From smart speakers, displays, smartphones, and more, the Google Assistant is creeping its way into just about anything and everything that it can. At CES 2019, JBL announced the Link Drive as a gadget that'll help bring the Assistant to your car.
The JBL Link Drive is a compact gadget that plugs into your vehicle's 12V socket (the cigarette lighter) and pairs with the Google app on your Android or iOS device. Once those two things are done, you can use it to issue "Hey, Google" and "Ok, Google" voice commands while driving to find the nearest gas station, add something to your shopping list, and anything else you typically use the Assistant for.
Whenever you begin a command, the Link Drive uses its Radio Barging tech to automatically turn down the volume of your radio so you can talk to the Assistant without having to yell over your tunes. When you finish talking to the Assistant, the radio will go back up to the volume it was previously set at. This also works when you accept or receive a phone call.
JBL outfitted the Link Drive with two noise-canceling microphones to ensure it can always hear you over the sound of any road trip, and if your car has an auxiliary outlet, you can also plug the Link Drive into that and sync it up with your car's speakers.
The JBL Link Drive goes on sale in Spring 2019 for $59.99 and will be available on JBL's website in addition to "select retailers."
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