Google Assistant for Android TV adds four new languages

While a bit behind what it can do on mobile, the latest update for Google Assistant for Android TV will make it a bit more useful for users that don’t speak English. That is if you speak these four languages. Assistant adds support for German, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese (Brazilian). This adds on to the four other languages that it supported in the past (English, French, Japanese, and Korean). Unfortunately for Android TV users, you are at the mercy of your TV manufacturer to see if they’ve updated your firmware. But you could check to see if it’s made it your way.

Source: Android Police

Google adds ‘Continued Conversations’ with Assistant to smart displays

One way to have a “more natural” conversation with Google Assistant is with Google’s “Continued Conversations” feature. Basically, Assistant stays active and listens to you as you ask it follow-up questions. It lessens the need for you to say the trigger word “OK, Google” or “Hey, Google” to ask it follow-up questions. This feature was only available for audio-only Google Home, Home Mini, and Home Max. Now, the current rollout fixes this issue and makes it available in English (US) across all Smart Displays, including the Google Home Hub, Lenovo Smart Display, JBL Link View and LG XBOOM AI ThinQ WK9. You have to head to Settings > Preferences > Continued conversation in the Google assistant app to activate this feature.

Source: The Verge

MWC 2019: Google Assistant is coming to Android Messages

Google is rolling out "over the coming months" an easier way to pull up information when you're on Android Messages. The messaging app is getting Google Assistant support. This means you'll be able to see a Google Assistant button appear in the smart replies section of the app. When you tap it, it'll ask Assistant a question and give you options of what you can answer in your thread. Like if you want to find out about restaurants in the area where you're meeting up with a friend. For starters, the feature is limited to English.

Google claims it isn't reading your messages. The only information that gets sent to Google is the text of the Google Assistant button you tap. The "suggestions chips" are based on a local analysis of what's in your conversation thread. When you tap on a chip it'll send you a card with information and options. From there you can send the results of your search to the chat. This feature basically helps you do your search right from within the thread.

Source: The Verge

Google Assistant’s Interpreter Mode is now live

After making its debut at CES 2019, Google has finally brought Assistant’s Interpreter Mode to smart displays and speakers. It’s available on all Google Home speakers, some with Google Assistant built-in, and all smart displays. To activate the feature, you need to say something like “turn on interpreter mode” or “Help me speak Spanish” in either English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, or Spanish. It can translate between 26 languages with support for more on the way.

Source: Engadget