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  • YouTube TV Adds More Channels, Goes Up in Price Again

    YouTube TV Adds More Channels, Goes Up in Price Again

    Despite being touted as one of the more accessible ways to watch Internet TV, YouTube TV is being less so. This month marks yet another price increase for the service. When it launched a short two years ago, YouTube TV was a respectable $35 per month. Now, it’ll cost $50, a 40 percent increase in two years.

    YouTube TV Price Hikes

    Pricing History

    When YouTube TV launched, it cost a solid $35. That’s not the best price in Internet TV, but it was pretty solid to get access to YouTube Originals. Essentially, if you wanted Internet TV and really like Cobra Kai, this was a good deal.

    In March of 2018, however, YouTube TV went up to $40, making it one of the more expensive options for Internet TV, but not a terrible option. With the most recent price hike taking it to $50, however, it’s starting to become comparable in price to simply having cable through your ISP.

    Why This Matters

    For half the price of what YouTube TV is charging, you can get Sling TV, a $25 subscription that includes over 30 channels. For that matter, those who want to watch TV but not spend a dime can get Pluto TV. If Google intends for YouTube TV to be a serious competitor, a 40 percent increase in price every two years hardly inspires confidence.

    Channels Added

    The service added Discovery Channel, HGTV, Food Network, TLC, Investigation Discovery, Animal Planet, Travel Channel, and MotorTrend to support this raise in the price. They also plan to add the Oprah Winfrey network later this year.

    However, this flies in the face of the marketed reason why Internet TV was created in the first place. Customers sick of paying for tons of channel packages they didn’t want opted for Internet TV to cut their bills down and get just the channels they want.

    Alternatives

    Alternatives to YouTube TV are prevalent, including Hulu’s live service, which starts at $40 per month. PS Vue, from Sony, is another option, though at $45 per month, it’s hardly a steal. The aforementioned Sling TV starts at $25 per month for those looking to save a bit more.

  • Disney Plus: What We Know

    Disney Plus: What We Know

    Disney Plus is promising to carry all of Disney’s movies, including their animated family fare, Star Wars and even the MCU films. What this means for other streaming services is that they’ll have to fight the combined might of Disney’s industrial hype complex with their own programming.

    What does this mean for the consumer, though? Well, if you like Star Wars, Marvel or Disney cartoons, it means you’re getting yet another subscription to watch them.

    Disney Plus

    Release and Pricing

    At present, we know only a little about the potential release window and pricing of Disney’s new streaming service. Disney has stated that they want the service to be live by “late 2019”. It’s unclear whether this means as soon as August or as late as December, though we’d expect it to hit some time in November.

    As for price, Disney CEO Bob Iger has been clear that Disney knows their service will be content-light compared to the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime. As such, Iger stated that consumers can expect the price to reflect that. What, exactly, this means for the price has yet to be seen, though we’d guess somewhere in the range of $8-$10 per month.

    Content

    When Disney Plus launches, it’s expected to have a few standout TV shows exclusive to the platform. Namely, a Star Wars series called The Mandalorian, as well as a pair of Marvel shows centered on Loki and Scarlet Witch, respectively. Also expected to be present at launch are all of Marvel’s films, including Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame.

    On the cartoon side, Disney has stated that even animated films currently in “the Vault” will be brought out for viewing on the Disney Plus service. That means that you can watch Little Mermaid or Beauty and the Beast even if they’re not out of “the Vault”, which is a new approach for the legacy company.

    Another Subscription

    Thanks to the Fox merger, Disney now also own Hulu. This means that diehard Marvel fans who want to see everything will need to have Hulu, too, as Marvel’s more adult-oriented shows are heading there. It seems like this is the future of media distribution, as each company scrambles to match Netflix as a streaming content producer.

    Disney Plus is the latest in a long line of such platforms. CBS All Access and ESPN Plus are both examples of yet more streaming services vying for your subscription dollars. You’ll have to decide whether yet another subscription is worth it when Disney Plus launches later this year.

