GOOGLE has unveiled a bizarre new tool that lets users offload the task of booking appointments onto an AI robot.

The feature, called Ask for Me, essentially gathers information about the pricing and availability of certain businesses – so you don’t have to.

X / Rose Yao

To access Ask for Me, you will have to enable the feature on Google Search Labs – where people can try out early-stage features[/caption]

X / Rose Yao

Simply put in the information for your booking, and the AI will make the appointment[/caption]

While it is currently only available for calls to nail salons and car repair shops, its application could soon grow to include hundreds of different businesses.

“New experiment just launched on Search Labs – you can use AI to call businesses on your behalf to find out what they charge for a service & when it’s available, like an oil change ASAP from nearby mechanics,” Rose Yao, vice president of Search Product at Google, wrote on X.

“We’re testing right now with auto shops and nail salons, to see how AI can help you connect with businesses and get things done.

“Just opt-in & search something like “oil change near me” to try it out, and let us know what you think!”

As the feature is still in testing, Yao warned that its capacity is limited and therefore users may hit a waitlist.

Ask for Me uses the skeleton of an old Google feature called Duplex, an AI-powered system that booked appointments and made reservations for users.

To access Ask for Me, you will have to enable the feature on Google Search Labs – where people can try out early-stage features.

Once enabled, you might see an “Ask for Me” prompt when looking for local nail salons or auto shops in Search.

You will have to give the AI all the information it needs to make the booking.

Google will ask a series of questions, like whether you are looking to get an oil change, what kind of car you have, and when you want an appointment.

You’ll also have to enter your email address or phone number, where you’ll receive updates about your request.

Businesses then receive a call from Google’s AI – which might be confusing at first.

“Every call begins by announcing that it’s an automated system calling from Google on behalf of a user,” Google spokesperson Craig Ewer told The Verge.

Businesses can opt out of receiving the automated calls from their Google Business Profile settings – or by asking the Google AI not to call them once they’ve received a call.

There are also call quotas in place to ensure businesses aren’t bombarded by a slew of AI calls.

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AMERICAN AIRLINESA 5342 Flight collided with Black Hawk’s helicopter on Wednesday, January 29. There were 14 US skaters on the ...

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DO you want to do more of the things which make you happy this year? 

Download this tool to help you do one new thing each week in 2025 – from trying a new sport to writing poetry. 

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Getty

The digital spin the wheel game gives you an outcome of a small act in numerous categories, including health, social life and personal finances. 

Sync it up with your phone calendar and a reminder to complete your task will ensure nothing is forgotten. 

New activities include donating blood, trying pottery and meal planning. 

The motivating tool comes after a poll of 2,000 adults revealed the top 50 actions and experiences they want to encounter more often this year, with receiving good news top of the list (48 per cent). 

Others want to make time for exercise (29 per cent), hobbies (27 per cent) and being creative (17 per cent). 

Getty

Getty

Ash Schofield, CEO of giffgaff, which commissioned the research, said: “It’s clear people want to see and do more this year, and actively make time for themselves and those close to them.

“Whether it’s 10 minutes a day dedicated to a hobby, or spontaneous calls with friends or family – these little acts can make a big difference.

“Social lives seem to play a big part of the top 50 list, including dates with partners, friends and relatives and unexpected texts from loved ones.”

The research also found many want to be on the receiving end of hugs from loved ones (29 per cent), meaningful conversations (17 per cent) and thoughtful, unexpected text messages (16 per cent). 

When it comes to finances, 29 per cent are keen for opportunities to make more savings on shopping and bills, while 16 per cent would like to see more generosity from businesses like discounts and freebies. 

And the aim of doing more of these things is simply to feel good (62 per cent) and improve their mood (56 per cent). 

To make time to tick stuff off, 32 per cent plan to set small goals and targets while 31 per cent aim to book stuff in-advance, such as catch ups with friends and family. 

People would prefer to do more of the things they want to do (37 per cent) this year, than those they need to do (18 per cent).

Despite hoping to put aside an hour and 45 minutes a week to focus on such activities and goals, 43 per cent cite a lack of time as the top barrier. 

