While Salem, Massachusetts, is best-known for its Colonial and 19th century architecture, there are some great 20th century buildings that deserve attention. This is the Kenneally House at 3 Williams Street, just north of the Salem Common, a c.1913 Colonial Revival home with great curb appeal. The house was built for Maurice D. Kenneally, a teamster, who lived here with his wife, Mary, and son, Patrick. Symmetrically arranged, the house has a center entry , with sidelights and an elliptical fanlight. The front facade is dominated by a full-width first story porch on paired Doric columns and a gable roof with Palladian window.

Google's trusty casting device has been around for over a decade and will eventually be replaced. Until then, you can use it for more than just streaming shows.

View now at Ouraring At this point in the smart ring race, everyone is trying to beat Oura. But the Oura Ring 4 proves that the smart ring pioneer's position isn't wavering anytime soon. While most smart rings simply provide you with the health data it collects, the Oura Ring 4 tells you the story and the context behind that data for greater information on your health.Oura recently revealed the Oura Ring 4, the successor to its popular Oura Ring 3 which debuted in 2021. The new generation comes with smart sensing technology for a more accurate, thinner, less obtrusive, and longer wear with fewer gaps in data capture. Oura upgraded the number of signal pathways (basically how the sensors monitor and collect data inside the ring) from eight in Ring 3 to 18 in Ring 4. It also flattened the inside of the Ring 4 for more comfortable wear (if you have worn the Ring 3, you know how irritating the domed sensors could get around your finger after prolonged wear). Lastly, the smart sensing allows for one extra day of battery life, upgrading from seven days in Ring 3 to eight in Ring 4.Oura presents my sleep, activity, and recovery data through a scoring system on the main page. These scores and descriptions enable me to track my progress or pinpoint weak spots over time. The simplified overall score of, say, my readiness or sleep, appears with a detailed chart monitoring heart rate, body temperature, and blood oxygen levels throughout the day and night.The ring also senses when I'm stressed and adjusts my daily activity goals accordingly. One recent night, it detected my significantly raised body temperature and suggested I use the rest mode function, which deprioritizes activity and prioritizes rest and recovery.There are also eye-opening features like Daytime Stress, which captures your body's stress levels over the day and showcases them on a timeline. Oura allows me to understand my physiological responses to various forms of stress, like a high-intensity workout, a night out with friends, or a bad day.What differentiates Oura from its competitors is its amazing user interface that hosts all the health data you could ever need -- while staying mindful not to overwhelm you. Every number or graph is typically followed up with a short and digestible summary that turns your data into a helpful suggestion for sleep, activity, or stress.You can also easily click into a metric, whether that's heart rate variability or respiratory rate, and get a historical view of it over time. The ease with which you can look at daily, weekly, and monthly health data -- and how that data is communicated so clearly through the app -- is a major reason why Oura is the best smart ring.There are many reasons to opt for Oura, but one that comes up frequently in conversation is how many apps partner with Oura. Natural Cycles, Strava, and other health apps offer data syncing into Oura's app. I love that when I use Strava for runs, it automatically shows up in my Oura timeline.This comprehensive but simple approach is evident in the ring's form factor and integrations. The ring syncs with Apple Health, Google Fit, and iOS and Android apps, allowing you to see your daily and even monthly metrics from your mobile device.The downside, which Redditors and reviewers often point out, is the $6-per-month membership cost to unlock personal insights, like in-depth morning sleep analysis and temperature trend monitoring (which can even predict early stages of illness). Non-paying members only have access to sleep, readiness, and activity insights.Thankfully, Oura's customer service is great. ZDNET staff writer Allison Murray called them after her ring's battery began to falter, and the company sent her another ring free of charge.Oura Ring Gen 4 tech specs: Material: Lightweight titanium with non-allergenic, non-metallic inner molding |Battery life: Up to 8 days |Charging:Full charge in 20 to 80 minutes |Compatibility:iOS and Android |Durability:Water-resistant up to 328 feet |Sizing:4 to 15 Pros Lightweight and natural fit Quickly charges Data syncing with Natural Cycles, Strava, and many other apps Best app interface