Continued Conversation will now let you utter the wake word only once

Google has just announced a series of exclusive updates for its smart Assistant, each being more exciting than the other. However, it’s quite easy to pick the best one on the list, as users might have been waiting for Continued Conversation for a long time. The feature is great since it allows you to have more natural conversations with your assistant.

Continued Conversation makes your chat with smart Assistants more natural

If you own a Google Home, Home Max, or Home Mini Smart Assistant, you will be able to use Continued Conversation even today. With its help, you will be able to lead a nice and natural conversation with the Assistant. The worst part about it was the fact that you had to utter “Hey Google” every time you made a request.

Now, things have gotten a lot easier. For a start, you’ll need to say “Hey Google” to wake the assistant up. Afterwards, you can continue asking more requests without having to start each sentence with the greeting. Google offered a clear example on its blog. For instance, you can start with the greeting phrase and then ask how the weather is today. Afterwards, you can switch to the weather for tomorrow without uttering the same opening words.

You will no longer need to utter the wake word every time

However, Continued Conversation won’t be activated automatically. You’ll have to do it manually by entering the Settings menu of your device. Afterwards, you should still kind in mind a few things. You can’t start a conversation right away, you still need to start with the “Hey Google” phrase. From there, you have eight seconds after each request to continue. When it detects no speech, it will stop listening.

You might think this is a short time, but Google didn’t want to risk it. Given the current climate of internet security, this move was more than necessary. Smart speakers pose a lot of privacy concerns, so Google had to make sure they stop listening at some point after they hear the wake word.

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The Generative Query Network can pick up basic info to create 3D spaces

Processing images and imagining scenes without given information is one of the most important characteristics of the human brain. However, this has always been incredibly hard for computers to reproduce, but researchers from Google’s project DeepMind have just changed that. By using a Generative Query Network, they managed to achieve better image processing for AI.

Computers had a hard time building 3D images from scratch

Humans are remarkable creatures because they can pick up information about the world just by taking one single look at it. For instance, if someone tells you to think of an object, you’ll start imagining all the other items associated with it. A computer usually has a hard time imagining a space if it doesn’t receive external information on it.

Therefore, Google researchers decided to teach an AI image processing and how to imagine 3D spaces. More precisely, the machine will receive a special training that helps it make inferences. The Generative Query Network was able to construct a 3D space after looking at two 2D images, just like the human brain. In other words, both the brain and the machine assume what information should come in missing spots.

The Generative Query Network can learn on its own from basic information

Here’s how the Generative Query Network functions. The first component transcribes the images into a code version and feeds them to the AI. Based on its previous training, the network generates all the missing information. Therefore, researchers proved it was possible to teach a machine about perspective, lighting, and other principles typical of 3D spaces.

The research is still in its prime, so there’s a long way until the Generative Query Network can work quickly. However, this is one of the biggest achievements in terms of machine learning. The research has many implications. From now on, researchers will be able to feed AIs brief data and watch them learn on their own.

The study on this remarkable mechanism was published in the journal Science.

Image source: Public Domain Pictures

The offline translation AI is more advanced and works in any conditions

Do you need to translate a sentence but don’t have any mobile data to spare? Google thought of this and found a solution to improve its Translate feature. This way, it will soon bring an update consisting of an offline translation AI that you can use anywhere, in any conditions.

Better translations with the Google app

Even if it’s not always the most accurate of methods, Google Translate has always been an incredibly useful feature. Over time, it has greatly improved, as the company developed an advanced system to operate behind it. Two years ago, it paired the feature with a neural machine translation (NMT) technology which significantly raised the quality of translations.

Here’s how the mechanism works to make things better. Instead of translating words individually, the NMT deals with sentences as a whole. Also, it keeps track of the whole context, thus providing the most accurate translations possible. Therefore, people can add entire paragraphs or even whole texts into the feature and translate them a lot better than before.

