20 actions were just added to Google Home, including Rotten Tomatoes and WikiHow

By Lulu Chang April 13, 2017

google home version 23 speaker 1142x761 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Google Home isn’t slowing down in its mission to catch up to competitor smart home hub Amazon Echo, and it made significant progress this last week. The AI-based assistant added no fewer than 20 new skills, which means that you can now get tips for your home makeover or read reviews for your next movie night, all by just talking to Google Assistant.

In total, there are now more than 170 actions available in the Google Home app, which is pretty impressive considering the platform was only launched five months ago. The newest actions to join the platform include DIY tips from Wikihow, movie reviews from Rotten Tomatoes, a concierge from Airbnb, and cooking commands from Anova, just to name a few.

The WikiHow action pulls from an impressive database of 180,000 articles, so whether you want to learn more about a particular subject or pick up a new skill, you’ll probably find an answer. And because your interactions with Assistant will probably be a bit longer with the WikiHow action, you’ll sometimes have to say “Next” in order to go to the next step.

As for the Rotten Tomatoes integration, you can now ask your Google Home about nearly any title, and you’ll get the film’s review, its release date, and a couple sentences on the plot. For the time being, this action applies only to movies and not shows, but it’s possible that Rotten Tomatoes will expand the functionality in the future.

With the Airbnb Concierge action, guests can check in, ask about house rules, find the Wi-Fi password, or host contact information, all from a centralized hub. Hosts can also leave recommendations for their guests with Google Home. And thanks to Anova’s new action, you can now control your sous vide machine with nothing more than your voice (something the company introduced to Alexa relatively recently, too).

You can check out more available skills here, and start making the most of your smart home.

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