Cons Recurring $6/month membership Scratches easily At this point in the smart ring race, everyone is trying to beat Oura. But the Oura Ring 4 proves that the smart ring pioneer's position isn't wavering anytime soon. While most smart rings simply provide you with the health data it collects, the Oura Ring 4 tells you the story and the context behind that data for greater information on your health.Oura recently revealed the Oura Ring 4, the successor to its popular Oura Ring 3 which debuted in 2021. The new generation comes with smart sensing technology for a more accurate, thinner, less obtrusive, and longer wear with fewer gaps in data capture. Oura upgraded the number of signal pathways (basically how the sensors monitor and collect data inside the ring) from eight in Ring 3 to 18 in Ring 4. It also flattened the inside of the Ring 4 for more comfortable wear (if you have worn the Ring 3, you know how irritating the domed sensors could get around your finger after prolonged wear). Lastly, the smart sensing allows for one extra day of battery life, upgrading from seven days in Ring 3 to eight in Ring 4.Oura presents my sleep, activity, and recovery data through a scoring system on the main page. These scores and descriptions enable me to track my progress or pinpoint weak spots over time. The simplified overall score of, say, my readiness or sleep, appears with a detailed chart monitoring heart rate, body temperature, and blood oxygen levels throughout the day and night.The ring also senses when I'm stressed and adjusts my daily activity goals accordingly. One recent night, it detected my significantly raised body temperature and suggested I use the rest mode function, which deprioritizes activity and prioritizes rest and recovery.There are also eye-opening features like Daytime Stress, which captures your body's stress levels over the day and showcases them on a timeline. Oura allows me to understand my physiological responses to various forms of stress, like a high-intensity workout, a night out with friends, or a bad day.What differentiates Oura from its competitors is its amazing user interface that hosts all the health data you could ever need -- while staying mindful not to overwhelm you. Every number or graph is typically followed up with a short and digestible summary that turns your data into a helpful suggestion for sleep, activity, or stress.You can also easily click into a metric, whether that's heart rate variability or respiratory rate, and get a historical view of it over time. The ease with which you can look at daily, weekly, and monthly health data -- and how that data is communicated so clearly through the app -- is a major reason why Oura is the best smart ring.There are many reasons to opt for Oura, but one that comes up frequently in conversation is how many apps partner with Oura. Natural Cycles, Strava, and other health apps offer data syncing into Oura's app. I love that when I use Strava for runs, it automatically shows up in my Oura timeline.This comprehensive but simple approach is evident in the ring's form factor and integrations. The ring syncs with Apple Health, Google Fit, and iOS and Android apps, allowing you to see your daily and even monthly metrics from your mobile device.The downside, which Redditors and reviewers often point out, is the $6-per-month membership cost to unlock personal insights, like in-depth morning sleep analysis and temperature trend monitoring (which can even predict early stages of illness). Non-paying members only have access to sleep, readiness, and activity insights.Thankfully, Oura's customer service is great. ZDNET staff writer Allison Murray called them after her ring's battery began to falter, and the company sent her another ring free of charge.Oura Ring Gen 4 tech specs: Material: Lightweight titanium with non-allergenic, non-metallic inner molding |Battery life: Up to 8 days |Charging:Full charge in 20 to 80 minutes |Compatibility:iOS and Android |Durability:Water-resistant up to 328 feet |Sizing:4 to 15 Read More

Based on its product marketing for agentic AI, Google seems to grasp the need to speak to solving ... [+] business problems.GoogleLast week Google announced a major update to its Customer Experience Suite, which is significant in two ways. First, the update reflects the changing attitudes and success measures in customer service today. Second, AI agents were used heavily to deliver new product capabilities to solve for those shifts in business attitudes.More than that, as I listened to the Google team brief the analyst community, I was really pleased with how the material was presented. Google did not do what we have seen from almost every agentic sales pitch so far, in ways Ill explain below, and it made a big difference in how the message got across. As someone who has been covering AI agents extensively for the past year, I think Google just raised the bar for product