  • Borderlands 2 Review Bomb on Steam Met with new Policy

    Borderlands 2 Review Bomb on Steam Met with new Policy

    Valve has addressed an unfolding controversy involving review bombs of Borderlands 2 on Steam. The review bombs come as a result of the news that Borderlands 3 will be a timed exclusive for the Epic Games Store on PC. Valve has introduced a new “off-topic” tag for reviews to address the issue.

    Borderlands 2 Review Bombs

    Borderlands 3 Controversy

    The controversy regarding Borderlands 3 is a bit convoluted. In short terms, Gearbox, the developers of Borderlands 3, have announced that the game will be available only through the Epic Games Store on PC for roughly six months. The game will still be available through normal retailers for consoles.

    Some people have taken issue with this, stating that they feel as though Epic is unfairly competing against Steam, a larger PC content delivery system. To voice their frustrations, they’re review-bombing Borderlands 2 on Steam to announce their distaste. However, these reviews have nothing to do with the content of this earlier game.

    Valve’s Response

    Valve, graciously, has taken the situation in stride. They’ve implemented a new system to tag reviews as “off-topic”. In the case of the Borderlands fiasco, the off-topic reviews simply don’t relate to the content of the game. People looking to make a purchase based on a game’s merits don’t need to be caught up in weird reviews about digital content distribution.

    This is a great opportunity for Valve to indicate that they are serious about preserving the integrity of their user reviews. After all, many consumers rely on the user reviews to tell whether they would enjoy a given game. People abusing it muddy the waters as to what’s good and what’s not.

    Brand Loyalty

    Largely, it appears people upset with Epic Games and Gearbox feel as though Steam is some kind of “default” for PC game distribution. However, this isn’t the case: Steam is simply the largest platform. Valve is no more friend to a consumer than any company selling goods. As such, outrage over a game’s distribution rings unusual, in the least.

    In broad strokes, consumers’ speed to condemn a strictly lateral move from one digital storefront to another is odd. Downloading a launcher and using it to purchase a game is a bit annoying, sure, but it’s hardly ruining the experience. Boycotts over such a miniscule inconvenience ring a bit hollow.

    Other concerns, such as the idea that Epic Games is somehow a greedy corporation just trying to grab your cash, are even more odd. Epic is no more or less “greedy” than Valve. They’re both just trying to sell games.

  • Google Stadia: What is it, and What Does it Mean?

    Google Stadia: What is it, and What Does it Mean?

    Google recently announced their upcoming Stadia game-streaming service, and people have been talking. Google promises seamless streaming of 4K, AAA game without the end-user needing any hardware besides a screen and an internet connection. Is this too good to be true? What could this mean for the gaming industry?

    Google Stadia

    Is This Real Life?

    Game streaming actually isn’t all that new. The technology for streaming games has been used by other companies to limited success previously. Notably, Capcom even allowed Resident Evil VII to stream to the Nintendo Switch in Japan. However, reviewers have noted that big, AAA games require a pretty good, stable internet connection to run well.

    If Google’s promised 4K game streaming is to become a reality, internet infrastructure in the US will be a hurdle to overcome. Many people that live in rural areas simply don’t have access to lightning-fast internet. Without that, how will they stream the kinds of games Google is promising?

    Pricing

    A big question mark regarding Stadia, at the moment, is the business model. Will this be a subscription service that gives the user access to a library of games for a monthly fee? Will the service itself be free but require you to buy games? Or, worst of all could these just be game “rentals” that charge you for play time?

    Pricing will be a huge factor in Stadia’s performance. We speculate that the most successful permutation for Google would be to operate a Netflix-like subscription service. You pay, say, $20 per month and get access to a library of games. No fuss, no mess, games on demand. Everyone is happy. This, however, isn’t all to consider.

    Ownership

    One of the concerns raised by many gamers following the Stadia announcement is anxiety over ownership. At present, most games get physical media releases. The physical media, whether it be disk or cartridge, contains the game’s data. That means you can play it even long after its developer and publisher stop supporting it.