The offline translation AI lets you use the service anywhere

However, you don’t always have access to data, as you might be in a different country when you need to find out what a sentence means. Therefore, Google launched the offline translation AI that lets you use the feature anywhere. To do it, you can download your preferred language that should not take up more than 35 or 45 MB of space.

To use the offline translation AI, you need to download the Translate app first. There, you’ll find a special settings tab for offline translations, where you get a list of languages. An arrow next to the language you are interested in will let you download its pack. However, if you already have the app installed and you’ve used it before, you will get a message on your screen where you can download offline files.

For the next following days, Google will roll out the offline translation AI. The feature will be available for 59 languages, so you have all the chances to find whatever you need on the list.

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Soon enough, we will have to say goodbye to passwords

The future is here, as Google has brought a revolutionary update to its Chrome browser that might kill passwords soon. With Chrome 67, we might soon say goodbye to entering a secret code to gain access to a website. Google wants to implement a login that uses USB keys, a fingerprint or even a face scanner.

Google is about to kill passwords with the new update

In April, Google has announced the upcoming update for its browser, Chrome 67. Among all its other perks and features, the company mentioned it would also contain support for a service called WebAuthn. Now, the update has been rolled out for everyone, and it’s time to know what this means.

WebAuthn is, in fact, an acronym that stands for Web Authentication. What this service does is allow users to kill passwords or, in other words, to log in on different websites without using passwords they might often forget.

Websites need to run support for the web authentication service

The technology isn’t new, as it’s already quite used for some smartphones and tablets. However, there is a difference, as WebAuthn usually offers access only to the device itself. Therefore, Google had quite a revolutionary idea to include this service, but there’s still one step to complete.

Before you can use your fingerprint or a similar type of authentication, websites need to activate their WebAuthn support. However, since Google has taken this step, other pages will likely follow its example. In fact, there are many reasons why they should do it.

Using a password for security is quite a fallible system, since it’s easy to crack. In these cases, it’s advisable to come up with a complex code containing both letters and numbers. Unfortunately, this comes with another drawback – you can forget it really easily. Therefore, Google’s initiative to kill passwords is actually quite an innovative idea.

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Google revamps YouTube Red and Play Music as a strategy against other streaming platforms

Google wants to own the supremacy among other music streaming services, so it decided to run a few changes. These strategies should improve Google’s fight against Spotify and Apple Music and maybe help its services become even more popular. Therefore, get ready to say goodbye to YouTube Red and Google Play Music. The services won’t go anywhere, they will just get new names.

Google still needs to improve its game against Spotify and Apple Music

Google has quite a solid music streaming service that many people enjoy using. However, it is quite far from overcoming the music titans Spotify and Apple Music. As a result, the platform decided to come up with a brand new version of YouTube Red. The service will also abandon its name in favor of a more sonorous one, YouTube Premium.

According to the reports, this new service won’t be a lot different than YouTube Red. In terms of features and functionality, it will be more or less the same. However, it will add some extra items that should improve the experience of the users. For instance, the app will make custom playlists for each user based on their listening history.

YouTube Premium replaced both YouTube Red and Google Play Music

YouTube Premium isn’t a replacement only for YouTube Red. It turns out it will take the place of Google Play Music as well. Also, the price will more likely increase from $10 to $12. This is an attempt to preserve the well-functioning of the service, but also keep it away from ads.

If you used Google Play Music instead of YouTube Red, you won’t have to worry. The company wasn’t too happy about having two music platforms, so it decided it was time to bring the subscribers of the two together. The good thing about YouTube Premium is the fact that it reunites all the features you saved in any of the two services.

The release of YouTube Premium should come soon enough, so get ready for some brand new options on the new platform.

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The green label signaling HTTPS domains will soon be gone

For quite a long time, Google, together with other browsers, have been trying to promote HTTPS. They did it by displaying a special label in the address bar that regarded the website as secure. While this made about 82 percent of websites to use the more secure version, the platform has finally decided to ditch this label and replace it with something else.