marketers across the industry. In fact, I believe that everyone involved in promoting agentic AI needs to pause and reflect on how Googles approach can help drive better agentic adoption.The Problem With All The Other Agentic PitchesHeres the unfortunate pattern of the typical agentic pitch:Establish that AI is great but doesnt go far enough.Possibly, suggest that the current stars of the AI universe (i.e., the vendors that build massive LLM models) want you to buy a one-size-fits-all offering that is not in line with most business needs.Introduce agents as the solution and offer up some sort of definition of agentic AI that reflects either the current state of the market or something very specific to what your company offers.At this point, maybe show a benchmark that nobody understands but in which your company is leading.Make sure you mention RAG and the importance of integrating your own data into AI models, but since thats really complicated, keep it quick.Talk about the cool types of things agents might do and how these will revolutionize work. Observe that the revolution will come through either making humans irrelevant or just making them more proficient at the lousy parts of their jobs. (But dont say cost-efficiency, because workers are super-sensitive to layoffs right now.)Launch a demo of some kind of common workflow (maybe travel reservations?). Preferably, the demo is based on a set of simple sample agents that won't scale in production or wont still be supported in six months due to a new version. From a user perspective, the demo agent seems no different from a chatbot, so now the boss has no idea how this is different from what they are using now.Thank the audience and answer some questions.How Google Did It DifferentlyOn its first slide, Google did quickly introduce agents and how they fit into the overall Google AI strategy. But then it went straight into discussing the challenges of customer service the relevant use case at hand and the potential of AI to not only reduce the costs of customer service (company benefit) but also reduce the barriers in delivering excellent customer experiences (end-customer benefit). The Google presenters described in detail a day in the life of a CSR and a CSR manager, then explained how different features will enhance business outcomes for companies using Googles Customer Experience Suite. To back it up, they even had customer stories from real companies household names like Verizon and Best Buy. They closed with a customer that is actually running this in production! The customer explained the benefits they got from working with Google. And the customer was also able to share both common customer service metrics showing cost savings and net promoter scores as well as new, more granular metrics including the reduction in Tier 2 escalations.No AI benchmarks. Real contextual business metrics. A vision for Googles agentic offering and the role it plays for its customers. Googles approach was refreshingly old-school, reminding us all that AI in its current state is a beneficial augmentation and not a massive infrastructure revolution for most of the companies that will deploy it anytime soon.You, Too, Can Do ThisThe spring tech conferences are upon us. So, lets break down what Google did so well with its presentation. Then you, too, can explain your agentic innovations in a consumable, cohesive way that customers will appreciate.Step 1: Set A Crisp Solution ContextWhen a technology is new, it can be hard to isolate a compelling business problem to target. This situation is even harder for a big business that wants to show breadth in what may turn out to be a massive market. To be fair, breadth is important so sellers and marketers can begin to execute. Sadly, however, focusing on breadth (Agentic changes everything) leads to a lack of focus that dilutes your message, and that honestly makes it harder for sellers and partners to get the point across. This is a case, Id suggest, where less is more.Sure, Google had it a bit easier in this instance because it was talking about a pre-existing product thats been augmented with agentic, rather than some all-new use case. And it was clear that the product team has spent significant time with customers experiencing the exact frictions addressed in the presentation. But even if you dont have an existing product line, going deep on a couple of very clearly articulated business problems targeted at specific personas will get you way further than you think. (As an aside, I am also finding that developing this kind of persona-based research is a lot easier using AI-based research tools with the right set of prompts.)As for any fears of going too narrow, I would say that enterprise IT customers can very often see how a use case can be reapplied to their own situation. If they dont, they will at least respect the rigor of the exercise, which will buy you credibility, and they