Google announced that it’s beginning to roll out Material Design to its search app on Android Lollipop. This means results have “bold colors, fluid animations and simplified layouts”.
Nexus 6, Nexus 9 and Samsung Galaxy Note4 users can now set up their device so they can say “Ok Google” to ask a question when their screen is off and their phone is unplugged.
“You can also rely more and more on the Google app to help you organize your life,” Google says. “You may notice a new card asking if you want to be reminded of, say, ‘dinner with Chris’ or ‘drinks with Susan.’ For those times you’ve gotten an email about something but forgotten to follow up, Google can now catch potential plans buried in your Gmail: it’ll prompt you to add them to your calendar then serve up reminders, so you can stay on top of staying in touch.”
“As you scramble to get through the end of the year, the app will also help you keep track of your trips (whether you’re seeing the family on Thanksgiving or jetting to Vegas for New Year’s eve), to-do lists (did you pay your utility bill? pick up the wine for your Christmas party?) and more (the Bulls score, where you parked your car) with Now cards,” Google adds.
The app will also now help you search for things in other apps. You can say stuff like “Ok Google, search Tumblr for Things Organized Neatly,” for example. This works with various apps including Tumblr, TripAdvisor, TuneIn, Trulia, and YouTube.
Finally, there’s an “Ok Google, flip a coin” voice command to let you make decisions.
Image via Google