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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Multiple Efforts Assist Flooded Vermont Stores

Sixteen Vermont bookstores and one local publisher are running a one-day fundraiser tomorrow, July 29, to help rebuild two bookstores that flooded earlier this month. In addition, New York City's Books of Wonder is selling its used fixtures to Vermont's Bear Pond Books at a steep discount. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-28 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #local publisher #steep discount


CBLDF Calls for Collective Action

Jeff Trexler, interim director of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, told PW that the book bans happening across the country were a topic of much conversation at San Diego Comic-Con. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-28 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #collective action #interim director #told pw #comic book


Google has a new AI tool for journalism—but should we trust tech to meddle in newsrooms?

Historically, big tech’s attempts to shape how the media operates have often done more harm than good. Google has a new plan to help save journalism—or at least make it easier for journalists to work. The company has been pitching a generative AI-powered product, nicknamed Genesis, to major... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2023-07-21 11:48:19 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #big tech #publishers including


NBCUniversal Becomes First Major Publisher to Wrap Upfront Talks

That's a wrap for NBCUniversal. Today, the company announced it had closed upfront talks, becoming the first major publisher to cross the finish line in what's been the slowest upfront season in years. Despite ongoing economic uncertainty, NBCU is ending its 2023 upfront negotiations with total... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2023-07-20 18:06:53 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #finish line #company announced #major publisher


Google testing AI tool that writes news articles

Tool is said to have been pitched to several US news outlets as an aid for journalists rather than a replacementGoogle is testing an artificial intelligence tool that can write news articles, in the latest evidence that the technology has the potential to transform white-collar professions.The... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-07-20 12:04:29 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #news outlets #current events #news corp


Former NHLer Billy MacMillan remembered as humble, well-respected friend

Billy MacMillan, a former NHL player known for his work ethic and friendship, died Friday at the age of 80. Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2023-07-16 16:03:30 UTC ]
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See the cover for Mary Rechner’s new collection of short stories, Marrying Friends.

Literary Hub is pleased to reveal the cover for Marrying Friends, the forthcoming collection of short stories from Mary Rechner, which will be published by Propeller Books in October. Here’s a bit about the book from the publisher: When her troubled husband dies unexpectedly, mercurial Therese... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-07-11 15:00:43 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #forthcoming collection #literary hub #competing desires #short stories


Never Too Young: Why Kids Deserve Queer Friendly Libraries

The kids are more prepared than most adults to understand and expect acceptance for all in school libraries (and beyond!). Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-06-30 10:35:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #school libraries #libraries


Adams, council reach $107B budget deal after tense talks

The deal reverses proposed cuts to libraries despite financial strains on the city Continue reading at Crains New York

[ Crains New York | 2023-06-29 16:45:41 UTC ]
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Google Pixel Fold review: The challenger that Samsung needs

For the past few years, Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold line has been the undisputed champion of big flexible phones. But it holds that title almost by default thanks to a lack of real contenders — especially outside of China. But with the Pixel Fold, Google has created a legitimate challenger with an... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-06-26 17:00:03 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #reign supreme #pretty good #stylus support #pen inside #critical mass


NASA is creating a ChatGPT-like assistant for astronauts

Despite our intrinsic distrust of AI in space taught to us by movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey ("I'm afraid I can't do that, Dave"), it offers large advantages to both manned and unmanned missions. To that end, NASA is developing a system that will allow astronauts to perform maneuvers, conduct... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-06-26 08:19:03 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #autonomous operations #science fiction


A Summary and Analysis of Oscar Wilde‘s ‘The Devoted Friend’

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University) ‘The Devoted Friend’ is one of the fairy tales for children written by the Irish author Oscar Wilde (1854-1900). It was published in the 1888 collection The Happy Prince and Other Tales. ‘The Devoted Friend’ is about a Miller named Hugh, who... Continue reading at Interesting Literature

[ Interesting Literature | 2023-06-23 14:00:16 UTC ]
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Google gets sued by newspaper publisher Gannett

McLean newspaper publisher Gannett Co. Inc. (NYSE: GCI) said Tuesday it has sued Google LLC and parent company Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL), alleging “monopolization of advertising technology markets and deceptive commercial practices.” Gannett says in its suit, which was filed in U.S.... Continue reading at Silicon Valley Business Journal

[ Silicon Valley Business Journal | 2023-06-21 14:18:58 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #district court #southern district #newspaper publishers #sell ads


Cannes Today—Twitter and Meta make pitches, Omnicom hooks up with Google AI and Grand Prix latest

Welcome to Day Two of Ad Age’s Cannes Today newsletter. Reading this online and want it delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up here.  For real-time updates, follow our live blog. And see all our coverage here. Plus, click here for a recap of Day One. Twitter is beachless but bullish and Meta... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2023-06-20 20:38:54 UTC ]
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News publishing giant Gannett sues Google for monopolizing ad tech

Gannett, a news publisher accused of monopolistic behavior, is suing Google for monopolistic behavior. It’s the latest in a string of lawsuits against the search giant, and it repeats many of the arguments made by the Department of Justice in its second lawsuit against Google, filed earlier this... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-06-20 16:46:02 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #advertising business #anticompetitive behavior #news publisher #publishing giant


Get a call or a critique from a high-powered agent AND do good in the world.

Sound too good to be true? Well I have news for you, dear aspiring writer, you can get yourself a phone call or a manuscript critique from a fancy literary agent by bidding at this year’s Literary Agents of Change Auction.  The LAOC is an organization that believes that advancing the publishing... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-06-15 17:12:39 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #phone call #publishing industry #literary agents #literary agent


Texas Officially Bans So-Called “Sexually Explicit” Books; Demands Book Ratings from Vendors

Texas's Governor signs a bill into law that gives him power over what books can be in libraries *and* forces ratings on books. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-06-15 10:40:00 UTC ]
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Escape from Dude Culture: PW Talks with Mattie Lubchansky 

Cartoonist Mattie Lubchansky talks about their debut graphic novel 'Boys Weekend' (Pantheon) which translates their trans-femme experience into a biting lampoon of tech culture and a humorous recap of the relentless disrespect trans folk face every day. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-07 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Panel Mania: The Talk by Darrin Bell

Darrin Bell’s new graphic memoir ‘The Talk’ is an absorbing, creative examination of the life of a biracial kid told with great honesty, emotional candor, and humor. A nine-page excerpt. The book is out now from Henry Holt. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-07 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Google and Facebook urged by EU to label AI-generated content

Call comes amid moves to combat disinformation from Russia, while Twitter is warned to comply with new digital content lawsSocial media companies including Google and Facebook have been urged by the EU to “immediately” start labelling content and images generated by artificial intelligence as... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-06-05 13:06:04 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #artificial intelligence #digital content