It's the most wonderful time of the year, with streaming movies and music playing, and everyone viewing photos with revere—thanks to Google Home.
The virtual assistant is spreading festive cheer with new voice-controlled features.
Now, when paired with a Chromecast device, Google Home will stream any Netflix-based movie or TV series you ask for: "OK Google, play Love Actually," or "OK Google, play Stranger Things."
Learn how to link your Netflix account to the Google Assistant from the Home iOS and Android apps. And next time you're holding a mug of hot chocolate in one hand and collecting a Trivial Pursuit wedge with the other, simply deliver verbal commands, like "Pause this episode," without dropping a marshmallow.
"Serve up the holiday classics that make your season bright, hands-free, right to your TV," product manager Tomer Shekel wrote in a blog post.
Users can also get in the spirit of the season by requesting that Google Home play merry Hannukah or Christmas tunes—via Google Play Music, Spotify, Pandora, or YouTube Music—while sharing photos on a Chromecast-connected TV.
Say "OK Google, show my photos of Lake Tahoe on my TV" to start a slideshow of vacation snapshots for everyone to "ooh" and "ahh" over. Can't remember the name of an album? Try searching by image: "OK Google, show my photos of selfies at Christmas," or "OK Google, show my photos of Brazil sunsets."
Google Home even keeps tabs on Old St. Nick; kids can track their gifts by asking "OK Google, where's Santa right now?"
"Whether he's preparing his sleigh or already in flight, your Assistant keeps you informed of Santa's latest whereabouts (tracked by Google Maps)," Shekel said.
The desktop device debuted this fall for $129 (plus six-month YouTube Red membership); it is available in seven colors from Google, Best Buy, Target, Walmart, and Verizon.
For more, see PCMag's review of Google Home and the slideshow above.