Here are a few of the tech stories that I’ve been interested in over the last few days.
Google Changes Default for Google Assistant Voice Recordings
Did you get an email from Google talking about voice recording retention and have no idea what it meant? You’re not alone!
In mid 2019, there were many reports and news stories about voice assistant providers like Google and Amazon were sending some voice recording snippets to humans to review to help improve accuracy of these services. This caused significant concern as many people were not aware that their interactions were being sent to these providers at all, nevermind that humans could sometimes be listening.
Google at that time said that only 0.2% of all voice recordings were reviewed by humans, but that it would pause that practice until a new solution could be put into place. Google was still recording those voice interactions so machine learning systems could work to improve accuracy, but would not have humans review them.
Fast forward to last week, and Google has unveiled the refined system. As of last week, Google has turned off voice interaction recordings for all users, and is changing the system to opt in. This does not affect anyone’s ability to use the Google Assistant via voice, but it means that those interactions will no longer be stored by default. Users can turn the settings on to choose to retain them for periods of 6 or 18 months. Google will resume having humans reviewing a small percentage of interactions that are recorded. Google says that any recordings that are reviewed by humans will first be disassociated with the user account, meaning there is no way for the person reviewing them to know the user behind the recording.
This opt-in method is the correct method, and the way it should have been from the beginning. It is good that we got here, it is just weird that it took so long.
Google Play Music Shutting Down in October
In a move that has literally been years in the making, Google has finally announced that Google Play Music will be sunset in October. Google Play Music fist launched in the US in 2011. It combined a Music store with the ability to upload songs already purchased for playback though the app. In Canada, the ability to upload music and listen though the app existed from 2011, and the music store became available in 2014. Google eventually added a Spofity like subscription service.
Google is transitioning users of Google Play Music to a parallel service, YouTube Music, with tools to migrate playlists, music libraries, and uploaded music to the newer app and service. At the end of October, Google Play Music will cease to function, and at the end of December, any data in Google Play Music will be deleted. Users have until then to download a copy of all music purchased through Play Music, or transfer it into YouTube Music.
Personally, I’m very torn on this. I’ve been a subscriber to Play Music for years, most recently through YouTube Premium. While the Play Music app has not had any significant improvements for several years, I find YouTube Music a significantly inferior service. Google has been trying to improve it, but it is still missing some basic features that other services have, and needlessly integrates a music streaming service with YouTube music videos. It is a mess. However, as part of my subscription I get an ad free YouTube experience, and I make extensive use of that. If I were to stop paying for Google’s YouTube Premium service and switch to Spotify, I would start seeing ads on YouTube again, which is a very unpleasant experience. There are so many ads in YouTube now I’m not sure I’d use it nearly as much. My choice seems to be to keep paying for YouTube premium and live with a Music app I don’t like, or deal with ads on YouTube. I’m not sure which is better or worse.
Microsoft Announces Launch Date for Game Streaming Service
Last week Microsoft announced that it will officially launch a game streaming service within Xbox Game Pass, the poorly named “Xbox Game Pass Cloud Gaming” on September 15th. The Project xCloud app that was used to test game streaming will close on September 11 on Android, and has already closed on iOS, before the service officially launches on September 15.
The service will be available at no additional charge to subscribers to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and will launch first on Android. There will not be an iOS launch scheduled at this time, something I’ve already discussed. Also notable is that there is no way to access game streaming from PC or Mac, which seems like an odd omission. I would love to be able to play Xbox games through the streaming service on my 13” ultrabook, but I am not able to at this time.
Google Launches Android Nearby Sharing
Last week Google began the roll out of a new Android feature called Nearby Sharing. This feature is very similar to Apple’s AirDrop, in that it allows users with Android phones to directly transfer data between devices in close proximity. This is especially useful for photo and video sharing. Google has been teasing and testing this feature for what feels like eternity, and while it took far too long to begin the rollout, it is good to see this feature coming to users. The feature began rolling out last week to users of Google Pixel and Samsung phones, and will see a wider roll out to more devices over the next few weeks.
Samsung Offers Free USB-C Headphones with Note 20 Purchase
With the Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra, Samsung is not including a seat of headphones in the box, an trend that is becoming more common with new phones. However, instead of requiring users to purchase them separately, Samsung will offer a pair of USB-C headphones to anyone who buys a Note 20 or Note 20 Ultra for free. Users can call into Samsung with proof of purchase of the Note 20 or Note 20 Ultra, and Samsung will send a pair of headphones in the mail at no charge.
This is a really smart way of appeasing both sides. Many people won’t care about not having headphones in the box, even though without a headphone jack, many users may have to buy new headphones or an adapter. But not including them saves on costs and waste, which is good for Samsung, the consumer, and the enviornment. And those who want them can get them. I like this.