    The same isn’t true of a service like Stadia. With Stadia, you don’t actually own the games, as Google’s servers have all of the data. If you want to play a game that isn’t on the service anymore, well tough. Likewise, if you want to sell your old games that you aren’t playing anymore, you can’t. You don’t own them, so you have nothing to show for the money you’ve spent gaming.

    Bottom Line

    Will Google Stadia shake up the gaming landscape and make consoles obsolete? Or, will it fizzle out like many of Google’s other ill-fated ventures? Time will tell. Until then, we’re eagerly awaiting news on when Stadia launches, and how much it’ll cost.

  • Top Ten Dreamcast Games of All Time

    Top Ten Dreamcast Games of All Time

    Twenty years after the release of Sega’s final home console, many people in the modern era look back at the Dreamcast with a bittersweet feeling. While the system was the final time Sega released new hardware, it was also well ahead of its time and something of a powerhouse in 1999.

    Today, in honor of the upcoming twentieth anniversary of the system’s American release, we’re looking at the top ten Dreamcast games of all time. From fast-paced action games to off-the-wall puzzlers and everything in between, the Dreamcast was quite the special system.

    Top Ten Dreamcast Games

    10. Rez

    Rez, a trippy, otherworldly shooter that is equal parts rhythm and bullet-hell, showed us just how creative games could be. The journey the player undertakes is equal parts strange and wonderful, engrossing and beautiful all at once.

    As you kill your enemies and avoid damage, the world around you morphs and becomes less wireframe and more psychedelic. It’s a great experience, one you should definitely seek out if you love off-the-wall gaming experiences.

    9. Jet Grind Radio

    The cell-shaded, streetwise anthem of disobedience called Jet Grind Radio (Jet Set Radio outside of the States) blew critics away when it launched. The funky soundtrack, slick presentation and fun roller-blading movement system all make the game an awesome experience even today.

    While the first game was partly overlooked by American gamers, the series got a second chance with the sequel, Jet Set Radio Future, which made its way to Microsoft’s Xbox a few years later.

    8. Crazy Taxi

    Sega was known for its bold, in-your-face philosophy. Their commercials once screamed “SEGA” at full volume, for crying out loud. Crazy Taxi was like a crystallization of Sega’s 90’s ethos. Driving recklessly, crashing around turns and getting your customers to their destinations as fast as possible were all encouraged. In fact, the game gives you bonus points for driving in the most dangerous way possible!

    The gameplay is still fast and fun to this day. While the controls are a bit clunky and ridiculous today, the sheer over-the-top hilarity and pure video game fun remain timeless. Both the original game and its sequel were released during the Dreamcast’s short lifespan, so the two games are synonymous with the system.

    7. Power Stone

    Before Super Smash Brothers really sank its teeth into lovers of party fighting games, there was Power Stone. The fast-paced, 3D combat of the quirky fighting game was fresh and fun in 1999 and hasn’t aged a day in 2019.

    Gameplay is centered on brawling with opponents using the environment and your character’s skills. As the fight goes on, you and your opponent fight over Power Stones that drop randomly on the map. If you collect all three Power Stones, you enter a powered-up state and can really take the fight to the opposition!

    6. Skies of Arcadia

    The Blue Rogue air pirates are a quirky bunch, reminiscent of the best Final Fantasy characters. Skies of Arcadia wears its inspirations like a badge of honor, clearly displaying its love of Final Fantasy in its visuals and gameplay. The storyline is gripping and well-plotted, and you’ll find yourself dying to find out what happens to the crew.

    The game is packed full of fun characters, secrets and more. The turn-based combat is an exemplary representative of the best the RPG genre has to offer, too. If you love games like Final Fantasy 7, you owe it to yourself to try this one out.

    5. Marvel Vs Capcom 2

    The definitive version of this arcade classic came out on Sega’s Dreamcast. Marvel Vs Capcom 2 plays like a dream, with silky-smooth framerate and gorgeous character models. The game has superb balance, with each character displaying well-defined strengths and weaknesses.

