate Disney content on smart displays like Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max. To use the feature, you'll have to link your Disney subscription to your Google Home or Assistant app. Then, just say something like "Hey Google, play The Mandalorian," to stream content. From the start, Disney has been available on Google Assistant smart displays like Nest Hub. You can already use Assistant to play Netflix, Hulu, CBS All Access and HBO content, so it only makes sense that the same feature would be available for Disney .

Zoom, the video conferencing app of the COVID era, is about to land on Amazon, Facebook, and Google smart displays. In a press release, Zoom announced it will make its initial debut on Facebook Portal displays next month, while Zoom integrations for Amazon Echo Show devices and Google Assistant-enabled displays, including the Nest Hub Max, are due this fall. The arrival of Zoom on the Amazon Echo Show (starting with the Echo Show 8) will be a major boost for Amazon's smart display, which up until now was only capable of one-on-one video calling. Google announced group calling on its Google smart displays via Google Meet and Duo in late June. Facebook's Portal smart displays support group calls of up to 50 people with Messenger Rooms and Workplace Rooms.

There are a number of Google smart displays available now, made by the company itself and third-party manufacturers. They all house the Google Assistant but each has their own flare, and now you can get one of Lenovo's Google smart displays for less. Best Buy's has the Lenovo Smart Display 7 for $75 right now, which is $25 off its normal price and $5 less than the last time we saw it on sale. While Google's Nest Hub is the same size, Lenovo's smart display adds more powerful speakers as well as a camera shutter and mic-mute button. The former makes it a better music machine, while the latter two will make it a more viable option for privacy-conscious people.

The Google smart display in your kitchen or bedroom is perfect for watching YouTube TV, Hulu, or casting Disney, but up until now, it hasn't been able to play video from the most popular streaming service on the planet: Netflix. Google just announced that its Google Nest Hub and Hub Max will be the first smart displays to support Netflix. Google says that Netflix on the Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max will start rolling out today, and it will be supported anywhere that Netflix and the two Google smart displays are available. To watch Netflix on your Nest Hub or Hub Max, just go to the Google Home app and link your Netflix account. You can do so by tapping the " " button in the top-left corner of the Google Home interface and selecting Video under the Add services heading.

Google wants to make the Assistant more powerful, and is announcing today a slew of developer-centric updates that will make it easier to build tools for the digital helper. Three new features in particular are most intriguing: Home Storage, Continuous Match mode and AMP support on smart displays. Google is also releasing a new web-based console and SDK that will make it easier for developers to create for Assistant. These announcements are the largest since the company acquired conversational user experience platform Dialogflow in 2016, according to director of product management Payam Shodjai. With Home Storage, programmers can tap into a pool of information shared by devices in the same household (or, in developer speak, connected on the home graph).

In an effort to curtail the spread of COVID-19, many Americans are working from home as health global experts continue to encourage social distancing. While you've probably got plenty of board games, TV shows, and other entertainment to keep you company, they can't replace facetime with friends and family. Smart assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant can help! Here's how to quickly and easily video chat with your loved ones using Alexa and Google Assistant. Amazon has several Echo smart displays that can be used for video calls, like the Echo Show 5 (pictured).

When Amazon first debuted the Echo Show last year, plenty of people, us included, mocked its unusual design. More than that, we wondered if adding a display to a smart speaker makes sense, or if it was just another one of Amazon's gimmicks. It turns out, however, that being able to see the result of your queries is actually quite helpful; it's easier to glance at your entire shopping list than it is to have Alexa read it line by line. Amazon later followed up with the Echo Spot bedside clock, which offers the same features in a smaller design. But even though the Show and the Spot came out in 2017, it was in 2018 that smart displays came into their own.

Google debuted its take on the smart display earlier this year with a slew of Echo Show rivals. This is, after all, the Google way. As it did with Android, Google created the ecosystem and then partnered with third-party companies like Lenovo and JBL to make the actual products. However, as with the Pixel and the first run of Google Home products, Google likes to dabble in hardware, too. That's why it wasn't much of a surprise when Google announced the Home Hub -- its very own spin on the smart display.