Decreased motivation (36 per cent), being stuck in a rut of a routine (34 per cent) and a lack of confidence (26 per cent) were also hurdles. 

Of those polled, via OnePoll, 46 per cent have goals for 2025 – an average of four each – typically in the areas of physical health (62 per cent), personal finance (55 per cent) and family (44 per cent). 

Similarly, 86 per cent think it’s important to make time for the things which have a positive impact on their wellbeing. 

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In terms of acts of kindness from others, being made a cup of tea leaves 38 per cent in a good mood for mere minutes, but an unexpected gift or flowers results in days of positivity (31 per cent). 

And 85 per cent admitted that if someone has done something for them, they’re more likely to do the same in return. 

Ash Schofield, for giffgaff, which is offering its customers the freedom to flex the cost of their data allowance each month to suit budget, added: “The research suggests it’s the year for ‘me’, with people hoping to commit time to themselves, be it for relaxing or ticking things off their bucket list.

“Personal finance is high on the agenda, with almost a third wishing for no surprise bills this year – this is something we hope to help people avoid, with no-mid contract price rises.

“It’s great to see almost a fifth (19 per cent) will use their phone in a positive way to help them do that, by setting reminders to achieve their goals.”

LONDON Stansted will get five new flight routes with low-cost carrier Ryanair, including services to a trending travel destination.

Despite the low-cost carrier threatening to scrap routes across airports in Europe, the airline has added several new services to its summer 2025 schedule from London Stansted Airport.

Alamy

Ryanair is launching five new flight routes from London Stansted Airport[/caption]

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Flights between London Stansted and Reggio Calabria will launch next month[/caption]

The airline will be operating new routes from London Stansted to Reggio Calabria in Italy, Clermont-Ferrand in France, Münster and Lübeck in Germany and Linz in Austria.

Flights to Reggio Calabria in Italy will launch on February 3, with the twice-weekly service operating every Sunday and Wednesday.

Flights take three hours, with one-way fares from just £14.99.

The lesser-visited Italian region was named a trending travel destination for 2025 by a team of experts thanks to its cheaper prices.

Flights to Clermont-Ferrand in France will launch on March 30, with the twice-weekly service operating every Sunday and Wednesday.

Sunday services will depart London Stansted at 7am before landing in France at 9.40am local time.

The flights will then depart the French airport at 10am, touching down in the UK at 10.50am.

Flight times will operate slightly later on the Wednesday service, with Sun Online Travel finding one-way fares from £20.65.

Münster services will also launch on March 30, with the route operating three times a week every Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday.

Flights take just one hour and 15 minutes, with prices from £16.99 for one-way fares.

Lübeck, another city in the north of Germany, is also set to get new flights from London Stansted.

Flights will launch on April 1 and will operate every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

One-way fares start from £16.91, with flight times differing each day.

A new route will also operate between London Stansted and Linz, a city in Upper Austria.

Flights to Linz will begin operating on February 3, with services flying between the two destinations every Monday and Friday.

Sun Online Travel have found one-way fares from £19.99.

Ryanair will add an additional Boeing 737 aircraft at London Stansted to accommodate the new routes, taking its London based fleet to 56 aircraft.

Alamy

Linz in Upper Austria will also get a new service from London Stansted[/caption]

Airline boss, Michael O’Leary, said: “While we’re excited to announce these new routes and increased frequencies from London, we could expand even more rapidly throughout the UK.

“However, Rachel Reeves’s decision to raise APD taxes undermines growth potential, particularly at regional airports.

“This short-sighted policy will have long-lasting effects on the UK’s aviation sector and regional economies.”

Last year, the airline tycoon slammed Rachel Reeves’ “idiotic” decision to bump the tax on economy seats to European hotspots by 15 per cent.

In the budget, the Chancellor announced flights across the continent will now incur £15 of duty charges – increasing it by £2.

The low-cost airline has also threatened to axe services from airports in both France and Spain.

Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme – Sun Club.

And we’ve rounded up all the big new flight routes launching this year.

Ryanair launched its first-ever flights to Turkey.

