Out-of-sight Assistant actions

And a brilliant new nuisance-reducer  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [Android Intelligence](#) [Android Intelligence](#) Hey. We need to talk. Not to each other, necessarily (though I do always love me a chat). But no, I'm talkin' about talkin' to our phones — specifically, to the virtual Googley genie that's dwelling within 'em. Google Assistant may be on the brink of a major transformation right now, but you'd better believe it's still there and waiting for our virtual commands. And Assistant's absolutely overflowing with interesting, helpful possibilities most mere mortals never realize exist. In this week's Things to Try section, we'll explore a whopping 15 out-of-sight Assistant actions. They're things that can save you time and make your life easier. And all you've gotta do is remember to use 'em. But first, we've got some intriguing new previews of Android's next horizons to chew over — including one particularly juicy tidbit about the future of Assistant itself. Whew! A jam-packed week, as we stare down the end of this year. Let's get into it, shall we? [JR Raphael, Author] JR Today's read: ⌚ 3 Things to Know: 2 minutes ⌚ 3 Things to Try: 1 minute ⌚ Just for Funsies: 15 seconds [] [3 Things to Know This Week] 1. Pixels could soon sport their own exclusive AI assistant ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: A new report suggests Google's working on a special version of its next-gen Assistant that'd be available only within its Pixel-branded Android products. 🔎 KNOW MORE: The system is said to be based on the company's latest AI framework, known as Gemini, and targeted to show up in Pixel devices as soon as next fall. - The upgraded Assistant would supposedly be named "Pixie" — I'll pause while you contemplate and/or cringe about that — and would seemingly pull in info from Gmail and Maps along with other "data from Google products" in order to provide a more "personalized" experience. - Conceptually, that sounds an awful lot like the "new" and expanded version of Assistant Google launched with the Pixel 4 four years ago and then planned to spread further (but never fully did). - But practically speaking, it’s not clear yet what exactly this latest Assistant incarnation would actually do that's above and beyond the sorts of tasks we’ve already come to expect from Assistant. Maybe it’d involve some manner of on-demand summarization, as is common with these newer-gen AI systems — and as Google is already toying with as a Pixel-exclusive option in other areas? 📌 READ MORE: The full, original report is [behind a paywall](=), but you can get [an overview of the high points](=). --------------------------------------------------------------- 2. A classic screen-search concept is poised for a comeback ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: Google's testing a new feature that'd give you an easy way to start a search for anything on your screen at any moment. It's a brilliant concept that should feel immediately familiar to anyone who's been around for long. 🔎 KNOW MORE: The new system, spotted under development in the latest Android quarterly update beta, would be activated by touching and holding your finger to your phone's Home button or gesture navigation bar and then circling the area of your screen you want to search. - Your phone would then analyze any text or images in that area and show you context and information related to what's there. - That's almost exactly how the Google Now on Tap system, introduced in Android 6.0 back in 2015 and phased out soon after, functioned. - While the idea of reinventing something it created and then killed off years ago is a comical, almost satirical-seeming Googley thing to, Now on Tap was a potential-packed idea that never truly had a chance to shine. So amusing as its eight-years-later return may be, its arrival should be a very positive addition for us all. 📌 READ MORE: Take a peek at [the still-under-development system](), then take a trip back in time to [my 2016 Now on Tap analysis](=) for some important perspective (and serious déjà vu!). --------------------------------------------------------------- 3. You'll soon have a new tool for taming annoying alerts ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: Android's next update also includes an interesting new option for forcing overly active notifications to calm the frick down. 🔎 KNOW MORE: The currently hidden feature is called "notification cooldown" and sounds like a shockingly sensible addition lots of us would appreciate. - Anytime an app sends you multiple notifications in a row, the system will automatically lower that specific app's alert volume and optionally also stop its vibrations. - That way, when someone is sending you lots of short back-to-back messages, your phone won't "blow up" with notifications like it does now. - It's a simple but supremely smart notion that could represent a very welcome real-life improvement, once it arrives. 