The Google Assistant Button

One step Google recently took towards creating a more appealing app for users was creating a button to easily bring Google Assistant into conversations. Up until now, Allo users have had to type @google into their chat in order to access the friendly AI service. However, with the recent update, a button to access Google Assistant now appears in the text box where users type their messages.

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First of all, having a button readily available will make the Google Assistant visible to users who might not have ever thought to use it with Allo. However, the new feature also makes it easier for users to obtain important information on the spot, especially if they’re in a rush. For instance, you can ask the bot for the weather as you’re about to leave the house in the morning. Or, if you and a friend are planning to meet for dinner, you can look up restaurants in the area with the touch of a button. Since Google Assistant is built into Allo, you and your friend will both be able to see the results of its searches in your Allo chat. This is arguably one of the most convenient aspects of having Allo and Google Assistant in one place.

Other New Features

Google also added some additional features to Allo. You can now search for gifs in your Allo chat by opening up the emojis and scrolling to the last page, and you can send giant, animated emojis with Allo’s “shout” feature.

What’s Next?

Google will surely continue to develop Allo in order to make it more appealing to and convenient for users. When asked for feedback, many users noted that they would prefer an all-inclusive app that could be used on many devices. Adding the ability to connect Allo to multiple devices through a Google account may be a possible fix. Stay tuned, and we’ll keep you in the loop as Google continues to improve Allo!

Find What You’re Looking For
Search for works according to time period or color, and read about their histories as you view them. Or search for works according to a phrase, such as “animals in modern art” or “Mexican art,” or according to a specific movement, historical event, or place.

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Learn About New Exhibits
The app also includes a “daily digest,” which discusses certain artwork, artists, artifacts, cultures, and more. This section includes “featured projects,” and “stories of the day,” which might be on topics such as natural history or specific exhibitions. These sections might include photos, videos, and virtual tours, in addition to information on the topic.

Create Your Own Collections
You can save your favorite works to view later, and organize them into collections. This is a plus if you want fast access to the works that inspire you, or if you need to review works for a class, or even if you want to categorize your favorites according to a color or topic.

Experience Incredible Detail
Now you can get very close to a piece of artwork without setting off the alarms: Simply zoom in and admire the detail. Notice the movement of the brush stroke, or the thickness of paint — it’s all there.

Take a Virtual Tour
You can take 360-degree panoramic tours of the museums. Virtual tours are also available for landmarks and other historical sites. This is another plus if you’re into the architecture of the museum, or just want to see what a particular place looks like.

The App Works with Museums
While this app still doesn’t compare to physically visiting a museum, it allows you to visit a multitude of museums without spending money on transportation, hotels, or even access to the museum. But the app understands that you’ll occasionally want to visit the actual museum, which is why it also provides information on museum hours and events. Google is even testing out an “art recognizer” feature in select museums, which allows you to look up the physical painting through the app to get more information on it. This app truly has it all.

Simple and Streamlined
According to Google, about half the people who have video chat capabilities don’t use them. The reason? To much of a hassle. Duo promises to be simpler and easier to use than any other video calling app. In fact, simplicity was one of the main aspects designers focused on when creating Duo. The interface is very straightforward, minimizing the steps it takes to initiate a call. You don’t need a separate account. In fact, you don’t even need to have a Google account.

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Faster and More Reliable
Designers also spent a lot of time making sure Duo could work reliably across different networks. The call quality automatically adjusts according to network conditions. If there’s not much bandwidth available, Duo will reduce your video resolution slightly so you can continue your call. If you’re on the move, it will switch between Wi-Fi to cellular data and back as needed, another fail-safe to keep you connected. Of course, it’s still possible for calls to be dropped. It’s just a lot less likely to happen than it would be using another video chat app.

Safe, Secure, and More Personal
Duo uses a secure connection, providing end-to-end encryption for all calls made through the app. This is to ensure that nobody can tap into your calls whether you are using cellular data or Wi-Fi. Designers also wanted to give Duo users a warmer, more personal experience. That’s why they added the Knock Knock feature, which lets you see a live video preview of your caller. (They can’t see you unless you answer, and it only works if the person is in your contacts list).

There’s a lot to love about Google’s Duo. So far, though, you can’t import contacts and there’s no desktop version of the app. Of course, designers say customer feedback will determine whether these features will be added in future updates. Running video of any sort on your mobile device can drain your battery quickly. No matter how functional and fun an app is, you can’t enjoy it with a dead device. Downloading a usage management app can help you save battery power and enjoy the apps you love longer between charges. Be wary of what you download, and only install a trusted power-saving app like PowerPRO from PSafe.

The free application is called “Google Phone App.” The Google Phone App is updating to include this new feature that will help ward off spam callers. Version 4.0 and above include the spam protection. You need to ensure that you have caller ID enabled in your settings, and your operating system must be Marshmallow.

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When you receive a phone call from a number that your phone finds suspicious, the banner behind the caller’s name will flash red and read “suspected spam caller.”

Make sure your Caller ID and spam protection is turned on
This is an important first step to help shield yourself from spam.

1. Open up your Phone app.
2. Tap on more options.Some phones denote this option with 3 vertical dots.
3. Click on “Caller ID and spam protection.”
4. Make sure this feature is turned on.

Marking calls as spam calls
Sometimes some spam calls slip through the cracks and reach your phone unfiltered. Here’s how to change that.

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Go to recent calls.
3. Select the phone number you wish to mark as spam.
4. Click on “Block/report spam.” You’ll then be asked for confirmation about blocking the number.
5. Some phones have the option to “report call as spam.” Click this as well.
6. Click “block.”

Correcting for a mistake in spam correction
Sometimes your phone will mistakenly mark one of your friendly contacts as spam. This is an easy fix.

1. Open the phone app.
2. Click on “Recent Calls.”
3. Click on the phone number that was accidentally marked as spam.
4. Select “not spam.”

Reporting a mistake in caller ID details
While caller ID is a relatively old technology, it is far from perfect. Caller ID has been known to convey misinformation about some phone numbers. Here’s how to correct for this.

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Click on “recent calls.”
3. Tap on the cell phone number that had the wrong information.
4. Click on “Call Details.”
5. Select “Report inaccurate number.”

Want to learn more about cool Android apps? Come pay the PSafe blog a visit!!