If you’re a parent or often need to argue over a group of people in your household, Google yearsis Assistant update could be helpful. It gets bigger the dissemination tool which was previously limited to its smart speakers and displays for iPhones and Android devices. The company also announced a bunch of new features for the assistant, including stories, games, songs, and a Mother’s Day surprise.
Broadcasting lets you send a message to all compatible devices at once, and you can create groups to specify the people you want to reach. Google allows you to create a family group for up to six of your loved ones, and the extension announced today will allow you to reach these members on their phones as well. As they already could with a speaker or Nest Display, your contact can now reply to your message from their Android or iPhone.
Google is also improving his family bell feature that allows you to set school bell type alarms throughout the day. Starting today, you can ring family bells on multiple devices in your home at once, instead of just one. It also adds support for eight new languages, including Japanese, Korean, Hindi, Italian, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish.
The assistant also provides educational content, and the company is adding to its library this week. It has partnered with Pottermore Publishing to provide Harry potter stories. On a smart screen or Android device, you can ask the “Tell Me A Quidditch Story” assistant to learn more about fictional sport. Google says more content from the Wizarding world arrives later in the year.
In addition to the fiction, the Assistant also gets some new historical content from Penguin Random House’s Was series. By saying “Talk to Who Was Heroes,” you can hear stories about Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Ida B. Wells, and over 100 others. To test your knowledge after all this learning, you can also play new games like Are you smarter than a fifth grader on smart screens compatible with the Assistant. Finally, there are also two new songs about cleaning and brushing teeth that Google says are meant to “help kids stay focused on their chores and get them done.” The company also teased a Mother’s Day surprise for those who set a timer this weekend.
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