This Month in Google Assistant: April Recap

Aygul Zagidullina

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Google Assistant

5 min readApr 30, 2018

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Google brings Google I/O to Google Home

Whether you’re planning on joining Google I/O live or via livestream, you can now get answers to your questions about the conference, find a session by area of interest, and more. Just say “Hey Google, talk to Google I/O 18”.

Richer analytics in Actions Console

Analytics in the Actions Console got richer. You can now visualize your Action’s active users over time and see how many users are returning to your Action. Tracking this over time will give you valuable insight into the performance of your Action. Learn more on Google Developers website: https://developers.google.com/actions/console/analytics.

V2 Actions on Google client library for Node.js

V2 of the Actions on Google client library for Node.js is now generally available on GitHub. Google has also updated all their documentation and sample apps to use the v2 client library. Learn more on Silvano Luciani’s blog:
https://medium.com/@silvano.luciani/actions-on-google-client-library-for-node-js-v2-0-0-alpha-c92361167f15.

Google Home at Milan Design Week

Google’s debut installation at Milan Design Week presents a vision for how computer hardware could be more seamlessly integrated into workplaces and homes, through the introduction of elements such as textiles. It shows various electronic devices including Google Home in day-to-day settings, surrounded by soft furnishings, nature inspired tableware and beige comfy clothes.

The starting point for the exhibition was a concept first introduced by trend forecaster Li Edelkoort in 1998, called “Softwear”. She imagined a future where technology is used in the process of nesting, and where working from home is part of a typical lifestyle:

“We begin to take time for ourselves, to be more present at home, we realise that a career does not have to be made in an office environment, and will begin to achieve a new feeling of balance and creativity.”

Learn more on Dezeen blog: https://www.dezeen.com/2018/04/13/li-edelkoort-google-softwear-exhibition-milan-design-week/.

Dialogflow API V2 and Enterprise Edition

Dialogflow API V2 and Enterprise Edition are now both out of beta and generally available. Dialogflow API V2 now serves as the default API for all new Dialogflow agents, and all new feature upgrades will only be released for API V2. Dialogflow Enterprise Edition, which is built on API V2, comes with Google Cloud Platform’s support and Service Level Agreement (SLA). Learn more on Dialogflow blog: https://blog.dialogflow.com/post/v2-and-enterprise-edition-generally-available/.

Netflix brings Lost in Space Game to Google Home

Google and Netflix have partnered to create a game based on the Lost in Space TV series which can be played on Google Home. You can now help the Robinsons from Netflix’s Lost In Space survive on an unfamiliar planet with Google Home. Just say “Hey Google, play the Lost in Space Game”. Learn more on Google blog: https://www.blog.google/products/home/robinsons-are-lost-space-and-google-home-can-help/.

Google Assistant at Google I/O

Google updated their Google I/O 2018 schedule including lots of Actions on Google sessions, office hours, app review, and meetup. Times and locations for each event are also now available. If you’re a confirmed attendee, you can reserve seats for your favorite sessions ahead of May 8th. All signed-in users can additionally save events to make it easier to find them later on.

Tuesday, May 8

Wednesday, May 9

Thursday, May 10

Learn more on Google Developers blog: https://developers.googleblog.com/2018/04/updated-google-io-2018-schedule-and-session-reservations.html.

Coachella brings their festival to Google Home

Google and Coachella have partnered to create an app which can be used on Google Home. Just say “Hey Google, talk to Coachella”, and you can discover music from artists, play festival trivia, get answers to your most pressing festival-related questions, and more. Once Coachella kicks off (it runs from April 13 to 22), you’ll be able to watch the livestream on YouTube, as well as listen to backstage interviews with performers. Learn more on Google blog: https://www.blog.google/products/home/get-coachella-ready-little-help-google-home/.

Google Assistant transactions for new audiences

Google Assistant now supports transactions on phones in the UK, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, and Japan. Learn more on Google Developers website: https://developers.google.com/actions/transactions/.