📌 READ MORE: [Check out the system for yourself](=) — and if you're feeling impatient, keep reading. The second tip in today's Things to Try section will show you how to implement something similar on any phone this second. SPONSORED MESSAGE How 100K+ smart investors stay informed [Cartoon of stocks rising on a graph](=)​ Ben Franklin once said, "An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." But how can you make sure that you invest in knowledge on, well…investing? Easy! Subscribe to [The Yellowbrick Road](=), for free (so, actually, no investment at all!) to get the best stock ideas delivered straight to your inbox each day. How it works: 🤖 The Yellowbrick Road uses AI to surface and summarize stock market news each day 🧑‍💻 An non-AI real person reads the summaries to find the best trade ideas 📨 They send the best ones out to you each morning ➜ [Sign up for The Yellowbrick Road today (with just one click) to grow your investment knowledge for tomorrow!](​ [​BETTER INVESTING STARTS HERE ➜]( ​ [] [3 Things to Try This Week] 1. Discover some out-of-sight Android Assistant actions I'll admit it: I've got a bit of a love-hate relationship with Assistant on my phone. I think we all do to some degree, don't we? At times, Google Assistant on Android can be downright delightful. It can save you steps and help you get stuff done without so much as ever lifting a finger. At the same time, though, it doesn't always understand what you're asking. And by its very nature, as a service you interact with by speaking, it's all too easy to forget or fail to ever notice fascinating possibilities within it — since there's no on-screen menu or list of options. ➜ But my goodness, does Assistant on Android have some splendidly useful ways to make your life easier — from remembering random facts for you to summoning interactive widgets on-demand when you need 'em. ⌚ These out-of-sight advanced commands will take no more than 10 seconds apiece to master. 📌 Mosey your way over to [my new collection of little-known Assistant gems](=), and get ready for a whole new kind of interaction with your invisible Android genie. --------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Put a stop to overly aggressive notifications One of the new under-development Android features we went over a moment ago is a system for "cooling down" hyperactive notifications — so if someone you know sends 37 rapid-fire texts your way, for example, you won't get 37 back-to-back vibrations. ➜ That feature may not be broadly available yet, but you can actually implement something very similar on any Android phone this minute. ⌚ And it'll take you roughly two minutes to do. The secret revolves around [an exceptionally powerful app I mentioned a couple weeks ago](=) called [BuzzKill](). - BuzzKill is kind of like Gmail filters for your phone's notifications. - It makes it easy to set up all sorts of advanced rules for how exactly notifications behave in different scenarios. - And one of its options, "Cooldown," prevents the same app or type or notification from alerting you more than once per minute — or whatever window of time you want. [A screenshot from BuzzKill: "When I get a notification from Messages that contains anything then cooldown that conversation for 60 secs"] ​ 📌 [Revisit my in-depth guide to BuzzKill](=) for more about the app's basics, then look for the "Cooldown" option within its setup to put this possibility to use. --------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Take Google's new AI notebook service for a spin The flood of AI-infused apps and services is splashing down hard these days, and most of the stuff we're seeing is more about tapping into a trendy buzzword than doing anything genuinely useful. ➜ But one service that seems at least promising is Google's experimental new AI-based notebook service, known somewhat awkwardly as NotebookLM. And following a limited invite period, the service is now open for anyone in the U.S. to try. - NotebookLM creates a private virtual arena in which you upload your own related notes and documents. - You can then ask the service questions about the material or have it generate new info based on its contents. - Its results have been hit-and-miss in accuracy for me — similar to most of the newfangled AI stuff so far — but it's certainly an interesting concept and one that could become indispensable if and when its reliability improves. ⌚ Clear out 10 minutes in your schedule if you want to give NotebookLM a proper once-over. 📌 Then [head to the official NotebookLM website]() to get started (again, within the U.S. only, for now — though hopefully it'll become available in even more places soon!). [] ​ [And Just for Funsies...] Ready to test your pop-culture knowledge? With the end of 2023 somehow right ahead of us, Google's created a new game called the [Most Searched Playground](). It's an interactive cartoon map you can open in any browser, on any device, and then follow hints to find some of the most-searched-for subjects in different areas over the past year. [Google's Most Searched Playground game] ​ It's surprisingly addictive — and also impressively enlightening, especially if you're 970 years old and woefully out of touch like I am. Hope you're feeling lucky! One week more Got any big plans for the holidays? I'll be here and watchin' the tech world with ya through all of next week, then I'll be trying to take a teensy bit of downtime for those final days of the year. Here's to one last geeky hurrah and closin' out 2023 in style! I'll see ya next week. 🤚 Wait! Before you go: What'd you think of this issue? [Thumbs Up]() [Thumbs Down](=) Hit the thumbs-up or thumbs-down to cast your vote and let me know. Want less email? [Update your reading preferences](=) to opt out of any individual publications or unsubscribe entirely. New here and not yet subscribed? Take two seconds to [sign up for our newsletters](): Android Intelligence, Windows Intelligence, or Cool Tools (or all three!). Hungry for even more? [Learn about becoming an Intelligence Insider](=) to gain access to our one-of-a-kind community, power-packed advanced resources, on-demand help desk, and tons of free apps and services. Independent journalism relies on you. 🤝 [An Intelligence Insider membership](=) allows you to support our work and keep this newsletter sustainable!