Google Assistant wants to talk to you like a friend—and call in your dinner reservation

Google Assistant may have debuted as a bonus feature in the company’s ho-hum Allo messaging app, but it’s been on a roll ever since. The AI helper is now embedded in more than 500 million devices worldwide, Google revealed Tuesday during its annual I/O developer conference keynote. The company is rolling out new features and products to make Assistant more helpful no matter what sort of device you use—and to keep pace with Amazon Echo’s fast and furious improvements.And get this: In the future, Google Assistant will even call local businesses to book appointments for you.It’s true. Google’s machine learning chops have advanced far enough that you’ll be able to ask Assistant to schedule an appointment for you at a business that can’t be easily booked online, and Google’s big brains in the sky will actually ring local shops to set up a reservation.To read this article in full, please click here Continue reading at 'PC World'

[ PC World | 2018-05-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #google assistant #bonus feature #amazon echo #book appointments

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Why you shouldn’t post photos of friends without permission

If your friends and family are deliberately keeping themselves off social media - extend the courtesy by asking before you put pictures of them onlineEverything sounds dodgier prefixed “shadow”, but the “shadow Facebook account” is unsettling in a whole new way. A study has found that even... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2019-01-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #facebook account #post photos #digital native


Uniting Penguin and Random House: PW Talks with Madeline McIntosh

Penguin Random House completed moving its Penguin staff members that had been working on Hudson St. to 1745 Broadway, where Random House has long had its headquarters, on January 2. PW talked with PRH US CEO Madeline McIntosh about the move. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-01-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #random house #madeline mcintosh #pw talked


Creative Industries Federation calls for second Brexit referendum

The Creative Industries Federation is calling for political parties to support a second referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union, rather than crashing out without a deal. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-01-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #brexit referendum #political parties #european union


Cheiffetz's New Imprint at S&S to be Called Signal Press

Julia Cheiffetz joined Atria Books last year to head a then-unnamed imprint. Since that time she has acquired a slate of new titles for the line, called Signal Press, that will address the current public debate around feminism, politics and social justice. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-01-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #social justice


Wimpy Kid’s best friend takes centre stage in new Kinney novel

Puffin, part of Penguin Random House Children’s, will this April publish Jeff Kinney’s first novel outside of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, about protagonist Greg Heffley’s best friend Rowley Jefferson. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-01-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #wimpy kid


Talking Pictures Awards Submissions Open

The contest, part of a cultural initiative of the New York Rights Fair celebrating excellence in book design in five categories, is now open for submissions for its 2019 awards. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-01-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book design


Administrators in talks over ‘new arrangements’ with HMV book suppliers

Administrators are in “ongoing” talks with book suppliers to HMV and trying to “make new arrangements” after the music retailer collapsed for a second time. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-01-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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SoA calls on ACE to increase diversity in the arts and secure libraries' future

The Society of Authors (SoA) has responded to Arts Council England’s consultation on its future strategy, saying it would like ACE to do more to increase diversity in the arts, secure the future of the library service and ensure that young people from all backgrounds can engage in cultural activity. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-12-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #soa calls #increase diversity #authors soa #library service #cultural activity


When Fortnite pwnd Google: the most overlooked story of the year

Contrary to appearances, it’s still possible to stare down the tech giants. And in 2018, Fortnite proved it. In 2018, the platforms have the power. Which means if you aren’t Apple, Google, or Facebook, you answer to them. That’s true for advertisers, for publishers, and even for our democracy.... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2018-12-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #tech giants


Facebook Audience Network Joined Google’s Open Bidding Program

Publishers using mobile ad network Facebook Audience Network now have another bidding option: the Open Bidding program from Google. The social network wrote in a blog post announcing the move, "Publishers are increasingly using unified auctions to maximize their advertising revenue. Bidding, as... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2018-12-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #advertising revenue


Google and publishers edge closer to reaching common ground for GDPR standards

Major European publishers, agency groups and ad tech vendors have agreed on a compromise when it comes to serving ads under GDPR. The post Google and publishers edge closer to reaching common ground for GDPR standards appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2018-12-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #post google #serving ads


Reintroducing Islam’s Founder: 'PW' Talks to Michael Muhammad Knight

In his new book, religion professor Michael Muhammad Knight presents 40 views of the prophet Muhammad, painting him in an unexpected light and demonstrating the wide-ranging diversity within the Muslim world. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-12-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #prophet muhammad


Walliams calls for better access to reading, ‘safeguarding’ of libraries

David Walliams has called for better access to reading and for libraries to be safeguarded, revealing he would introduce new laws on children’s literacy if he were prime minister.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-12-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #david walliams


UK Trade Associations Call for Professional Behavior in a Diverse Industry

Vowing to 'bear witness and support appropriate action,' the four key trade associations in the UK publishing industry commit to combating misconduct. The post UK Trade Associations Call for Professional Behavior in a Diverse Industry appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-12-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bear witness


Nike is Ad Age's Marketer of the Year and Samsung is the world's biggest advertiser: Monday Wake-Up Call

Welcome to Ad Age's Wake-Up Call, our daily roundup of advertising, marketing, media and digital news. You can get an audio version of this briefing on your Alexa device. Search for "Ad Age" under "Skills" in the Alexa app.What people are talking about todayTribune Media Co. reportedly has a... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2018-12-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #alexa app #tribune publishing #potential buyers


Hachette calls on rivals to disclose 'transparent' gender pay gap numbers

Hachette UK is calling on all major publishers "to be transparent" when reporting their gender pay gaps next March, specifically by disclosing how they fare both with and without their distribution arms being taken into account. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-12-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hachette uk #major publishers


120,000 American libraries just got even cooler thanks to Grow with Google

Google is giving you one more reason to love libraries. As everyone knows, libraries are cool. They are open to all (even ghosts, according to Ghostbusters), and can beat any Black Friday sale by offering free books on every subject every day (see the Instagram below). And way before WeWork was... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2018-11-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #love libraries


Writing from the Middle: PW Talks to Lysa TerKeurst

In her new book, president of Proverbs 31 Ministries and bestselling author of ‘Uninvited’ Lysa TerKeurst delves into the recent pain of her husband’s infidelity, a cancer diagnosis, and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-11-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #lysa terkeurst #bestselling author


A Member of Slovakia’s Parliament Calls for a Competitive Textbook Market

Finding itself among a handful of European Union nations still with a state-controlled textbook market, Slovakia, says parliament member Branislav Gröhling, must change. The post A Member of Slovakia’s Parliament Calls for a Competitive Textbook Market appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-11-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Talking to the Joe Beef chefs, who wrote a cookbook about the end of the world

On a recent morning, chefs David McMillan and Frédéric Morin sat at Chateau Marmont, the swank hotel on the Sunset Strip, to talk about their new book, “Joe Beef: Surviving the Apocalypse, Another Cookbook of Sorts.” It is a sequel to their debut cookbook, which they also wrote with Meredith... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-11-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #debut cookbook #chateau marmont #sunset strip