(ThyBlackMan.com) At Google I/O 2017, several Google Home updates were announced and it seems that Google is all set to beat Amazon Echo. From free calling to phones in the US and Canada to business expansion in several other regions, Google is aiming to widen the reach of its smart speaker that runs on artificial intelligence system, Google Assistant’s support.
Here’s what Google has announced for the Home during its I/O 2017 conference.
Beating Amazon Echo with Free Calling
If you own an Amazon Echo, you are probably calling other Echo 
devices only, but Google is taking the Home way more ahead by allowing users to call landline and mobile phones. The service will be limited to the phones in the US and Canada and users from the other regions will have to wait for the availability a little longer.
The company has not even given any release date for this update, but when it goes live, Home users will be able to ask the assistant to go through the contact lists and dial the number.
Proactive Assistance
If Amazon is bringing notifications, we will also bring. This was probably the thought behind Google’s announcement at I/O 2017 about “proactive assistance.” But Google is probably not bringing the notifications in the same way Amazon is doing with Alexa. According to Google, the notification features are going to be very basic, at least at the time of launch. Of course, the company would want to keep some improvements under wrap for the future.
So, what proactive assistance is going to do is notifying you about traffic alerts, flight delays and it will also remind you of things you want to be reminded of. Another good news is that you will be able to create calendar entries and set reminders.
Support for Streaming Services
Google doesn’t want to be left behind in the competition with Amazon Echo, and as a part of Google’s I/O 2017 announcements, the company confirmed that the Google Home will support Spotify, CBS All Access, HBO Now and several other streaming services after the upcoming updates. Currently, the device supports Netflix and Spotify Premium.
Another major announcement by Google suggests that Google Home will support Bluetooth audio. Support for Bluetooth is obviously a surprising move because the company didn’t ship Home with Bluetooth audio support, but now it claims that the users can connect Bluetooth-enabled audio devices to the Home soon after the update goes live.
Going Beyond Voice Commands
After the updates announced at I/O 2017 go live, the Home will not only respond to you with AI voice, it will in fact show things on TV. Google confirmed that the search results can now be shown on TV. For example, if you are asking the Home to show the list of flights available between two cities, it will be able to show you the same on the connected TV. The same can be done with the commands such as “show me the calendar” or “show me some good hotels.”
Google is surely breaking the boundaries and giving true meanings to a smart device for smart homes. Just imagine how easy and exciting it would be to plan a holiday or a weekend trip with family or friends when everyone can see the suggested directions, hotels, restaurants on the big screen and can finalize the plan mutually.
Google Home Update Release
This summer, Google is planning to expand its business with Google’s Home speaker in five countries including Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan and France. The company said that the features will be pretty limited at the time of the Home update launch. The company did not share any specific release date for these updates, so instead of relying on rumors, waiting for the official announcement is the best thing fans can do at this point of time.
The updates may not look very ground-breaking to you, but it is very clear that soon Google Home will be capable of doing things many of us never expected.
Staff Writer; Corey Shaw
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