Google Launches Bolo, A Reading App For Kids, Other Exciting Products

It's no secret that Google is so much more than a search engine. Over the years, the Google brand has positioned itself to become every internet user's best friend. In many cases, the tech company has proven to be a more competent assistant than some actual ones. It seems the list of reasons why we rely on Google just became even longer. The tech giant has released some new products to make life easier for Nigerians.

At the 2019 edition of the annual Google For Nigeria event, the global tech giant announced some exciting new products. Top on the list is Bolo, a new speech-based reading tutor app for primary grade children. Put simply, it is an app that helps kids learn to read. In other words, teaching your child to read just became easier, thanks to Google.

More About Bolo

Kids between 6 and 11 can learn how to read and increase their reading fluency using the app. It listens to your kid read and corrects him when he mispronounces a word. While doing this, Bolo continues encouraging the child to keep trying. To make reading fun, the app awards your kid stars (points) as he successfully reads through the sentences. The app is already at the Play Store. Download Bolo here.

In addition, Google has developed an Educational Curriculum on Safer Internet. It will be integrated into the Nigerian junior secondary school curriculum. This project is in collaboration with the Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC) and the Nigerian Educational Research & Development Council (NERDC).

Other Key Announcements

Gallery Go: Gallery Go is a light photo app built for smartphones with low memory or slow internet connections. The app, only 10MB in size, helps you manage and edit your photos offline. Gallery is available at the Google PlayStore for devices running Android 8.1 or higher. You'll find it pre-loaded in some phones targeted at the Nigerian market. Download here

Google Go: Google Go is a light version of the Google Search app. Like the Gallery Go, it's built for devices with low RAM and slow networks. So going forward, apart from Search, you can use Google Go for other Google services like Discover. This lets you catch up on the latest news on the go.

Google Assistant will now have Nigerian Voice: Yay! The Google Assistant app now speaks in an accent that most Nigerians understand. The Google Assistant feature is also accessible in Google Go starting next week.

It gets even better

Google Maps adds Motorcycle Routes: Motorcycles have routes (Okada routes) in Nigeria with motorcycles restricted from certain roads. The tech app now has a dedicated travel mode on Google Maps for motorcycles in Nigeria, Benin Republic, Ghana, Uganda, Togo, and Rwanda.

Maps Navigation Instructions in Nigerian Voice: Google announced that navigation instructions for motorcycle and car driving modes will be in Nigerian accent. This ensures that street names and landmarks will be pronounced the way locals pronounce them eliminating confusion.

Other innovations announced by Google include an Africa Certification Scholarship. This will provide 30,000 scholarships to prepare African developers for entry-level and intermediate roles as software developers.

Also, Google announced a $3million Google.org grant to support African non-profits who provide CS Education for children in underserved communities. Also non-profits who empower girls and empower young people.

Resource: Channels TV

Also read: Here's why every parent should only read print books to their kids