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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Google swallows 11,000 novels to improve AI's conversation

As writers learn that tech giant has processed their work without permission, the Authors Guild condemns ‘blatantly commercial use of expressive authorship’When the writer Rebecca Forster first heard how Google was using her work, it felt like she was trapped in a science fiction novel. “Is this... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2016-09-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Six Easy Ways to Do Good: PW Talks to Chris Marlow

Here are six ways people can make a difference in the world, according to global anti-poverty activist Marlow, author of ‘Doing Good is Simple.’ Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-09-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pearson answers Obama's call to aid refugees

Pearson has committed to investing in aiding refugees around the world, alongside 50 other global companies, in response to US president Barack Obama's "Call to Action". Together the companies have pledged a combined $650m. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-09-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Philip Pullman calls for UK to adopt EU plans to protect authors' royalties

His Dark Materials author has appealed for EU directive to be introduced in Britain, to block ‘unfair practices that currently prevent authors making a living’His Dark Materials author Philip Pullman has welcomed a “badly need[ed]” new proposal from the European Commission that would protect... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2016-09-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #uk government #protect authors #bestselling authors #eu directive #badly needed #european commission #film adaptations


Google Play Books App Adds Discover Feature

The new feature, intended to help users with book discovery, mines information from online book news, reviews and video content. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-09-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book discovery #video content


Google wants to help find your next book to read

It doesn't matter if you've got the biggest or best shop in the world if you can't connect people to the things that they want. It's an issue that Google is hoping to address in its electronic bookstore with the launch of Discover, a new way to show... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2016-09-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #electronic bookstore


Call for Nominations: FutureBook’s Digital Achiever of the Year

The winners in this year's Bookseller FutureBook Awards will be announced December 2 at the conference. Frankfurt Book Fair again is sponsoring this special honor for digital achievement. The post Call for Nominations: FutureBook’s Digital Achiever of the Year appeared first on Publishing... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-09-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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HarperCollins to grow RNIB's Talking Books library by 15%

The Royal National Institute of Blind People and HarperCollins have announced a new three year partnership to grow Talking Books' library by 15% to 28,500 titles. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-09-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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ALPSP conference talks Big Data

Technologies involving big data analysis are becoming so cheap to work with that academic publishers should be innovating in the area even if they are unsure what they are looking to create, Sage's Ian Mulvany told the Association of Learned and Professional Publishers conference. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-09-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Why Relying on Facebook and Google Comes With Trade-Offs for Brands

  brightcove.createExperiences(); COLOGNE, Germany—While Facebook and Google are dominating digital ad budgets (and increasingly, consumers' time) because they give marketers sophisticated and granular targeting, advertisers are getting squeezed with the amount of data that the... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2016-09-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Google may have to pay for news snippets under EU copyright reform

A proposed reform of European Union copyright law grants online news publishers additional rights that could lead to the closure of services such as Google News if strictly enforced.Copyright law already provides reporters with protection for the news stories they publish, but in a draft... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2016-09-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Staying Real and Low to the Ground: PW Talks to Ann Voskamp

Voskamp is following up on her bestseller ‘One Thousands Gifts’ with ‘The Broken Way,’ an exploration of suffering as a pathway to humility, deeper human connections, and radical generosity. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-09-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Saqi to publish 'creative call to arms for Muslim women'

Saqi Books has acquired an anthology, edited by poet and playwright Sabrina Mahfouz, intended to be "a creative call to arms for Muslim women in Britain". Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-09-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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My Job in 5: Giulia Mammana, marketing assistant, Maggioli

Describe your role I am a marketing and web marketing assistant at Maggioli Editore, one of the leading academic and professional publishers in Italy, producing both print and online books and magazines. As a marketing assistant, I perform a variety of daily tasks, including e-mail marketing,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-09-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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‘It’s a Faustian agreement’: Bloomberg Media talks about the dilemma of platform publishing

Publishers around the world are trying to figure out how to benefit from social platforms and apps. In June, publishers from all over the world gathered at the Digiday Publishing Summit in Japan to discuss how they are growing internationally at scale. Here's a roundup of highlights from the... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2016-09-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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German book trade calls for Turkey action

The German Publishers and Booksellers Association has joined with freedom of speech organisations to launch an online petition calling on the German government and EU Commission to make an “uncompromising commitment” to freedom of expression in Turkey. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-08-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #german publishers #booksellers association #speech organisations #german government #eu commission


Can Google Help Translate a Classic Novel?

Esther Allen talks about the six-year process of translating the classic Argentine novel "Zama," which is finally available to U.S. readers 50 years after its original publication. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-08-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #original publication


Don't Call Riverhead Design Labs Just Another Art Department

Part traditional art department and part research and development group, Riverhead's design lab operates at the junction where art, books, and marketing meets. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-08-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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EU proposals could see news publishers paid by Google and Facebook

Measures are part of a series of planned European commission changes designed to strengthen rights of creators and publishersNews publishers would have stronger rights to demand payment from digital giants such as Google and Facebook in exchange for using their content, under proposed European... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2016-08-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Facebook Seizes Header Bidding to Challenge Google in Programmatic Ad Sales

A digital advertising battle royale is taking shape, as Facebook appears to be moving forward with plans to compete against Google for programmatic ad dollars that have historically been dominated by the search giant.Facebook has a simple strategy: bring advertiser demand from the Facebook... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2016-08-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #taking shape #moving forward #search giant #ad inventory #index exchange #audience network