Google's giving developers the keys to its digital assistant,
but lacks cheap, first-party options.
At the GOOGLE I/O Developer Conference, I tried a cocktail made by the GOOGLE ASSISTANT. The man who showed off this voice controlled mix master also hosted a session in which he described the possibilities for the future of Google's voice control platform. Chris Ramsdale, the lead product manager for the company's digital assistant, talked about building it into Wi-Fi routers, cars, and ovens.
Ramsdale wasn't making product announcements for Google, instead he was getting a room full of developers excited about the possibilities of Google's smart home.. The Google Assistant still trails Amazon's assistant ALEXA in device versatility -- in particular it has no low cost entry point, akin to Amazon's $50, Alexa-equipped ECHO DOT. Google's gamble is that its community of developers will help fill that gap.
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