may be inspired to ask follow-up questions about their specific needs.Step 2: Stop Basking In The AI What And Start Talking About The Agentic WhyI understand that AI is new, sort of magical and technically very different from what has come before. But we are now at a point in this markets evolution when the people who need to care about AI already have a basic understanding of it. This is a clear sign that we are passing through and out of the early-adopter stage for AI.However, agentic is an interface between the real world and AI. Its not AI per se. Heres a great example from Google that exemplifies the difference: While other customer-service AI solution vendors are talking about call deflection and cost reductions thanks to AI agents speeding up processes, Google explained that there are AI agents that can be used to coach and train CSRs so they can be more effective at their jobs. Training is a significant and immediately relevant challenge in the high-turnover world of customer service. Enhanced training features help customers understand why there will be material changes in their metrics, versus just stating that AI accelerates calls.Step 3: Metrics, Experiences And ValueThe natural outcome of steps 1 and 2 will be a clear articulation of what the customer should experience and the value of their journey. In some cases, this will lead to new ways of considering old problems as Google suggests with its vision for the Customer Experience Suite. Or maybe its going to be something simpler like unblocking complex workflows, as weve seen in the case of solutions like Agentforce from Salesforce.Either way, from a marketing perspective the value proposition is not simply Its AI. To overstate something that should be obvious but too often isnt: The value proposition is that there is a business problem that is solved with a measurable impact. And even if you dont have customers willing to testify yet, you do have the ability to lay out the rationale and design points for the agentic product to describe the value it is intended to create. If that resonates in your product marketing, trust that the other questions will come up later in the sales cycle.Stop Doing AI Marketing For Agentic SolutionsIn many ways, what we are seeing amounts to AI marketing teams attempting to apply a technology template to agents which are, fundamentally, business solutions. Yes, AI is in some ways like a server because its a horizontal technology. But agents are not of that class. Agents are a new type of application and need to be marketed as such. Google just made that very clear. Now lets see how long it takes for other agentic providers to get on board.Follow me onTwitter or LinkedIn.Check outmywebsite.Moor Insights & Strategy provides or has provided paid services to technology companies, like all tech industry research and analyst firms. These services include research, analysis, advising, consulting, benchmarking, acquisition matchmaking and video and speaking sponsorships. Of the companies mentioned in this article, Moor Insights & Strategy currently has (or has had) a paid business relationship with Google and Salesforce.Editorial StandardsForbes Accolades

Act within 7 days to save your Gmail account following a hack attack.SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesUpdate, March 17, 2025: This story, originally published March 16, has been updated with details of new attack methodologies that Trend Micro recommends users be aware of as Gmail account lockdown hacks continue.As the FBI takes the unusual step of warning users of webmail platforms, including Gmail, to enable two-factor authentication in the light of a dangerous new ransomware threat campaign, Google email users still have more mundane hacking threats on their minds. Take a quick dive into any of the online forums offering support to Gmail users, be that the official ones from Google or the very active Gmail subreddit, and one topic currently dominates the conversation: my account has been hacked and Im locked out.I cant say Im surprised that this is the case. Gmail is by far the most popular free email platform on the planet, not just with email users but also for assorted threat actors, scammers and hackers. If a Gmail account hacker has taken full control, including changing your telephone number, email address, password and second authentication factor method, then all may seem lost. Irrevocably lost. Hold on, though. Google has some good news for you, as it is possible to recover your account as long as you act within seven days. Heres what you need to do.How To Recover A Hacked Gmail AccountThe most important thing to do when it comes to recovering a hacked and compromised Gmail account, according to Google spokesperson Ross Richendrfer, is to act quickly. Obviously, acting quickly enough to prevent the attacker from locking you out in the first place would be best, so employing a