Google abandoned the green secure label on HTTPS websites

Google has always been a fan of websites with HTTPS domains, as they perform a secure encrypting of the user data. To feel safe, the platform also displayed a secure label in the address bar, so it would be easier for you to identify the websites in question. This was also a way to discourage developers from using HTTP, and to convince people they aren’t such a good choice.

This strategy seems to have worked, as most websites have now adopted the HTTPS domain. As a result, Google has decided to no longer push that secure label and go for something subtler. This will happen with the update 69 for Google Chrome. Don’t worry, as HTTPS websites will remain secure, you’ll just no longer see the label on display.

Non-secure websites will feature a red warning label

This secure label was also accompanied by a lock logo. For the moment, the lock will stay there, as Google still wanted to signal HTTPS sites in a way. However, there are still domains that still use the old school HTTP. In this case, Google abandoned all subtlety.

These domains will be accompanied by a red label that reads “not secure”. In front of the words, you’ll also see an exclamation point, so that everyone should know your data might be leaked any time. This is an important step in the fight between HTTP and HTTPS, and the balance inclines to the latter. However, there are still unsecure websites around, so the battle isn’t won yet.

Image source: Wikipedia

Google regained the audio of web games by disabling the latest update

Google’s attempt to block autoplay videos had an unwanted effect, as it disabled the sound of web games. Therefore, the company felt the need to fix the situation, so it rolled out another update. The new changes remove the previous ones that prevented games from running on web.

Autoplay blocking also disabled the audio of web games

At the beginning of this month, Google decided to address the most upsetting browsing issue. Many webpages contained autoplay videos that disturbed one’s internet experience, so the company decided to silence them. Most of these autoplay features were ads that users didn’t really want to see. Therefore, they disabled all these sounds whenever someone launched a page.

However, this change initially targeted only ads, but it ended up affecting others as well. Most web games cannot run without sound, and users generally agree to sounds playing in the background when they access such pages. Google didn’t make this difference, so it ended up blocking the sound of the games as well.

Google listened to the feedback and gave back the sound to web games

After web game developers have expressed their disagreement to the latest Google update, the platform took immediate measures. Therefore, on Tuesday, it removed the update that disabled the audio on autoplay.

Google’s attempt to reduce the intrusiveness of websites is actually a good thing for users. They are always looking for a nice browsing experience without ads that are being too pushy. However, this is a great disadvantage for advertisers, as well as for web game developers.

After receiving feedback, Google had to admit it made a mistake. It admitted it should have let all developers know the new changes, and they could have found a solution together. For the moment, autoplay is allowed again, but the company is working to fix this. It has already started putting up a list of websites where people usually let the audio on, and these sites won’t be subject to a future audio blocking.

You asked and we listened. Chrome 66 has been updated to temporarily remove the auto play policy for Web-Audio

🎉🎉🎉https://t.co/Ga4vAqmELq pic.twitter.com/Qq6H4uYSRq

— sMyle (@MylesBorins) May 15, 2018

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The latest Google Maps updates has prepared AR integration and custom recommendations

This week, Google is presenting its I/O conference in Mountain View, California. The company has already presented some of the changes and updates it is going to bring, and some of them are really interesting. What caught the attention was the Google Maps update that contained personalized recommendations and augmented reality support.

The Google Maps update brings out personalized recommendations for places

Google decided it was time to bring out a new Google Maps update and make it friendlier for users. One of the main features it will include is For You, a tab with personalized recommendations. Google will revise all those places you visited and gave good ratings to. Then, it will offer you information on new places that might suit your interests.

However, you won’t get recommendations based only on new places. Another feature that pairs up with For You is Match Score. This one reviews all the info available on the restaurants you have visited and then gives you personalized recommendations.

