Google Assistant now helps you book taxis

Google's rolled out a bunch of new features for Assistant this week, and it's not finished yet. Now, you'll be able to use it to easily book ride services. So with your Android, iPhone, Google Home or any smart speaker with the Assistant, you just need to say "Hey Google, book a ride to...." Or "Hey Google, get me a taxi to... ." You'll then be given a list of popular ride services to choose from, including Uber, Lyft, Ola and Grab, along with information on estimated pricing and wait times.

Once you've decided which one you want (although you can narrow it down from the outset by including the provider's name in your request: "Hey Google, book an Uber to...") you'll then be taken to the corresponding app to confirm the booking. So its function is twofold: hands-free ride hailing, and also a convenient way of finding the ride that works best for you without having to thumb through multiple apps.