    The fun of watching Spider-Man and Ryu take on Wolverine and M. Bison never grows old. If you’re a huge fan of the MvC series, you should hunt down and old Dreamcast and a copy of this game. It’s well worth the effort to play the series’ most definitive entry!

    4. Ikaruga

    This binary shoot-em-up is all about switching back and forth between two polarized modes. When your ship is white, you’re immune to white projectiles, but black projectiles damage you. The opposite is also true, making the game a fast-paced exercise in switching, ducking and weaving.

    Ikaruga sports slick and stellar visuals, fun gameplay and a great soundtrack. It’s largely considered one of the best shoot-em-ups ever, and for good reason. This is one of the best games of all time, system notwithstanding.

    3. Sonic Adventure

    This game’s cutscenes and voice acting have aged about as well as milk, but that doesn’t stop this from being a wonderful game. The visuals are stunning for 1999, the gameplay is as fast as the series namesake, and the tunes are decidedly great.

    This is the Blue Blur’s first transition into 3D graphics, and it’s executed rather well. Some clunky camera controls and wonkiness is to be expected of any 3D Sonic game, and this one is no exception. However, this game still makes for a fun time, especially when playing as Sonic and Tails.

    2. Soul Calibur

    The legend of Soul Calibur will never die! This masterwork of a fighting game is unparalleled in the genre. No other fighting game has presented weapons-based gameplay in such a well-balanced and undeniably fun package. Simple to pick up, tricky to master and a visual feast, Soul Calibur is Namco-Bandai’s strongest case for their fighting game dominance.

    This Dreamcast exclusive may have been released on a doomed system, but the soul still burns! Numerous sequels have kept the legend alive, and today the name Soul Calibur is connected with top-notch gameplay and production values.

    1. Shenmue

    The best game on the Dreamcast and one of the biggest game releases in history is Shenmue. This unusual, decidedly Japanese game, is more than a little weird. The grand scope of Ryo’s revenge mission to find his father’s killer is underscored by the closely intimate nature of the game’s open world. Characters have schedules and hobbies, interests and distinct personalities.

    The gameplay is a mix of open-world exploration and Virtua Fighter-style fighting. Uncovering the mystery of your father’s death is the driving goal, though you can just waste time in the arcade playing Hang-On if you want.

    The groundbreaking graphics, well-penned story and silly, endearing voice acting have given Shenmue a near-legendary status. The sequel, Shenmue II, was released on Xbox in North America, though it saw a Dreamcast release in Japan and Europe. The series has been in limbo for years, though the creators promise the Shenmue III will be out sometime soon.

  • Netflix Cancels Punisher and Jessica Jones

    Netflix Cancels Punisher and Jessica Jones

    It’s official: the era of live-action Marvel TV shows on Netflix has come to a close. After each show got a few seasons and the crossover “Defenders,” it looks like the Netflix MCU is now history. The last show we’ll see on the service will be the third season of Jessica Jones.

    Netflix Cancels all Live Action MCU Shows

    The End of an Era

    This news isn’t surprising: after Netflix canceled Iron Fist and Luke Cage, it seemed like their other shows were on thin ice. Daredevil’s cancellation followed shortly after. The cancellation of Punisher and Jessica Jones is unsurprising, if disappointing.

    “We are grateful to Marvel for five years of our fruitful partnership and thank the passionate fans who have followed these series from the beginning,” stated a Netflix representative. It’s odd to think that the first season of Daredevil aired way back in 2014, but now that era has come to a close.

    A Future?

    Disney is starting its own streaming service, Disney+, later this year. They’ve already confirmed that the service will host all of their movies, including MCU films, as well as Disney-owned television properties. There’s a possibility that Netflix’s cancellations of these shows was in order to pave the way for Disney+ versions of the Netflix shows.

    As of yet, none of the characters in Netflix’s MCU shows have appeared in any Marvel films. As such, Disney+ has a lot of options. They could ignore the shows altogether, which would be a shame. They could recast the characters for appearances in other media, which would also be unfortunate.

