Google Assistant enabled devices including the Google Home, Lenovo Smart Display, Android Auto and Android smartphones will have Google News integrated with the 'Hey Google' command.
Google will integrate Google News with Google Assistant to allow users to simply ask for the news and have it delivered in the form of videos and audio bytes. The feature is aimed at the Google Home speakers and the Lenovo Smart Display that is powered by the Google Assistant. If you own either of the two devices, you can simply say, “Hey Google, What’s the news?” and the smart display will show you videos and give you audio news briefings while the Google Home will give you only audio news briefings. You can choose the topics you like as well as the sources.
The integration is a means to beef up the capabilities of the smart display and smart speakers. Users will have an option to pre-select the news broadcast from their preferred sources and topics. The feature will first go live in the United States which Google said is being used to test the integration. It will soon roll out to other countries.
The Google News integration with Google Assistant is not just for smart displays and speakers. It also works on Android Auto and on the Pixel Buds along with Android smartphones.
Apart from providing you with news briefings, Google Assistant will also allow you probe further if a particular piece of news interests you. You can command, “Hey Google, What’s the latest on PUBG?” and the Assistant will pull up relevant YouTube videos on the smart display, or read out briefings on your speaker.
Google News received a major upgrade this year at I/O 2018. Apart from a facelift, Google News is now more intelligent. Google now personalises your briefings based on your activity and preferences. It also breaks down breaking news in timelines and provides various perspectives on a particular event.
The integration will help will make Google News more accessible. By integrating with the Google Assistant, users can access their news briefings even while they’re busy. News will no longer require an attentive pair of eyes.
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