Google's two virtual assistants aren't that different after all..
Personality-filled, voice-activated digital assistants are everywhere. Apple has Siri, Microsoft has Cortana, and Google has Google Now and Google Assistant .
At the moment, Google Now and Google Assistant are two separate things: Google Now works from the Google Android and iOS app, while Google Assistant is in the Google Allo chat app and is built into Google Home and phones. Google Pixel. I suspect these two virtual assistants will merge into one sooner rather than later. Google Assistant is already a big part of the Google Pixel phone, and it's even supported on the Google Now site after a keystroke at home..
But for those of you wondering who's who, after everything Google announced on October 4, here's a quick rundown:
Google now
Google Now is Google's voice-activated personal assistant - similar to Apple's Siri or Microsoft Cortana. Unlike Siri and Cortana, Google Now is not platform specific; the app works on Android and iOS devices, although its hardware control capabilities are limited on iOS. The app allows you to quickly search the web and perform various tasks such as scheduling events and alarms, adjusting your device volume, and posting on social media using voice commands naturally.
Google Now comes in handy when you want to use the power of the internet and your mobile device without picking it up - like Siri and Cortana, Google Now offers hands-free accessibility from the lock screen with the "OK, Google" command. ". But while Google Now can search Google everything you need to know and access your personal Google Account information, it doesn't really teach you and that's where Google Assistant comes in.
Google assistant
Google Assistant is basically the next generation of Google Now - it does most of the same things, plus it has a more user-friendly interface, more conversation. The Google Assistant preview edition started in the Google Allo chat app and Google Assistant is also found in the Google Home page and integrated into the Google Pixel phone. Google Assistant performs the same tasks as Google Now: searching the web, scheduling events and alarms, adjusting hardware settings on your device, and pulling information from your Google Accounts..
While Google Now is in many ways a bloated, voice-activated Google Search, Google Assistant offers information in a more conversational and (Google wishes) more accessible way. For example, Google Assistant turns search results into one-sentence answers and, for a question like "What restaurants are nearby?" »Presents information in an easy-to-use map format instead of a linear Google search page.
Google Assistant also has deeper artificial intelligence than Google Now - or any of the other virtual assistants, for that matter. Unlike Siri and Cortana, Google Assistant can have a two-way conversation with you, learn personal details about you (like your birthday or favorite dog breed), and recall information from previous conversations for context.
While this feature is not that impressive in the Google Assistant preview edition, Google has high hopes for the future - an assistant that knows a lot more than your favorite color and can combine all of Google's powers for it. do things like plan an event (as opposed to just planning one). As Google said during its live event, the more you use Assistant, the smarter it gets.
Google Assistant is already starting to support Google Now territory in Google Home and Google Pixel phone. When you press the home button on the Pixel, you'll get Google Assistant instead of Google Now; When you say “OK, Google” on the Google Home page, you will also receive Google Assistant instead of Google Now.