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London Stansted will get five new flight routes[/caption]

LOTTO bosses have revealed the lucky store that sold a life-changing €4,642,646 ticket.

Centra on Platin Road, Drogheda in Co. Louth sold the winning ticket in Wednesday’s Lotto draw.

The town of Drogheda is no stranger to National Lottery winning ways after celebrating several high-tier wins over the years, including the Lotto jackpot win of €3,523,021 on February 14, 2024.

Shop owner William Daly said: “My wife, Bernie and I are thrilled with today’s announcement as the latest store to sell a winning Lotto Jackpot ticket and to have sold the first Lotto jackpot win of 2025.

“This is our first time ever selling a winning ticket, we are over the moon to have done so.

“I’d like to thank the amazing team in our store for their dedication and hard work, serving our loyal customers in our community here in Drogheda.

“We have a lot of regular customers, so it’s great to think that one of them may have won a life-changing prize.

“We wish the very best for the winner and may it bring them every happiness and success in the future.

“It’s a well-deserved lift for the community here in Drogheda!”

The Louth player becomes the first Lotto Jackpot winner of 2025, after purchasing their winning ticket on Saturday, January 25 from Centra, Platin Road.

The winning numbers from Wednesday night’s Lotto draw were: 5, 12, 14, 27, 34, 42 and the Bonus was 25.

National Lottery spokesperson Darragh O’Dwyer said: “It might be known as the Wee County, but celebrations are certain to be high this week in Louth with a Lotto player bagging themselves €4,642,646 in Wednesday night’s draw.

“The midweek multi-millionaire has officially taken the title of Ireland’s first Lotto Jackpot Winner of 2025.

“The National Lottery can confirm that the winner has made contact with our claims team and arrangements are being made for Ireland’s newest millionaire to collect their prize.”

Last week, another punter bagged a €500k top prize in the EuroMillions Plus draw.

A player in Louth scooped the prize in the Plus draw.

There were no winners of the EuroMillions jackpot in this evening’s December 6 draw, which could have made someone €17,000,000 richer.

The EuroMillions numbers in the main draw were 9, 37, 41, 42, 49 and 1 and 9 as lucky stars.

One Irish player matched five numbers and one Lucky Star, winning a whopping €474,164, while another bagged €110,820 after matching five numbers.

Over 29,000 players bagged prizes in Ireland in the EuroMillions and Plus games.

MONDAY last saw a unique event in Dublin, a wine tasting co-promoted by Australia, and New Zealand.

It proved to be an extraordinarily successful day, for winemakers, importers, and wine lovers who attended the consumer tasting that evening.

Getty Images - Getty

It’s a while since we have had the chance to welcome the Australians back, while New Zealand have been an annual fixture on the tasting calendar for many years.

The wines from some 86 wineries were on show, 44 from Australia and 42 came from New Zealand. Nine of them arrived seeking an Irish importer.

This week I am concentrating on the return of the Aussies and will happily report on our New Zealand friends in the coming weeks.

Shortly after I began writing about wine the national sales figures for the year 2000 were published and showed Australia topping the table with 750,000 cases. Chile was second, with 669,000 sales.

Fast forward to 2023 and fortunes have decidedly changed – with Australia on 1.22million cases and Chile shifting 2.3million. Indeed, Spain had moved into second spot with 1.26million.

But there is some good news for the Aussies in that there has been a slight upturn in sales in recent years – and now, it seems, that they will make a concerted effort to win back lost sales on these shores.

Back home they have had to destroy millions of vines in recent years because of a wine glut, while excess stock was sold off at big discounts – although we didn’t see much of it this side if the world!

The well publicised diplomatic spat between Australia and China killed that highly lucrative wine market, with the Chinese imposing prohibitive tariffs on wine imports in 2020.

And while relationships have recently warmed and the Chinese market is slowly opening up again, Australians have moved some of their focus to Europe and the US, but have found that wine consumption across the globe is declining annually.

Back around the turn of the millennium wines from the likes of Lindemans, Hardys and Jacob’s Creek was on every shop shelf. All had a strong following in Ireland, all very approachable – and very affordable.

