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Google is setting up an Assistant-powered ride at its CES 2019 booth

Because of course it is.

Richard Nieva Former senior reporter
Richard Nieva was a senior reporter for CNET News, focusing on Google and Yahoo. He previously worked for PandoDaily and Fortune Magazine, and his writing has appeared in The New York Times, on CNNMoney.com and on CJR.org.
Richard Nieva
2 min read
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Google has a huge presence at CES 2019.

James Martin/CNET

Last year at CES, Google built a massive booth decked out with a big blue slide, a sprawling miniature train set and a giant gumball machine full of giveaway devices.

This year at the world's largest technology show, Google has outdone itself: The search giant is setting up an interactive ride for showgoers at its booth this year. On Monday, the company tweeted out a cryptic tease.

The ride will be located on the second floor of the booth, which will open to the public later this week, right outside the Las Vegas Convention Center. The giant playground is meant to drum up enthusiasm for the Google Assistant, the company's digital helper software, available in phones, smart speakers and other devices.

"By hopping aboard the ride, attendees experience how the Assistant can be helpful in the face of life's twists and turns -- at home, in the car, and on-the-go, by following the day in the life of a small family," a Google spokesman told CNET.

All in all, Google said its presence at this year's show is triple the size it was in 2018. CES has become an important staging ground for the tech giant as it pushes devices to consumers that compete against the likes of Amazon, Apple and Samsung. In the next three years, Google's hardware division -- which includes its Google Home smart speakers, Nest thermostats and Chromecast streaming devices -- could hit $20 billion in revenue, RBC Capital Markets said last month.

Elsewhere at CES, the search giant plastered the words "Hey Google" -- one of the trigger phrases for the Assistant -- over one of the main entrances of the convention center, as well as on the city's monorail.

First published Jan. 7, 12:11 p.m. PT.
Update, 3:15 p.m. PT: Added a tweet from CNET's Lexy Savvides about the Google ride. 

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