phishing-resistant authentication methodology like a passkey would be ideal. But if youre already locked out, its too late for that. Keep that in mind for the future, though.Google recommends that all Gmail users have a recovery telephone number and recovery email address attached to their Google account. These can be used in cases where users forget their own passwords, Richendrfer said, or just as critically, if an attacker changes the credentials after hijacking the account. This is where the time limitation comes in, though. Gmail users have a seven-day grace period following any recovery phone number change during which they, as the original account holder, can regain control of the account, Richendrfer advised.This number should, of course, ideally be for a smartphone that belongs only to the Gmail account holder, is used regularly by that person and kept on their person. When you change your recovery email, Richendrfer said, you may be able to choose to get sign-in codes sent to your previous recovery email for one week. Google has provided more help with Gmail account recovery online.Stop Gmail Account Lockdowns Before They BeginTarget The Source AttacksThe problem with Gmail account lockdown hacks is that they always start somewhere else. Tackling the issue at the source of the attack is the answer to mitigating the potential impact and preventing having to resort to using that seven-day lifeline that Google has provided. While many of the attack routes will be familiar territory to most readers, a new report from Trend Micro has seen numerous security experts recommend people need to be alert to new approaches to getting hold of their account login information.Perhaps unsurprisingly the main thrust of the Trend Micro research is looking at how AI is being used to make the lies that are used to get victims to click on links or divulge login credentials. Attackers can use AI technology itself to create believable lies and, increasingly, are using AI technology itself as the bait for these phishing attacks. Crafting lies about ChatGPT or VR can be effective due to the interest they generate, Trend Micro said. Then there is what the researchers referred to as an AI-based dynamic lie system. Such a system would automatically contact and interact with the user to earn their trust, they said, and do so before the attack itself is launched in earnest. By automating a first wave of simplistic scam emails, an attacker can quickly gauge whether potential victims are likely to respond when a more sophisticated attack is executed. Between the first two to three emails, Trend Micro explained, once a user is identified to be prone to being scammed, control would be passed to the human scammer. The human then continues to complete the scam having gained enough trust.The takeaway for Gmail users, along with everyone else, is to never trust and always verify.

In a nutshell: Super Flower has introduced a monster power supply that should be able to handle anything you can throw at it without breaking a sweat. The Leadex Platinum unit from Taiwanese manufacturer Super Flower is a fully modular power supply with a maximum rated power output of 2,800 watts that's both ATX 3.1 and PCIe 5/.1 compliant. There are a total of 19 modular connections including four 12V-2x6 connectors. Super Flower introduced the 2,800 watt unit at Computex 2024, highlighting its use of Japanese capacitors. The PSU also carries an 80+ Platinum energy efficiency rating, meaning it's 94 percent efficient at 50 percent of its rated load (230 V EU).The voluntary 80 Plus efficiency rating system came about in 2004, and uses tiers to differentiate performance. Platinum is the second-best tier only behind titanium. For years, gold was well, the gold standard, and it was not uncommon to see silver or even bronze-rated PSUs associated with entry-level power supplies.Super Flower's latest ships with a host of built in safety features including over voltage and over load protection, short circuit protection, over power protection, over current protection, under voltage protection, and over temperature protection. Elsewhere, you will find a single 140mm dual ball bearing cooling fan with eco-minded fanless and silent models.The PSU isn't listed on Super Flower's website as of this writing, but Newegg has it up for pre-order at a promotional price of $899.99 with an April 17 release date and a generous 10 year warranty. Interestingly enough, Newegg's listing mentions the PSU requires a specially designed medical-grade power cord, and thus should only be purchased from the official Super Flower seller store. // Related StoriesA power supply that costs nearly as much as a value gaming rig certainly is not for everyone, but those running heavy AI workloads or intensive rendering jobs could get some mileage out of it. As with most novelty hardware, we are just glad the option exists for those that can truly use it.