    Hopefully, the shows will all be picked back up with the new streaming service. It would be a shame for shows as good as these to simply go dormant over some rights issues. After all, we still haven’t seen Luke Cage and Iron Fist team-up to become the Heroes for Hire!

  • Apex Legends Tops 10 Million Players

    Apex Legends Tops 10 Million Players

    EA has had a surprise bit of good fortune with the release of Apex Legends, the newest game in the Titanfall series. Despite being free-to-play, battle royale, rife with microtransactions and bereft of giant mechs or wall-running, this “Titanfall” game has now seen 10 million players since its release last week. Color us impressed!

    Apex Legends Tops 10 Million Players

    The Formula for Failure

    We’re going to be honest on this one: we had written Apex Legends off the moment we heard about it last week. To be fair, who could be blamed for thinking this unusual game would succeed? After no press run-up and little buzz, EA simply dropped a Battle Royale game to go toe-to-toe with the big gods, Fortnite and PUBG.

    An EA-published free-to-play shooter with microtransactions sounds like the perfect storm of things gamers don’t usually like. To top that off, the game is marketed as being in the Titanfall universe, but none of the series’ titular mechs make an appearance. Even more egregiously, the signature parkour free-running of prior games isn’t on display either. Yet, the game seems to be rather popular.

    The Formula for Success

    It turns out, tight gunplay, excellent visuals and fun cosmetics are all you need to make a free-to-play shooter fun. Even EA’s dismal reputation couldn’t sully the hard work of developer Respawn, and the genuine passion they have for their IP.

    The lack of press leading up to the game’s launch may have been better PR than having any info come out. As it stands, naysayers can simply play the game now and see that it’s great, rather than prophesizing doom and bemoaning EA’s business practices. All of this is quite surprising, but a welcome surprise, to be sure.

    Later this month, EA’s next heavy-hitter, Anthem, will hit store shelves. If Apex Legends is anything to go by, Anthem may just blow us all away. Here’s hoping that EA-published shooters with this level of polish and detail become the new norm. We’ll take all the great games we can get!

  • Xbox Live Coming to Nintendo Switch

    Xbox Live Coming to Nintendo Switch

    No, you didn’t read that headline wrong. Microsoft’s Xbox Live is coming to the Nintendo Switch, per a recent listing from the upcoming Game Developer’s Conference. The news comes courtesy of a description for Microsoft’s presentation during the show. Is this the start of a new era of cooperation between Microsoft and Nintendo?

    Xbox Live Coming to Nintendo Switch

    The News

    This news, as stated previously, comes from a description from the upcoming Game Developer’s Conference. That description reads “Get a first look at the SDK to enable game developers to connect players between iOS, Android, and Switch in addition to Xbox and any game in the Microsoft Store on Windows PCs.”

    The description mentions that this “will break down barriers for developers that want their communities to mingle more freely across platforms.” Well, that sounds like good news for gaming in general, if you ask us!

    What This Means

    Does this mean we can expect to play Halo 5 on our Nintendo Switch? Maybe, but that’s not necessarily set in stone. What it definitely means, for now, is that we can expect to see cross-platform play remain a huge aspect of Microsoft’s initiatives.

    The company has been making huge pushes to keep gaming as integrated as possible following the rough launch of the Xbox One. Huge pushes for initiatives like the Adaptive Controller and cross-platform play with Nintendo has won massive respect for the company that was lost with the DRM fiascos when the Xbox One launched.

    We could expect to see support for Xbox Live achievements, friends lists, messaging and indie titles appearing on Switch and mobile devices. This would allow devices that aren’t typically known for their communications-based multiplayer to branch out into more “core” gaming experiences.

    A Modern Nintendo Online?

    Nintendo’s own online service is required to play any competitive online multiplayer and runs for about $20 per year. The service also grants access to emulations of some classic NES games. However, the service lacks achievements, messaging and voice communications that are considered hallmarks of modern online gaming.

