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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Facebook will focus on friends over publishers in the News Feed

Facebook just announced that it will make sweeping changes to the News Feed, the primary place where users find content on the social network. Over the next few months, users will see "more from your friends, family and groups" and " less public cont... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2018-01-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Friday Wake-Up Call: Facebook Deals a Blow to Publishers, and Marriott Gets Punished For a Gaffe

GaffeChinese authorities are punishing a foreign brand -- Marriott International -- by shutting down its China website and app for a week. What happened?Marriott's wording on a customer survey upset the powers that be. In a user survey, the hotel chain "listed Tibet, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2018-01-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hotel chain #hong kong


Google shares which Chromebooks won’t get a Meltdown fix

Google has published a list that includes every Chromebook model, which are vulnerable to Meltdown and the patch status of each one. You can check out the list here. The column you'll most want to pay attention to is the one titled "CVE-2017-5754 mit... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2018-01-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #pay attention


Bringing Biblical Women to Life: 'PW' Talks with Mesu Andrews

Acknowledging the patriarchal society of biblical times, author Mesu Andrews finds inspiration among the obscure women in Scripture and hopes to add more to their stories in her award-winning novels, including her latest, ‘Isaiah’s Daughter.’ Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-01-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #biblical times #award-winning novels


Kieran: 'white middle class men should talk about diversity'

White middle class men should not be afraid to talk about and challenge publishing's lack of diversity, Unbound c.e.o. Dan Kieran has said. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-01-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #dan kieran


How Google AMP beat Facebook Instant Articles

Google's investment in AMP, its fast-loading article pages, has helped the search giant overtake Facebook in publisher referral traffic. The post How Google AMP beat Facebook Instant Articles appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2018-01-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Wednesday Wake-Up Call: The Future of Ads on Amazon's Alexa. Plus, Diageo Suspends Snapchat Ads

Vice: Vice Media suspended President Andrew Creighton and Chief Digital Officer Mike Germano as it probes harassment complaints about them, Bloomberg News reports.Out: Patrick Scissons is out as KBS' global chief creative officer, after a year marked by high-profile departures from the agency,... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2018-01-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #neil young


US Representative calls for civics-focused social networks

In an article published today in TechCrunch, US Representative Rick Crawford called for a change in how elected officials engage with their constituents on social networks. He compared current options like Facebook and Twitter to a constituent trying... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2017-12-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #social networks


Google Play sale serves up 99 cent movie and TV show rentals

If you've been putting off renting a film, buying an app, or downloading an ebook, you'll be glad to hear that it's sale time on the Google Play Store (again). That means all movie rentals now cost a buck, and the same goes for three episodes from TV... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2017-12-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Friday Wake-Up Call: What's Next For Papa John's After Its CEO Steps Down? Plus, Apple's PR Blunder

Facebook defends itselfWhen companies place job ads on Facebook and target them to younger users, is that ageist? Non-profit news organization ProPublica and The New York Times just raised concerns about the issue, adding that Amazon, Verizon, Goldman Sachs and Facebook itself use that practice;... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2017-12-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #older people #silicon valley #mark zuckerberg


FSG Calls on Cameroon to Release Author Patrice Nganang

Farrar, Straus & Giroux is the latest party to call for the immediate release of Patrice Nganang, a Cameroonian-American writer and academic, who has been imprisoned in a maximum security prison in Cameroon following the publication of an article critical of government repression in the country. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-12-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #straus giroux #article critical #government repression


Talking audiobooks

We need to look beyond a debate about audiobook rights if we want the market to flourish, says Dominic White.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-12-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #audiobook rights


2017 Cookbook Roundup: Pie and Whiskey, Craft Coffee, Dinner in an Instant

The fall of 2017 brings with it six excellent books for making coffee, instant-pot dinners, and Thai drinking fare. Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2017-12-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Crisis in literary fiction a 'wake-up call'

Arts Council England’s report into the crisis in literary fiction should serve as a "wake up call" to the industry which needs to "radically rethink" how it presents the genre, the chief executive of Curtis Brown has warned. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-12-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #literary fiction #curtis brown


Cheatsheet: How Europe is moving to regulate Google and Facebook

Publishers are in a zero-sum tussle with Facebook and Google; it’s no secret they need a bit of assistance. The post Cheatsheet: How Europe is moving to regulate Google and Facebook appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2017-12-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #facebook appeared #post cheatsheet


Spreading the Word About Diverse Books: 'PW' Talks with Marley Dias

We spoke with activist Dias and asked her to reflect on her activism and publishing journey so far, and to share some of her future goals. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-12-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #diverse books #marley dias


Tavis Smiley Responds to PBS Suspension of Talk Show After Misconduct Allegations

Tavis Smiley was to narrate a stage production based on “Death of a King,” his 2014 book written with David Ritz. The touring show was canceled after accusations of sexual misconduct against Mr. Smiley. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2017-12-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Google reclaims title of top traffic referrer, and search-focused publishers are enjoying the moment

Publishers seized on the opportunity to talk about a growing misalignment with Facebook, which had been the top source of referral traffic for publishers since 2015. The post Google reclaims title of top traffic referrer, and search-focused publishers are enjoying the moment appeared first on... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2017-12-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #referral traffic


Global Kids Connect 2017: Publishing Professionals Talk International Growth

Foreign rights experts gathered during this week's GKC conference for a discussion of some of the areas of recent growth within the children's market. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-12-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Why do men watch porn at work? You asked Google – here’s the answer | Nichi Hodgson

Every day millions of internet users ask Google life’s most difficult questions, big and small. Our writers answer some of the commonest queriesConfession: I’ve watched porn on the job. So many times I’ve lost count, in fact. But then that was when I was writing an erotic memoir and reporting on... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2017-12-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #erotic memoir #freelance journalist #survey published