When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. The Echo Studio is back, along with the revamped Echo Dot Max and two gorgeous Echo Show displays. Yes, round is still in when it comes to Amazon's refreshed Echo smart speakers, with the high-end Echo Studio and the smaller Echo Dot both getting big Alexa+ makeovers at Amazon's big fall hardware event in New York City. Also on tap were new versions of Amazon's Echo Show 8 and 11 displays, which chopped the chunky design of previous-generation Echo Shows in favor of slimmed-down screens mounted in front of oval-shaped rear speaker components. Available for pre-order now, the new Echo devices pack Amazon's new AZ3 and AZ3 Pro chips allowing for "on the edge" Alexa+ processing, ideal for getting speedier replies while enabling advanced sensors that allow the new Alexa to sense what's going on in the immediate area.

We already knew that Google Assistant was soon to be replaced by a "new experience powered by Gemini." Now we know what that new experience will be called, and when it's arriving. Gemini for Home is the name of the new Gemini-powered voice assistant for Google smart speakers and displays, including the current Nest Audio, Nest Mini, Nest Hub, and Nest Hub Max. "Early access" to Gemini for Home kicks off in October, Google announced in a blog post Wednesday, with both free and paid versions available. Google didn't say how much the paid version of Gemini for Home will cost.

Purchases you make through our links may earn us a commission. Amazon's Echo smart speakers and displays can listen for more than just your wake word--devices like the Echo Dot and Echo Show 5 can also keep an ear out for everyday household noises like barking dogs, appliance beeps, and even your snoring spouse (to name a few). The idea is to help turn your home's everyday sounds into triggers for your smart devices to make your life a little easier. Get deals and shopping advice delivered straight to your phone. Sign up for text message alerts from the experts at Reviewed.

It's the latest water-cooler buzzword that has our heads spinning -- the "metaverse." A surface-level skimming of the term unlocks a complex universe of modern technology propelled to sci-fi-like proportions. With some of the tallest names in Big Tech announcing their commitment to this next wave of VR-powered living, it stands to reason that the metaverse, however realized or un-realized it may be, is that next digitized horizon that humanity and humanity's devices have all set sail toward. But what if we told you that the metaverse has actually been around for longer than most of us think (albeit in much more primitive forms)? Since Facebook (now Meta) CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been building blueprints for Meta's future based on the company's intentions to massively expand what fragments of the metaverse currently exist, we've all been thinking a lot more about living our lives through a VR headset.

Looking to summon the entire family even when some loved ones are out and about? Google Assistant's Broadcast feature can now do just that, thanks to a recent update. Google is also rolling out a long-awaited improvement to the Assistant's Family Bell feature. Set to go live today, Google Assistant's enhanced Broadcast feature can now reach members of your family group on their phones as well as on Google smart speakers and displays. For example, you could say "Hey Google, tell my family, dinner will be ready in an hour" from the Google Nest Hub Max in the kitchen, and Google Assistant will broadcast the message to all the other Google speakers and displays in your home, as well as on the iPhones and Android phones of any on-the-go family members.

When we first heard about Google's Android Things platform in 2016 (and even earlier when it was Project Brillo) the idea was that it could bring additional intelligent capabilities to all kinds of electronics. However, in the years since AI helpers like Google Assistant have moved control and smarts to the cloud, while the smartest devices in your home are still just... speakers and displays. Now Google has announced that it's "refocusing" Android Things on those two types of devices. Over the past year, Google has worked closely with partners to create consumer products powered by Android Things with the Google Assistant built-in. Given the successes we have seen with our partners in smart speakers and smart displays, we are refocusing Android Things as a platform for OEM partners to build devices in those categories moving forward. Therefore, support for production System on Modules (SoMs) based on NXP, Qualcomm, and MediaTek hardware will not be made available through the public developer platform at this time.