JBL introduces Google Assistant to its big-sounding Link 500 speaker

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Pretty soon, a speaker with built-in Google Assistant will be about as headline-worthy as its volume knob. Like it or not, talking to your tech is fast becoming the norm. We’re not quite there yet, though, and there remains something novel about ordering a crap song to be skipped from the other side of the room without reaching for a control. Which brings us to JBL’s Link 500 (£349.99) – the most powerful Google Assistant-enabled speaker on the market, according to its maker. Far-fields mics mean the speaker should have no problems with hearing you over its meaty bass and room-filling stereo sound, while dual 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi gives you a faster connection. Need more noise? You can go multi-room with any speakers that have Chromecast built-in. “Ok Google, make me even more unpopular with the neighbours.”

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I'm fascinated by all things tech, but if you were going to leave me on a desert island, I'd probably ask for my Nintendo Switch, a drone, and a pair of noise-cancelling cans to block out the relentless seagull racket. When I'm not on Stuff duty you'll probably find me subscribing to too many podcasts, playing too many video games, or telling anyone who will listen that Spurs are going to win a trophy this season.