Google just previewed a new Google Assistant feature on CES 2020 that turns Android phones into a smart screen reader. With “Hey Google, read this,” Google can also translate text to 42 different languages.
New technology for the website’s digital helper reads long-form texts, mainly for articles, blog posts, and short stories.
The improved service can parse sentences that give them the ability to speak more naturally. This includes pauses and grammar, like listening to an audiobook.
At the new feature’s first stage, Google Assistant still has a few glitches to fix. Additionally, the company said it could read the text in incoherent phrases.
Google Assistant also has a new privacy feature with “Hey Google, that wasn’t for you.” Whatever the app recorded prior will be deleted.
The technology could improve accessibility features for dictation and publishing while the company experiments on features like auto-scroll.
Its Duplex artificial intelligence software, similarly patterned after the human speech, was introduced two years ago. This raised the possibility of conversing with the Assistant as if it was a real person.
Google Assistant has 500 million users a month, according to the company, revealed at CES 2020. The number is about half as many users as other same-company products like Drive and Chrome.
Google runs behind Alexa when it comes to smart speakers. Its attempt to surpass the brand with its own speaker failed when its share dropped from about 30% to 12%.
Google’s Run Against Amazon
The introduction was an attempt to deviate from its Amazon counterpart and rival, Alexa. The 2014 assistant offers translations for conversation in real-time.
Alexa’s translation technology mimics Google’s machine learning and engineering.
Amazon hasn’t announced its own customer base but said Alexa is available in “hundreds of millions” of devices.
The company introduced an interpreter mode that helps two people converse in different languages with real-time translations.
Aggressive promotions surround Google Assistant with scheduled actions, notes, contacts, and new Home app features. The internet giant also partnered with John F. Kennedy International Airport and a Portland-based humanitarian organization.
Scheduled actions, namely, enables users to schedule desired tasks. Any internet-connected household items will activate at said times throughout the day.
With Leave a note, Assistant clients can leave notes on a shared screen. The company announced Timed Reminders in August last year as a tool that lets people send scheduled messages to important contacts.
Speaking of important contacts, Google announced Household contacts for the Assistant to identify family members. Even without the device recognizing the voice, the feature enables anyone with the contact to make house calls.
Home app revamps makes linking accounts to third-party smart home devices easier with push notifications. The app also enables the Assistant to control more than 20 different types of devices like the Telus Wi-Fi router.
The company announced its interpreter mode at CES 2019, which was only available on smart displays through a pilot program. Alongside adding the feature to smartphones, Google plans to expand it to airports and nongovernment offices.
American Airlines recently partnered with Google to introduce the interpreter mode into its lounges. Only Premium Customer Service representatives can use the feature with a Google Nest Hub.
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