Major updates for Google Now and Maps announced at Google I/O
The most awaited annual software developer’s conference Google I/O has begun and many major updates have been announced by Google. The most important of those updates are as follows.
Google Now
Google Now is the voice-based assistant that comes with Google’s operating system-Android. While Google Now is generally popular among its users, it also has (or had) problems like high error rate in voice recognition. In the Google I/O conference, Google’s VP Sundar Pichai said that due to the company’s investment in better machine learning algorithm, the error rate of Google Now will go down from 24% to 8%.
One other feature that Google Now will have is ‘Now on Tap’. This feature will allow Google Now to keep a track of which other apps besides itself are running on user’s screen and provide answers to user’s question in natural language. To explain this feature, Google’s director of product management Aparna Chennapragada played a song on an Android phone and asked Google Now “What’s his real name?†and received the correct answer.
Aparna pointed out that she didn’t ask “What’s the artist’s real name?†but still received a correct answer. This indicates that Google Now is not only aware of which other app is running on the phone but also can process natural language and answer the question appropriately.
Google Maps
Google Maps is an application/service that has more than 1 billion users worldwide. Google, in its annual conference a major upcoming update for Google Maps-offline usage. The update would allow the users to download the maps to their devices and use it in the same way as they use it online, along with the turn-by-turn voice navigation.
Although, a bit behind than Nokia Maps which already provides this feature, it is a very important and useful update by Google Maps. It is especially useful where the internet connection is slow or not available at all. Google didn’t mention the number/names of countries where the feature will be supported.
Answers in query box
One other noteworthy update by Google is the ability to provide answers even before the user finishes typing its question. The update is available only for phones and has already been made accessible. For instance if the user’s query is ‘What is the capital of Egypt’, the answer will provided in the dropdown even before the user has pressed a search button. Have a look at the below image.
This feature works only when the answers to the question by the user is in one word or two words. If the user expects a long and detailed answer, then this update isn’t of any use.
Via: #-Link-Snipped-# | #-Link-Snipped-# | #-Link-Snipped-#
Google Now
Google Now is the voice-based assistant that comes with Google’s operating system-Android. While Google Now is generally popular among its users, it also has (or had) problems like high error rate in voice recognition. In the Google I/O conference, Google’s VP Sundar Pichai said that due to the company’s investment in better machine learning algorithm, the error rate of Google Now will go down from 24% to 8%.
One other feature that Google Now will have is ‘Now on Tap’. This feature will allow Google Now to keep a track of which other apps besides itself are running on user’s screen and provide answers to user’s question in natural language. To explain this feature, Google’s director of product management Aparna Chennapragada played a song on an Android phone and asked Google Now “What’s his real name?†and received the correct answer.
Aparna pointed out that she didn’t ask “What’s the artist’s real name?†but still received a correct answer. This indicates that Google Now is not only aware of which other app is running on the phone but also can process natural language and answer the question appropriately.
Google Maps
Google Maps is an application/service that has more than 1 billion users worldwide. Google, in its annual conference a major upcoming update for Google Maps-offline usage. The update would allow the users to download the maps to their devices and use it in the same way as they use it online, along with the turn-by-turn voice navigation.
Although, a bit behind than Nokia Maps which already provides this feature, it is a very important and useful update by Google Maps. It is especially useful where the internet connection is slow or not available at all. Google didn’t mention the number/names of countries where the feature will be supported.
Answers in query box
One other noteworthy update by Google is the ability to provide answers even before the user finishes typing its question. The update is available only for phones and has already been made accessible. For instance if the user’s query is ‘What is the capital of Egypt’, the answer will provided in the dropdown even before the user has pressed a search button. Have a look at the below image.
This feature works only when the answers to the question by the user is in one word or two words. If the user expects a long and detailed answer, then this update isn’t of any use.
Via: #-Link-Snipped-# | #-Link-Snipped-# | #-Link-Snipped-#
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