Something to look forward to: Face ID has long been an integral part of the iPhone, but it requires a sizable Dynamic Island at the top of the display. While this design is a significant improvement over the notch, it still appears outdated compared to modern smartphones. Apple is now reportedly planning to refine the design by introducing under-display Face ID. Future iPhone Pro models will likely feature under-display Face ID within the next few years, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As part of this transition, Apple reportedly plans to move "some components" of the Dynamic Island beneath the screen, aligning with its goal of reducing the feature's size and delivering an "uninterrupted screen."Gurman did not provide a specific timeline for the rollout but indicated that the change could arrive as early as 2026 or 2027. If accurate, this means the iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 19 Pro may be the first models to adopt the redesigned display.Rumors of iPhones featuring under-display facial recognition have circulated for several years, with various sources suggesting that Apple has been working on the feature for future models. In 2022, TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that the full-screen iPhone might become a reality by 2024. However, this highly anticipated design refresh has yet to materialize.In May 2024, renowned display analyst Ross Young reported that the full-screen iPhone had been delayed until 2026. While there has been little new information on the topic since then, the latest reports suggest that iPhone Pro models could soon adopt the much-awaited change, bringing full-screen displays with a punch-hole camera cutout. Should it materialize, the change would make flagship iPhones look more like their Android counterparts.Additionally, Gurman claims that Apple had initially planned to introduce a rumored port-less iPhone design with the iPhone 17 Air later this year. However, the company abandoned the idea, citing regulatory concerns in the European Union, which mandates that all mobile devices use USB-C connectors. Despite this setback, if the iPhone 17 proves to be a hit, Apple could still launch a port-less iPhone in the near future. // Related Stories

March Madness kicks off this week, and if youre an Xfinity fan, theres big news. Comcast has announced that Xfinity Multiview is headed to more X1 devices, just in time for the mens and womens NCAA basketball tournaments.Xfinity Multiview will be available during both tournaments, featuring two to four pre-selected mens and womens games played simultaneously. Customers can access the multiview options by saying March Madness or multiview into their voice remote. Once in the multiview experience, they can switch between channels to change the audio and select any game to view in full-screen mode.Recommended VideosWith Xfinity Multiview, X1 customers can watch up to four live games simultaneously on the same screen.Please enable Javascript to view this contentAccording to Vito Forlenza, Vice President, Sports Entertainment, Comcast, Now, (customers) dont have to choose between games, miss a buzzer beater when flipping channels, or set up another TV on a makeshift stand in their living room all the action is right there on the same screen.Comcast is also launching an interactive Sports Zone app that enables users to track the latest brackets, scores, schedules, and statistics from the tournament easily. The app also includes live odds, game lines, and prop bets for tournament matchups.Additionally, users can create a personalized viewing experience centered around their favorite teams. This feature lets users receive notifications about game start times and post-game highlights directly on their X1 device or phone.The first round of the mens tournament begins on Thursday, March 20, with the Final Four taking place on April 5 and the national championship game scheduled for April 7. The womens tournament starts on Friday, March 21, with the Final Four occurring on April 4 and the national championship game on April 6.Editors RecommendationsIs March Madness on Sling TV?

