One of the best ways to understand the potential of the Google Assistant is to watch how fast the voice-activated helper can now bring up Beyonce’s Instagram page.
“Hey Google,” says Meggie Hollenger, a Google program manager, using the wake words that trigger the software on her smartphone. Then it’s off to the races as she shoots off 12 commands in rapid-fire succession, like a lightning round on a game show.
“Open the New York Times…Open YouTube…Open Netflix…Open Calendar…Set a timer for five minutes…What’s the weather today?…How about tomorrow?….Show me John Legend on Twitter…Show me Beyonce on Instagram…Turn on the flashlight…Turn it off…Get an Uber to my hotel.”