Starting today, Alexa can translate conversations between two people who speak different languages. At launch, the digital assistant's new Live Translation feature works on Echo devices in the US and supports translation between English and French, German, Hindi, Italian, Spanish or Brazilian Portuguese. To start using the feature, ask Alexa to serve as an interpreter for the language that the person you want to talk to speaks. As the two of you converse, Alexa will automatically identify the person who's taking and translate as needed. If you own an Echo Show, you'll see a visual translation in addition to hearing an audio one.

In January, Google announced a cool new feature that turns the Google Assistant into a two-way language interpreter, but it only worked visually on smart displays, which generally aren't used in the real world, when people are traveling. But now, just in time for the holidays, Google is finally making Interpreter Mode available on mobile Android and iOS phones. As always, Google is rolling the feature out and it could take up to a week for it to make it across the network. You start by asking Google to "be my Spanish translator," and then the Assistant takes over. You speak your phrase, and Google translates it, in audio and text and in real time, and the person on the other end can speak into your phone with the answer and keep the two-way conversation going.

Last month, we had our first glimpse of Google Assistant's interpreter mode for smart displays and speakers. Now, everyone with Google Home devices or smart displays (as well as some smart speakers) can try out the mode after Google started rolling it out to those devices, as noted by Android Police. You'll need to activate the mode (by saying something like "turn on interpreter mode or "Help me speak Spanish") in English, French, German, Italian, Japanese or Spanish. Once you've started it though, the interpreter will translate between 26 languages, with support for more on the way. When we tried the mode at CES, we found it to be slow and stilted, which could cause complications for more complex translations.

Google's aptly named AI helper, Google Assistant, is poised to have a great year in 2019. Not only will the digital assistant be spreading to numerous devices old and new, but there are a host of new features coming, too, several of which were shown off at CES 2019 last week. This list of upcoming Google Assistant updates is long, and it can be overwhelming trying to parse out all the different announcements and keep track of when these new features will finally be available. To help, we've curated a rundown detailing the best and most important updates coming for Google Assistant in the next few months, including what devices these new features have been announced for, their expected release dates, and how to enable them (when available). By far, the most hyped new Assistant feature at CES was the Interpreter Mode.

Google this week debuted a slew of new capabilities for its artificial intelligence software, Google Assistant, at CES in Las Vegas. One of the headliners was a preview of Google Assistant Connect. The new platform lets device manufacturers incorporate Google Assistant into their products easily and cost-effectively. Connect uses Google's existing smart home platform to expand to new device types, while making device setup and discovery easy for consumers. A manufacturer could create a continuous e-ink display projecting weather or calendar information, for example, while using Connect to drive content from a linked smart speaker.

Google Assistant will soon be able to act as an interpreter, working as a go-between for natural conversations between initially 27 languages. Think of it as your own personal translator in your pocket. It's a pretty neat addition to the increasingly useful Google Assistant and will be rolling out over the next few weeks but I got a chance to try it out at CES in Las Vegas this week. You jump into interpretation mode by asking Google, say, "Hey Google, be my French translator." When I did that, the Google HomeHub smart display at a cafe Google had set up woke up and waited for my first words.

Google is going all in on its AI assistant. In an elaborate exhibit at CES, complete with a Disneyland-style ride, the firm showed off a slew of impressive new functions for Google Assistant, including Interpreter Mode to translate dozens of languages in real-time, and integration with its Maps app. Google also showed off the new Lenovo Smart Clock, which can set alarms based on your daily habits or calendar appointments, and wake you with a gentle light. The Silicon Valley giant took the wraps off the latest updates to Assistant on Tuesday as it officially opened its 18,000-square-foot booth, which relies on an amusement park-style ride designed in the style of Disney's'A Small World' to illustrate how Google Assistant can make daily tasks simpler. Try out the 360-degree video of Google's Disneyland-style ride below This is only Google's second year exhibiting at CES.