    Could Microsoft’s Xbox Live service be the solution to this issue? While many players simply own both a Switch and an Xbox or PS4, it’s still strange that Nintendo hasn’t made online multiplayer a bigger part of their brand. Microsoft’s announcement could mean that the days of bare-bones online features on Nintendo systems is coming to an end!

  • The Gift of Music: How to Do It the Right Way

    The Gift of Music: How to Do It the Right Way

    Everyone has those people in life that are very hard to shop for. I mean what are you to get the person that has everything? Music. Music is always the best gift,  and for the people that have everything, it’s often the only gift. Music is universal and received by everyone. No one can have all of it or appreciate all of it,  which makes it such a great gift.

    The best part about giving music as a gift is there are so many different ways to do it. You can give equipment, earbuds, speakers, listening peripherals, or just new music that you think they would enjoy. The options are virtually endless. Let’s take a look at some of the best music gift ideas you can give your friends, family,  and loved ones.

    Streaming Subscriptions

    When gifting music the first place to start is the easiest place to start. That is a subscription to new music. Starting at $9.99 a month there is a plethora of streaming music subscription services. The subscriptions will allow you to stream, download, and listen to unlimited music, new, retro or classic. Whatever you wanna hear, whenever you wanna hear it.

    The first one I would mention is Apple Music. Apple Music has the largest subscription-based of users as well as the largest database of music. They’ve been compiling music in their iTunes software since the beginning of digital music. Almost all the music you could ever want to listen to is there is a very easy to use, intuitive,  user-friendly platform that syncs perfectly amongst all your iOS devices.

    The next option is Amazon’s Prime Music. Prime Music functions mostly like the Apple subscription services. Prime music will sync across all your Amazon prime devices,  you can even download the prime music app to your iOS or Android devices.

    This provides flexibility in your multiple and various OS mobile devices. There are also services like Iheartradio, Pandora, and Spotify. All the services will run you $9.99 a month and make an excellent gift for anyone who doesn’t have unlimited streaming music service.

    Harmonica?

    Maybe you want something tangible to give? Another great option to give somebody is the gift of a musical instrument. Regardless of talent level, Giving the gift of a musical instrument is always welcome. This will give you some options as well, the classic iconic instrument, a keyboard or guitar,  or you can get interesting like a banjo or harmonica. It’s fun, always remembered, and just may improve someone’s life.  If that’s not exactly what you been looking for, Here are some specific music listening devices that will make great gifts.

    Amazon Echo

    The Amazon Echo is one of Amazon’s premier speaker systems. It is an elegant and easy to use this quality speaker. It doubles as a speaker for most of your devices and comes with Amazon’s Alexa voice-enabled assistant fully built in. Full cloud sync-ability to prime music,  you can add in that subscription for a total music package. Synchronization across your devices lets the Amazon echo provide the ultimate in home music listening enjoyment. The Echo gives the gift of high-quality speaker along with the content to play through it.

    The Sonos Vinyl Set

    Are you looking for a gift for someone who likes that hands-on music experience? Do they like the sound they can feel and touch? At the same time want to have that digital proficiency and quality without suffering the nostalgic sound of crackles and pops. Look no further than Sonos’s new vinyl set. Picture this, the Play:5, the best-sounding, most powerful speaker, matched with the Pro-Ject vinyl record player, allowing you to stream your vinyl to every room. Masterful.

    Did I mention, the Pro-Ject includes built-in phono preamp. Outstanding. They will be able to just plug in any audio device, from a record player to a friend’s phone, and listen to their favorite music on the fantastic Play:5. Like all Sonos speakers, it is expandable.  The Sonos vinyl easily let you go from streaming your favorite music and high-quality sounds to spinning from your own record collection.

    Give the gift of streaming vinyl across the connected Sonos speakers to every room in a pure, balanced sound,  unmatched by anybody else in the industry. Give the gift of their own musical completion, The Sonos Vinyl set.

