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

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Google Assistant wants to talk to you like a friend—and call in your dinner reservation'


Why People Convert: PW Talks to Susan Jacoby

In her new book, ‘Strange Gods: A Secular History of Conversion,’ Jacoby uses history to make a case for why religious conversion is rarely based on spiritual beliefs alone. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-02-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #susan jacoby


Johnston Press in advanced talks to buy the i newspaper in £25m deal

Cut-price national owned by Evgeny Lebedev sells about 275,000 copies daily, and has been seen as key in helping stablemate the Independent stay afloatJohnston Press is in advanced talks to buy the i, the cut-price national newspaper owned by Evgeny Lebedev, in a move which multiple sources say... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2016-02-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #johnston press #advanced talks #evgeny lebedev #multiple sources


Google’s New Interactive E-Books Would Be Impossible to Print

Google and Visual Editions created a new kind of interactive mobile book. The post Google’s New Interactive E-Books Would Be Impossible to Print appeared first on WIRED. Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2016-02-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #post google #print appeared


Google launches ebook 'experiment'

Google has launched a new digital-only bookstore "for books that cannot be printed". Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-02-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Google experiments with ebooks designed for your phone

E-books are just digital recreations of what you can get on paper. Wouldn't it be better if they took advantage of internet-connected mobile devices to tell new stories? Google, at least, wants to give this a shot. It just launched Editions At Play,... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2016-02-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Magazine Company Execs Talk About Taking On Tech, Disruption

The five magazine media company executives who graced the stage at the Grand Hyatt in Midtown Tuesday night all had specific (well, somewhat specific) ideas for how to grow their companies and take advantage of industry-wise disruptions, but only one called for an across-the-board increase in... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2016-02-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #tech giants #grand hyatt #meredith corp


Authors Guild Gets Support in Google Case

Malcolm Gladwell and Ursula K. Le Guin, are among those supporting the Authors Guild’s bid to have the Supreme Court review its case against Google. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-02-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #google case #authors guild #malcolm gladwell #le guin


Authors call on governments to resettle more Syrian refugees

Victoria Hislop, Caitlin Moran, Mark Haddon and Tracy Chevalier have called on wealthy governments to resettle more Syrian refugees as Waterstones hits its £1m Buy Books for Syria fundraising target. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-02-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #authors call #syrian refugees #victoria hislop #caitlin moran #mark haddon #tracy chevalier


BitLit and Shelfie at Three Years: Cold Calling From Canada

After three years of cold calls to publishers, BitLit has found traction with ebook bundling and expanded into audiobooks with distributor Findaway. The post BitLit and Shelfie at Three Years: Cold Calling From Canada appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-02-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #canada appeared #found traction #ebook bundling


Grammy-Winner Lecrae Talks About Faith and 'Being Crushed' in New Memoir

With a #1 album and over two million followers on Facebook, Lecrae is well known for being both a rapper and a Christian, but the artist is taking his message of faith beyond his music in ‘Unashamed,’ publishing this spring. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-02-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #million followers


Facebook Owns Social Login Scene, But Google's Creeping Up

Social logins remain an easy way for brands and publishers to get people to register to use their sites and apps in order to collect more information about those people -- who opt-in to share that information -- and do things like customize the articles or products they're shown.Not... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2016-01-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #facebook remains #fourth quarter


At Authors United Event, a Call to Bust Amazon 'Monopoly'

If Amazon’s business practices continue unchecked the result could be a “nuclear winter” for book publishing, said Smashwords founder Mark Coker during a Jan. 27 event called Amazon’s Book Monopoly—A Threat to Freedom of Expression? Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-01-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book publishing


Google's Ad Boss on Ad Blocking, AMP Ad Viewability and Enhanced Campaigns

Digital media companies are dealing with a bunch of problems plaguing their advertising-based business models. A growing number of people are blocking the ads running on their sites, forcing publishers to find ways to get those people to unblock their ads or pay one of the ad blocking companies... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2016-01-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #growing number #find ways #ad technology


How to Pray Better: PW Talks to John Eldredge

In his new book, 'Moving Mountains,' bestselling author John Eldredge makes a case for why Christians should pray with passion, confidence, and authority. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-01-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


The Making of 'The Portable Veblen': Elizabeth McKenzie Talks with Her Editor

Elizabeth McKenzie, author of 'The Portable Veblen,' talks to her editor, Ed Park, about the editing process. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-01-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #portable veblen #elizabeth mckenzie #ed park #editing process


BA calls on Hammond to intervene over Hong Kong bookseller

Tim Godfray, chief executive of The Booksellers Association, has written to the foreign secretary, asking that the government "thoroughly investigates all the facts" relating to the disappearances of missing Hong Kong booksellers, who include British passport-holder Lee Bo. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-01-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ba calls #tim godfray #booksellers association #foreign secretary


Publishers scramble to prepare for Google’s fast mobile pages initiative

Publishers initially welcomed Google's fast-loading articles format, as a way to compete on mobile devices. But with the launch of Accelerated Mobile Pages, or AMP, just weeks away, it doesn't support all ad formats yet, which limits their ability to monetize it. As with Facebook and Apple, the... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2016-01-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #mobile devices #ad formats


Authors call for boycott of festivals that do not pay

Joanne Harris and Linda Grant among signatories of letter saying authors have been giving services for free for too longThe fight to ensure literary festivals pay authors appearing at their events has gained momentum after a number of prominent writers, including Linda Grant, Denisa Mina, Joanne... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2016-01-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #francesca simon #amanda craig


When They Got the Call: PW Speaks with the 2016 Newbery, Caldecott, and Printz Winners

PW spoke with the three big winners of the ALA's 2016 Youth Media Awards, about what they were doing when the committee called. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-01-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #pw speaks #printz winners #pw spoke #big winners #committee called


ALA 2016 Midwinter Meeting: Ken Burns Talks About the Creative Process

In a fascinating talk, Ken Burns, Terry Tempest Williams, and Mark Kurlansky delved deep into the creative process. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-01-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #creative process #ken burns