MicrosoftMicrosoft Support announced an improvement to the Phone Connection app in a blog post. The update makes tasks like messaging, setting alarms, and locating places more manageable through the Copilot app. Microsoft set the update for general availability to all users by the end of February 2025. However, Phone Connection is not currently available in the web version of Copilot, as spotted by Windows Latest.Microsoft aims to make everyday tasks more manageable by allowing you to access your contacts without picking up your phone. The app was formerly known as Phone Plugin and now has a refreshed visual design to make it nicer to look at. Microsoft says the feature boosts your productivity by allowing you to perform common phone actions on your PC, such as sending messages, setting alarms and timers, locating places using the map on your device, and more, without needing to reach for your device.Recommended VideosTo use the Phone Connection app, you must ensure the Windows app version runs on 1.24112.110.0 or later, install the Link to Windows app on your Android device, and sign into your Microsoft account. You can use natural commands, and youll also find a new setting in the Copilot app to toggle on the feature. Once you have everything set up, you can use the natural language to get the most out of the feature. It should work well on most PCs, so you dont need one of the best laptops to enjoy it. Microsoft has not said when Phone Connection will reach the web version of Copilot. Nonetheless, a support document hints it may be coming soon, as it references the feature through copilot.microsoft.com or the Copilot app.Editors Recommendations

Turning off the lights Why wait? Google is already dismantling Assistant as it switches to Gemini. Assistant is becoming less helpful as Google "prioritizes" experiences. Ryan Whitwam Mar 17, 2025 12:06 pm | 21 Credit: Google Credit: Google Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreGoogle Assistant is not long for this world. Google confirmed what many suspected last week, that it will transition everyone to Gemini in 2025. Assistant holdouts may find it hard to stay on Google's old system until the end, though. Google has confirmed some popular Assistant features are being removed in the coming weeks. You may not miss all of them, but others could force a change to your daily routine.As Google has increasingly become totally consumed by Gemini, it was a foregone conclusion that Assistant would get the ax eventually. In 2024, Google removed features like media alarms and voice messages, but that was just the start. The full list of removals is still available on its support page (spotted by 9to5Google), but there's now a new batch of features at the top. Here's a rundown of what's on the chopping block.Favorite, share, and ask where and when your photos were taken with your voiceChange photo frame settings or ambient screen settings with your voiceTranslate your live conversation with someone who doesnt speak your language with interpreter modeGet birthday reminder notifications as part of RoutinesAsk to schedule or hear previously scheduled Family Bell announcementsGet daily updates from your Assistant, like send me the weather everydayUse Google Assistant on car accessories that have a Bluetooth connection or AUX plugSome of these are no great lossyou'll probably live without the ability to get automatic birthday reminders or change smart display screensavers by voice. However, others are popular features that Google has promoted aggressively. For example, interpreter mode made a splash in 2019 and has been offering real-time translations ever since; Assistant can only translate a single phrase now. Many folks also use the scheduled updates in Assistant as part of their morning routine. Family Bell is much beloved, too, allowing Assistant to make custom announcements and interactive checklists, which can be handy for getting kids going in the morning. Attempting to trigger some of these features will offer a warning that they will go away soon. Family Bell is going away as Google spins down Assistant. Credit: Google Family Bell is going away as Google spins down Assistant. Credit: Google Google says Routines can be an alternative for some of these removed features. For example, you can create a custom Assistant routine to deliver the weather on a daily basis, though the process is a bit clunky and more prone to failure than having the feature built in. Gemini lacks direct replacements for most of this. You can ask Google's generative AI robot to do things, and sometimes it will comply. But it may also just do something completely different due to the omnipresent risk of AI hallucination. Now might be the time to think about controlling your smart home without yelling at a dumb robot.In its announcement last week, Google said it plans to have everyone using Gemini as a digital assistant by later this year (though it may face stiff competition from ChatGPT). As part of the changeover, it's working to enable Gemini on more devices, including cars, smart TVs, and headphones. However, we're beginning to see that doesn't apply to all Assistant devicesthe shutdown of Assistant car mics could just be the first of several new pieces of e-waste produced as a consequence of Assistant's death. Google hasn't confirmed a specific date for Assistant end-of-life, or which devices will be left behind, but we may get more clarity at Google I/O in May.Ryan WhitwamSenior Technology ReporterRyan WhitwamSenior Technology Reporter Ryan Whitwam is a senior technology reporter at Ars Technica, covering the ways Google, AI, and mobile technology continue to change the world. Over his 20-year career, he's written for Android Police, ExtremeTech, Wirecutter, NY Times, and more. He has reviewed more phones than most people will ever own. You can follow him on Bluesky, where you will see photos of his dozens of mechanical keyboards. 21 Comments