Google has unveiled a new personal assistant for around the house that can control, run and organise your entire home - using just your voice.

The product, called Google Home, will be available later in the year and runs on a WiFi network.

Google said the new assistant is part of a plan to make working with technology more "conversational".

The company also said the device will be able to control fixtures and appliances such as lighting and TVs.

Mr Pichai acknowledged 'Echo' - Amazon's voice-powered device - but said Google's aim was to give people the option to build "their own individual Google", by offering more context behind the questions they ask.

An update to the way people interact with Google, Google Assistant, was also announced.

This software will automatically appear on modern smartphones and offer proactive suggestions to common questions including film or restaurant recommendations.

Users will just need to send text messages to communicate with the company's services directly.