Since then, many Australian winemakers have consolidated their businesses and began to specialise in high-end (expensive) wines.

These, for the most part, are exceptional wines but have price tags that make them prohibitive for many wine lovers.

Yet while last Monday’s tasting had many of these premium wines on show, there was a good smattering of well made and drinkable bottles in the €15 to €25 price range.

Indeed, Calabria, Qualia, Ant Moore, Elderton, Barossa Valley Estate, Wakefield and Silex all had wines in this price bracket.

The Aussies will have been delighted by Monday’s turnout and renewed enthusiasm for their wines. Maybe they are about to re-kindle their love affair with Irish consumers!

WONDERFUL WINES

I enjoyed quite a few of the wines tasted on Monday and I have chosen two in the €25 category to review today, a price point that can deliver excellent wines from Down Under.

My third choice is an Aussie Riesling, a super introduction to this noble grape.

Corryton Burge Eden Valley Riesling 2022 (ABV 12.5%)

€17.99 RRP @ good independents

Grape: Riesling

A CLASSIC, and very approachable Eden Valley Riesling, with a seriously friendly price tag.

A translucent green colour, with hints of straw, in the glass. The nose gives off distinctive hints of green apple, citrus, and mixed spice.

The bone-dry palate is quite generous and driven by flavours of lemon, lime, green apple and excellent acidity.

Enjoy with: Oysters, or ceviche.

Star rating: ****

Yalumba Samuels Collection Bush Vine Grenache 2022 (ABV 14.5%)

€25 approx @ good independents

Grape: Grenache

OUTSIDE its home of Spain, Grenache has established a strong foothold in Languedoc, France and Chile – but the most exciting varietal wines currently come from Australia.

This juicy, old vine (70 years plus) Barossa example is ruby coloured, with aromas of raspberry, strawberry, cherry and a floral note.

The palate is medium-bodied and rounded with cherry and raspberry the dominant flavours, but with an earthy and herbal dusting. Silky tannins and a light coating of oak add to the taste.

Enjoy with: Szechuan Chicken

Star rating: *****

Tyrrell’s Hunter Valley Shiraz 2021 (ABV 13.5%)

€25.99 RRP @ good independents

Grape: Shiraz

FOR almost 170 years the Tyrrells have tended vineyards in the Hunter Valley, producing, in particular, iconic Semillon and Shiraz wines.

This Shiraz, tasted on Monday, proved to be the most impressive at this price point – one you have to hit to get super quality Oz reds.

A vibrant red/purple colour, with lifted aromas of plums, cherries and white pepper, the palate has depth of flavour, featuring soft black and red fruit, spice, nice acidity, lovely minerality and savoury tannins.

Enjoy with: Your favourite steak.

Star rating: *****

THIS WEEK’S IRISH SUN BARGAIN BOTTLE

WE promise to bring Irish Sun wine lovers a taste-tested vino each weekend that won’t hurt your pocket – and is under a tenner.

The cost of glass, packaging, labelling and transport have sky-rocketed in recent years.

Finding excellent value wines is getting harder, but we have managed to find some great bottles that would grace any dinner table or be a super mid-week couch sipper.

Protocolo Tinto 2021 (ABV 14%)

Currently €9.45 @ O’Briens Wine

Grape: Tempranillo

WINE lovers’ favourite for many years, and yet still available with change from a tenner.

With fruit from vineyards in central Spain’s Castile-La Mancha region, this ruby red, full-bodied wine has notes of ripe red fruit and spice on the nose.

The palate offers a flavour profile with hints of strawberry and cherry fruit, a little twist of spice and balanced tannins.

Enjoy with: Braised oxtail.

Star rating: ****

1 Артистка залишила своїм нащадкам 1,7 мільйона фунтів стерлінгів. Через півтора року після смерті Шинейд О’Коннор стало відомо, що її троє дітей успадкували 1,4 мільйона фунтів стерлінгів і права на її музичну спадщину. Через півтора року після смерті легендарної ірландської виконавиці Шинейд О’Коннор, яка пішла з життя в липні 2023 року, стало відомо, як було […]