Google Assistant adds new features, including Pretty Please functionality

Google is hoping to help remind your children to remember their “please” and “thank you” with the latest update to Assistant. The Pretty Please feature, which was first announced at Google I/O, is now live as an optional functionality on your Google Assistant. If you say these two magic phrases (“please” or “thank you”) to Assistant, Google says it’ll respond with “delightful responses.” For example, say something like “Hey Google, please set a timer for 5 minutes.” It’ll reply “Thanks for asking so nicely. Alright, 5 minutes. Starting now.” It’ll be enabled for all voice matched users (those who have their voices registered with the app) and it’ll work with both the smart displays and speakers.

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‘Skyworld’ is coming to the PlayStation VR

Popular virtual reality strategy game Skyworld is bringing the fun to the PlayStation VR soon. Vertigo Games made the announcement of the game coming out in early 2019 (no specific release date yet). The interactive and immersive tabletop strategy game lets you place towers, build troops, and defeat opponents on the other side of the table. With online PVP matchmaking, you play against actual people in the game. The game is already available on Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.

Source: Android Central

Save time, earn more sales with Square Appointments

Make sure clients don’t ghost an appointment again with Square’s new booking and scheduling app, Square Appointments. The app comes to Canada with the hope of helping out service businesses—everything from dog groomers, hairstylists, to personal trainers. The app can help its users automatically remind clients of upcoming appointments using preferred methods of getting in touch with them (whether through text or email reminders). Square Appointments can also help the clients reschedule appointments themselves online. Individuals get access to this for free, while businesses with multiple calendars get to try out the app and service for free for the first 30 days.

“Gone are the days when people were willing to play phone tag with businesses or only schedule appointments during business hours,” said Alyssa Henry, Seller Lead at Square. “We are thrilled to bring Square Appointments to Canadian businesses, further leveling the playing field for service providers across the country and helping them bring in more business by letting their customers book online at any time of day.”

Amazon breaks records during Black Friday-Cyber Monday weekend

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It’s been a busy shopping weekend and Amazon seems to have reaped its rewards. Cyber Monday was once again the company’s biggest shopping day, selling more products than it has any other day of the year. Globally, shoppers were said to have purchased a “record number” of Amazon devices with customers ordering over 18 million toys and more than 13 million fashion items on during both Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined. Small and medium-sized businesses on the site grew over 20 percent on Black Friday year-on-year.

What did the Canadians shop for over the weekend? The all-new Echo Dot, Fire TV Stick 4K with all-new Alexa Voice Remote, L.O.L. Surprise! Dolls Holiday Series Surprise, and Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker - 6 Quart are the best-selling products across Amazon.ca. On Cyber Monday, Canadians took advantage of deals on AncestryDNA: Genetic Testing Ethnicity and the Nintendo Switch Console was a top-selling item.