If this news has already impressed you, then you should know the Google Maps update has even more to offer. Whenever you enjoy a place, you will be able to add it on a special list. Afterwards, you will be able to share this list with your friends. This is a great way to offer recommendations that your friends might enjoy, to plan a night out, or maybe get an opinion about a place you haven’t visited yet.

The best part of the update is probably the AR support

However, Google kept the most exciting part of the Google Maps update for the ending. The map service will receive augmented reality support, which is a clever combination between the traditional Street View and live images transmitted by a camera. Whenever you are using the app, you will get AR specifications that will make it impossible for you to choose the wrong direction.

Google has big plans with this Google Maps update, as it wants users to get the best possible experience. The company declared the next step might be to integrate animated characters that will give you directions and help you find your way.

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The Gmail spam made it look like the receivers had sent the messages themselves

Many Gmail users have noticed a high amount of spam in their Inbox lately. While this sounds a bit odd, what is even stranger is the fact that this spam actually came from the users themselves. This happened even to those secure accounts that were hard to breach, so this weird Gmail spam took everyone by surprise.

Weird Gmail spam coming to double-encrypted accounts

Usually, Gmail users do not receive spam too often. This happens mostly because Google has a great mechanism of filtering spam from important messages. Therefore, it came as extremely odd for them to receive this weird Gmail spam. After they took a second look at the messages, they noticed they were even weirder than that.

The Gmail spam somehow managed to get through all of Google’s security measures, and looked as if the person who sent it was also the user himself. This became quite a common situation among Gmail users, who started complaining on forums about the odd spam.

Most of these messages have weight loss or supplements as topics. They appear directly in the Inbox and, in the sender field, there is the user’s profile photo and the word ‘Me’. Some people were curious enough to open this Gmail spam, and discovered the sender was actually someone else. However, their own email address was still written there.

The spam didn’t actually come from a security breach

Even if these users changed their password, the Gmail spam returned. This also revealed the accounts didn’t actually have a security issue. The login reports looked fine, so there was no one who interfered with their accounts. This means the spam must have come from a third-party source that somehow breached Google’s spam filters.

Google commented on the issue and said only a small number of users were vulnerable to this Gmail spam. After reviewing the problem, the company discovered no further security complications with the accounts. Even so, they took the necessary measures to stop the spam, and hoped users will no longer experience such trouble.

Image source: Max Pixel

The candidate discovery feature makes the search for candidates easier

During last year’s I/O meeting, Google made an exciting announcement for recruiters. The company was planning to launch Google for Jobs, an AI-powered system that allowed employers find the best candidates by sifting through all the job offers and resumes found in Search. As a result, it appeared Hire, the system that now is getting a special feature, candidate discovery.

Candidate discovery helps companies with recruiting

Hire is a special tool that employers can use to ease the recruiting process. This tool gets integrated with other Google-related systems. It can send emails to candidates automatically via Gmail, schedule talks and interviews with them via Google Calendar, and track them down via Google Sheets.

Through the candidate discovery feature, Google will take advantage of what it can do best, namely search. With the help of several other options and actions, it can direct this specialized search to find the best candidates for a company.

Candidate discovery is more than necessary. It eases the job companies need to do when they undertake recruiting and hiring. Usually, they come into contact with several hundreds of candidates when they actually seek to occupy one single open position. From those that don’t get selected, there are many who might be perfect for future jobs. When these new jobs appear, it’s quite hard for companies to select candidates they have already talked to in the past.

The filtering system will offer the best candidates for a position

With the candidate discovery feature, it will become a lot easier to sift through all these candidates and see who is the perfect one for this new job opening. The option will run some scans on the requirements of the job, its location, and any possible options. Then, it will scan the candidate list, and display those who might be suitable for the opening.

Candidate discovery is the perfect opportunity to review previous candidates. The system will allow recruiters to see how the past interviews went. This will help them select the ideal person who can occupy that open position. Those who have received a good feedback will appear higher on the generated list, as well as those who have initially rejected an offer.

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