Google Inc has plans of bringing to buyers of Chromebooks some sort of Android experience, and its engineers are already working on it. On Friday, it was announced by François Beaufort, who works on Google’s Chromium open-source browser, that it will be possible for buyers to make use of the “OK Google” voice commands on the new developer build of Chromebook’s software.
Experimental phase for “OK Google”
Only the Dev channel builds have the Chromebook’s support for “OK Google” queries, and it is in the experimental phase only, said Beaufort. There is no information about if and when would it form a part of the consumer version of the Chromebook OS. “OK Google” can be used anytime when the screen of the Chromebook is awake and unlocked, and users can speak questions.
Beaufort describes: “Try out the experimental new version of the ‘Ok Google’ experience by toggling the chrome://flags/#enable-hotword-hardware flag.”
Users can train their devices to respond to their voices by saying “OK Google” three times. To start the voice search, a user needs to restart the device, go to the Chrome OS Settings and check “Enable OK Google.”
Rising competition
The new tool in its present form and future updates can be tested by users, and step-by-step guidance is available on TalkAndroid, which explains how to switch over to the Dev channel.
Most companies are thinking about bringing their virtual assistant system from their mobile OS to their PC OS, including Google and Microsoft Corporation. A few leaks suggest that very soon Microsoft will come out with the next OS, Windows 10, that will run on all the company’s devices. A desktop version of Microsoft’s Cortana virtual assistant could also be included in it. Apple Inc. has not released anything about its plans of bringing Siri, which at present is available only on iOS, to the Mac.
Whether or not the virtual assistant will be preferred by people on desktops is something that can’t be said for sure for now, but such tools, if brought to PCs, will surely enhance competitiveness among major technology companies.
