It tells you today’s weather before you start your day, how much traffic to expect before you leave for work, when the next train will arrive as you’re standing on the platform, or your favorite team’s score while they’re playing. And the best part! All of this happens automatically. Cards appear throughout the day at the moment you need them.
It is an intelligent personal assistant available within Google’s Android operating system.
An extension of Android’s native Google Search application, Google Now uses a natural language user interface to answer questions, make recommendations, and perform actions by delegating requests to a set of web services. Along with answering user-initiated queries, Google Now passively delivers information to the user that it predicts they will want, based on the their search habits. It was first included in Android 4.1 (“Jelly Bean”) and was first supported on the Galaxy Nexus. Popular Science named Google Now the “Innovation of the Year” for 2012.
Google Now is implemented as an aspect of the Google Search application. It recognizes repeated actions that a user performs on the device (common locations, repeated calendar appointments, search queries, etc.) to display more relevant information to the user in the form of “cards”.
Some of the specialized cards currently include:
Google Now Gets You Just The Right Information
• Currency – Use Google Now to quickly check the local conversion rate when you’re traveling.
• Concerts – Shows when your favorite band is playing near you.
• Events
• Flights
• Gmail
• Hotel Confirmations
• Movies (including those opening in theaters)
• Next appointment
• News update (for story you are interested in)
• Packages – Tracks your online orders.
• Places – When you’re on the go, Google Now will suggest nearby bars, restaurants, and places of interest. You can quickly jump to Google Maps to get more info, reviews, or even make a reservation.
• Public transit – When you’re near a bus stop or a subway station, Google Now tells you what buses or trains are next.
• Sports scores – Google Now keeps you updated on your favorite sports teams in real time, with live scores and upcoming games. You can even buy game tickets on the fly.
• Traffic
• Translation – Google Now helps you find just the right word when you’re away from your home.
• Weather