    Beats Studio3

    You could just try keeping it simple and just go with the old trusty Beats headsets. When you want to give the gift of quality music look no further than beats headphones. The best of the beats headphones are the Beats. Featuring intuitive balanced, pure noise canceling functionality in the most robust and authentic sounding headphones on the market.

    These headsets function flawlessly regardless of the situation or noisy environment that you’re in,  always providing the perfect pure balance sound and they look pretty great.

  • Google Assistant is About to Take Over Your Life

    Google Assistant is About to Take Over Your Life

    Our world has in a very short time become almost totally voice controlled by an autonomous A.I. robot with a pleasant female voice. One voice is always listening,  to answer, or facilitate your every whim. She can order your food, turn on your lights, tv, and set your A/C. She can settle debates, do calculations, wake you up in the morning.

    “She” has many uses and many names, Alexa, Siri, some call her Bixby or Skynet, Clarice, Cortana, Whatever you call her, she has a name. Then there is the unnamed, just known as the assistant.

    “Hey Google”. This phrase is the next big thing in A.I. assistants. Google’s very own assistant to help you verbally command across devices, computers, speakers, Google Home, your phones, tablets, and everything else with a plug. No Google’s assistant isn’t new, but it is improving faster than the rest of the field.

    While Siri and Alexa are getting complacent with their functions, focusing on expanding. The Assistant is getting smarter at all the things she does, she is learning, evolving…

    Google Assistant will be the A.I. Assistant that wins the war and establishes dominance. Even though it looks as though Google is falling behind at the moment. Alexa is sexier, and Siri is already everywhere. Why will it be Google? Google CEO Sundar Pichai  says the companies priorities are shifting from “mobile-first to AI-first.”

    For Google, that priority will be AI-powered intelligent assistant, Google Assistant. That is why they will prevail and take over the A.I. world. A.I. first and design devices and peripherals around the assistant,  instead of A.I. just being a component or another feature.

    In short, the Google Assistant is a voice-activated digital assistant created by Google. Much like all the others out there it can perform actions on a user’s behalf and provide conversation and contextual information. Google Assistant is now the primary focus of Google’s AI-first strategy. In cohesion with the mountain of user data, Google has on all its users will create the dominant voice-enabled A.I. assistant to lead the world into the roaring 20s.

    Most of the world’s smartphones operate on Google’s Android OS, which supplies Google Assistant already for free. If you haven’t tried out the Google Assistant on your smartphone, now is the time to yank out the device in your pocket. I think you will be very impressed with your assistant. Try it, ask your Assistant to look up the last book you read, music, your favorite bible verse or send a quick text message.  See what the weather is like in Temecula or turn off your bedroom lights. Google can do it, just ask.

    Why is So Much Data Needed?

    The biggest disadvantage of the Assistant is that it requires users to give access to a lot of data. If you want it to turn off your light, you need to give it access to your home. If you want her to remind you of an important meeting tomorrow, she needs your calendar. You get the picture.  This disadvantage is also why Google will improve in the near future.

    It has all the data to play with already.  Yes, we are creating a monster, a self-serving monster. How, when, or if this will come back to bite us is all up in the air. It all seems like that is someone more important’s problem, and now is just the time to enjoy the best of all times to be alive. We want all this glorious tech without giving up any private data, which is just not possible. Or is it?

    What About My Privacy?

    Don’t be terrified, It’s going to be great. While privacy in the 21rst century is going extinct, it’s not really linked to you… think of it as one person with two personalities, the in real life “IRL” and your digital personality. You can control every part of your digital personality, it can even be a caricature of your IRL self.

    Yes, everything you say, post, think, search or learn is being tracked. What is not being tracked is you, just your behaviors, then compiled into a database with 5 billion other people and used to develop patterns. When strong enough patterns are compiled, very accurate predictions can be made. Take solace in the anonymity of it all, or you can take the next step.

    A third personality, make a second digital personality. New email, second twitter, FB, Insta, use this solely to create erratic online behaviors. Search for random things, click on ads you are not interested in, simply skew the data. If enough of us do this we can restore privacy. Maybe. Who’s with me?