Google has added a new feature to instant messaging platform Google Hangouts. Known as ‘Smart Reply’, the tech-giant said that it will “save” users’ “time”. “We’re bringing Smart Reply to Hangouts Chat so you can respond to teammates quickly and move projects forward more efficiently, in less time. This launch is part of our ongoing effort to bring intelligent, assistive writing tools to all of G Suite,” Google says in its blog.
The feature in Hangout Chat, which is currently available in English, uses “sophisticated machine learning intelligence, similar to that behind Smart Reply in Gmail.” The Google technology “recognizes which messages most likely need responses, and proposes up to 3 different replies”. “Once you’ve selected one, you can send it immediately or edit your response starting with the Smart Reply text. Please note, this feature is currently only available in English.
Google launched Hangout as a free service in 2013. Subsequently, Google transformed it for businesses when the company expanded enterprise sales efforts and sought to bring customers many of the same features it has internally, according to Reuters.
Recently, there were reports that Google will shut down the Hangout messaging app by 2020. However, Google Hangouts product head Scott Johnston has rejected the reports. In a statement, Johnston categorically said, “I run Hangouts and this is pretty shoddy reporting. No decisions made about when Hangout will be shut down. Hangouts users will be upgraded to Hangout Chat and Hangout Meet. Your source is severely misinformed. You can do better.”
Google Family Link App
Technology giant Google recently launched the Family Link App in India. The app is meant to help parents remotely control and keep track of their children’s Android device activities and help them set digital ground rules by managing what their kids are up to and what Google Accounts, devices and apps they are using. The app was made public for the first time in the United States in 2017. Google said that the app is a “solution for bringing kids and parents into the Android ecosystem.”
The app allows parents to view the weekly and monthly activity reports of their wards, it also helps them to limit the device usage by configuring a maximum number of hours that their kids are allowed to spend on the internet. Parents can also set the devices to be automatically be locked out during their child’s bedtime.
The ‘Family Link’ can control any Android device that is running on Android Nougat 7.0 and higher but only selected Marshmallow devices as of 2017.
Sunita Mohanty, the Director of Trust & Safety at Google says that new online users along with the existing ones need to be aware of all the possible negative experiences that they may incur on the web. “This makes it important for us to educate users and create awareness on the possible dangers and threats.”
Here are some features of this app that can be helpful for parents-
1. Guide your kid to good content: With the help of this app, parents can view their children’s activities and help them make healthy decisions. They can also manage the usage of their apps.
2. Track your kid’s whereabouts: Parents can find where their child is going and find out their locations as long as they are carrying their Android devices with them.
3. Track screentime: Parents can decide the right amount of screen time for their ward and set a time limit. They will also be able to lock their kid’s devices when its time to go outside and play or have dinner and it is time to spend some offline time with the family.
For more information, parents can visit the Google App store to know more and download the app. It is available on the Android store with the name ‘Google Family Link for parents’ and ‘Google Family Link for children & teens’.
