Update lets you replace Google Now on Android with Microsoft’s Cortana

While the “Hey Cortana” prompt still isn’t available in the beta version of the app on Android, Microsoft Cortana can be your main digital assistant on Android now. You now have the ability to replace the Google Now shortcut, which has you pressing and holding down the home button, with Cortana. We’re not sure yet if they “Hey Cortana” prompt will be making its way too Android, possibly because of hardware limitations, but we’ll take what we can get now. If you’re interested in being a beta tester for Cortana on Android, you can check the sign-up process here.

Source: The Verge

Google Inbox now auto-suggests reminders from your email

Whether you’ve accepted that Google sweeps through your email for keywords or whatnot, you’re getting new handy features for it. Google Inbox is adding another element to make it easier to keep track of your to-do list. The app now makes use of Google’s natural language understanding feature to look if a particular email needs to be turned into something actionable. You’ll be prompted by the app to make a reminder. If you chose to do that, it’ll join your Inbox messages, notify you when the specified time and place comes up, and it’ll be kept in your Reminders tab until you decide to delete it.

This feature also ties in with Google Keep and it even shows up on your Google Now stream. When you make reminders now with Keep, those also show up on your Inbox. You can choose to view them within the email app or you can tap on the link to take you to Keep. This feature works on the web and iOS as well.

Source: PCWorld

Google I/O: Now on Tap boosts contextual search capabilities

Screenshot: Cult of Android

Google Now just got smarter with the new Now on Tap feature. It basically lets you fire off quick queries while within other apps. For example, you’re listening to a certain musician in a music app and want to know what his/her real name is. Now on Tap will be able to answer that for you. Google’s Aparna Chennapragada said this feature can even turn text message conversations she has with her husband into actionable information. For example, being able to set a reminder to pick up dry cleaning or get a restaurant recommendation when she was talking to her husband about a dinner date.

Other sample features include Now on Tap being able to help you decipher unpronounceable items on a menu, even showing you a photo while it’s at it. This feature will be available when Android M launches later this year.

Source: Cult of Android

Google adds search capabilities for apps using voice

For a while now, Android will let you open apps using “Okay Google” command. But this time, Google adds a bit more functionality to that. You can now say things like “Okay Google, show attractions near me on TripAdvisor” or “Okay Google, listen to NPR.” The company is working with a small group of companies to let you do more than launch apps with their voice search.

According to Android Police, some of the apps you can use include Flixster, Instacart, Lincoln, NPR One, Realtor.com, Shazam, TripAdvisor, Trulia, TuneInRadio, Walmart, Wink, and Zillow.

Source: Android Police | Via: Wall Street Journal