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Friday 1 december 2017 TECHNOLOGY
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Google's phones and other gadgets have had a bumpy ride

By RYAN NAKASHIMA and which powers more than
MICHAEL LIEDTKE 2 billion devices world-
AP Technology Writers wide — but device mak-
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — ers such as Samsung that
Google, which prides itself use the free software also
on developing simple, in- can make adjustments to
tuitive software that seems highlight their own prod-
to know what you want ucts instead. And Apple
almost before you do, is only uses Google's search
finding itself in a very differ- engine as a built-in service
ent world when it comes to on iPhones, and that's only
its own phones and other because Google pays bil-
gadgets. lions of dollars annually for
Its new Pixel 2 phones, re- the access.
leased in October, got The Pixel phones and Home
high marks for their camera speakers also serve as a
and design — at least un- showcase and data-col-
til some users complained lection tool for the Google
about "burned in" afterim- Assistant, its voice-activat-
ages on their screens, a ed digital concierge.
bluish tint, periodic clicking The virtual assistant is key
sounds and occasionally to Google's artificial-intel-
unresponsive touch com- In this Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2017, file photo, a woman holds up the Google Pixel 2 phone, left, ligence efforts, aimed at
mands . next to the Pixel 2 XL phone at a Google event at the SFJAZZ Center in San Francisco. making computers that
Associated Press
Then the company's new constantly learn new things
Home Mini smart speaker the company's inexperi- software, designed and of Reticle Research. and eventually seem more
was caught always listen- ence in making consumer built by Google." The com- Software "can be more for- human than machine.
ing . electronics — a field where pany is also currently run- giving of that development SLOW START
Finally, its wireless "Pixel Apple has a 40-year head ning a major ad campaign philosophy," he said. "You The Pixels, however, got
Buds" headset received start. to draw attention to its giz- can't do that with atoms. off to a slow start. Google
savagereviews for a cheap But the company insists mos for the holiday shop- You risk some backlash." sold only 2.8 million of the
look and feel, mediocre that its problems are being ping season. HARDWARE FULL OF first-generation model,
sound quality, and being blown out of proportion. "Being a software com- GOOGLE accounting for about 0.1
difficult to set up and con- "I believe, quite frankly, that pany is an entirely different Google's push into devices, percent of the market, ac-
fusing to use. Google has a spotlight on animal from being a hard- which includes its own Wi- cording to the research firm
In short, Google is re-learn- it," Rick Osterloh, the ex- ware company," said tech- Fi routers and an older line International Data Corp.
ing an old adage in the ecutive in charge of the nology analyst Jan Dawson of web-based notebook Such a low sales volume
technology business: Hard- company's hardware divi- of Jackdaw Research. "The computers, has become a makes it more difficult to
ware is hard. sion, said in an interview cultures are very different key strategy for the internet acquire the highest-quality
GROWING PAINS with The Associated Press. and there are more mov- giant. It sees these gad- components for hardware,
Google quickly extended "Things that would normally ing parts in hardware, so gets as a way to ensure particularly when suppliers
the warranty on the Pixel 2 be pretty minor issues are a you have to learn along services such as search, make it a priority to meet
and tweaked software on bit amplified in today's en- the way." maps, Gmail, and its voice- the demands of market
the devices and its Home vironment." Google has to realize a activated assistant remain leaders Apple and Sam-
Mini in an attempt to fix Of course, Google has ac- "fail fast" philosophy that prominent as personal sung.
the troublesome issues. (It tively courted this spotlight. worked well for free soft- computing expands on Apple is expected to sell
hasn't had much to say In 2016, Osterloh took the ware products doesn't work mobile devices and new between 230 million and
about the Pixel Buds.) Still, stage at a product event as well for smartphones smart gizmos in homes. 250 million iPhones during
the problems served as a to tout the Pixel phone as that cost hundreds of dol- All those Google services the fiscal year ending in
high-profile reminder of "the best of hardware and lars, said analyst Ross Rubin are baked into Android, September.q
Amazon pushes

service that puts Echo

in conference rooms

By The Associated Press activated smart speak-
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Of- ers called Amazon Echo
fice workers who fumble for workers at their desk or
through dialing into confer- in conference rooms. Us-
ence call numbers could ers can use their voices
soon have Amazon's Alexa to access custom-made
start the meetings for them. apps called skills or tap into
The online retail giant is an- team schedules created in
nouncing the new func- Google's G Suite or Micro-
tionality called Alexa for soft Outlook.
Business at its web services Amazon is using its new ser-
conference in Las Vegas. vice to leverage its massive
The service envisions an internet infrastructure serv-
office technical manager ing the technology world's
setting up multiple voice- back end. q