If Google has its way, it might be bringing its virtual assistant to other smartphone platforms. In an interview at Mobile World Congress, Gummi Hafsteinsson -- product management director at Google -- said it wants to port Google's virtual assistant to competing smartphones according to a report from Geekster. "I do not think we have anything to announce at this point," Hafsteinsson said. "But I think the general philosophy is that we would like to have the Assistant available to as many people as possible." Hafsteinsson's statement followed Google confirming that Google Assistant would be available on Android TV and Android Auto platforms.

The Google Assistant feature was finally rolled out to Android Nougat and Android Marshmallow devices on Thursday. But to get the feature on your device, you will need the updated version of Google Play Services, which wasn't available on the Google Play app store at the time of writing. If you haven't received the update on your device, or for some reason, can't seem to get the feature on your device, there is another way out. Users who haven't received the feature but still want to access it will need to download the APK version of the update and install. Note: International Business Times cannot be held responsible if anything goes wrong.

If you have an Android phone running Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS and above, check it, you might have a new feature available -- the Google Assistant is now rolling out to all such devices. It is different from Google's previous voice offerings such as Google Now since it not only lets user conduct conversations with it, but also evolves according to usage. The rollout, which will occur in the form of a Google Play Services update, was announced last week. Gummi Hafsteinsson, Google Assistant product lead, said in the company's official press release issued on Sunday: "Our goal is to make the Assistant available anywhere you need it. It came to Android Wear 2.0--via new smartwatches--just a few weeks ago and, as we previewed in January, the Assistant is also coming to TVs and cars. With this update, hundreds of millions of Android users will now be able to try out the Google Assistant."

Google is about to make more Androids even smarter. The tech giant is rolling out its Google Assistant to devices running on the Nougat and Marshmallow versions of its Android software. The firm first revealed the expansion at the Mobile World Congress and users in the US will be the first to receive the update – Australia, Canada, the UK and Germany are set to follow. Google is rolling out its Google Assistant to devices running on Nougat and Marshmallow. The firm first revealed the expansion at the Mobile World Congress and users in the US will be the first to receive the update – Australia, Canada, the UK and Germany are set to follow. Google has yet to reveal a detailed list of Android devices that are eligible to download Google Assistant.

Voice assistants are software programs that respond to voice commands in order to perform a range of tasks. They can find an opening in a consumer's calendar to schedule an appointment, place an online order for tangible goods, and act as a hands-free facilitator for texting, among many, many other tasks. Technological advances are making voice assistants more capable. These improvements fall into two categories: improvements in AI, specifically natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning; and gains in computing and telecommunications infrastructure, like more powerful smartphones, better cellular networks, and faster cloud computing. Changes in consumer behavior and habits are also leading to greater adoption.

Line Corp., owner of Japan's most popular messaging service, is getting into the artificial intelligence market in a big way by outlining an ambitious plan that pits it against the likes of Google, Facebook and Amazon. According to a report in Bloomberg News, Line Corp. is gearing up to launch a suite of AI software tools that will enable a digital assistant that speaks in Japanese and Korean. The assistant will be able to converse with users and provide weather and news via a dedicated smartphone app or a speaker that sits on the table and is called Wave, similar to Amazon's Echo. Line Corp., which unveiled the strategy during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, this week, said both the app and the speaker will come to the market between April and June. While Line faces a lot of competition, the company thinks it can stand out from the pack because of its local knowledge about the markets in which it is operating, including South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Indonesia.

By transforming their networks and operations with the newest technologies, mobile operators could double their cash-flow conversion within five years. The past several years have been tough for telecom companies. Their revenue and cash flows1 1. Cash flow is measured here in terms of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) minus capital expenditures. Consumption of mobile data boomed, as masses of new wireless customers used their handsets to spend ever-increasing amounts of time online. Companies responded by investing heavily in their wireless networks, even as subscriber growth slowed. As a result, the average ratio of capital spending to revenues has remained stubbornly high, at around 15 percent, for the major players (Exhibit 1).

The team behind Pepper, the humanoid robot from SoftBank Robotics, are planning a platform for the machine where developers create applications for everyday use, such as guarding your home or vacuuming the floor. Developers are already able to build Pepper apps using Android tools, however SoftBank Robotics is also considering opening up its Pepper platform -- similar to a mobile "app store" -- for developers to sell or market software to consumers, said Nicolas Boudot, EMEA sales director, in an interview at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, on Tuesday. Boudot gave examples of home improvements or care for the elderly as potential software applications that could be created. However, he didn't give a time frame for when Pepper would become more widely available to developers. He said SoftBank Robotics is currently focusing on growing sales of the product, which costs $20,000 (about ¥2.3 million), to businesses.

It may be a month away from being officially launched, but we have the clearest visual of the Samsung Galaxy S8 yet and it confirms everything suspected about the South Korean flagship. Noted rumor-dealer Evan Blass has tweeted out what appears to be a press glamor image of the new Android-powered handset with a comment of "I think this is what you've been waiting for." Given Blass' track record in obtaining real world and marketing images, I'm very confident that these images are the real deal. Not only does it match up with the leaks and rumours from trusted sources, it also fits with the video images and the press invites released by Samsung. The minimal bezels on the left and right sides of the screen are clear.

An official-looking press shot of the Samsung Galaxy S8 has just been leaked. Tech tipster Evan Blass posted the image, which includes no additional details about the upcoming smartphone, on Twitter. It matches up with the speculation surrounding the handset, providing the first clear look at the S8's so-called "infinity display", which is said to cover over 80% of its front panel. I think this is what you've been waiting for. Samsung has trimmed down the S8's bezels to help keep it relatively compact, but the move could prove problematic for customers.