Google is baking its Field Trip app into Google Now, pushing serendipitous local information to Android users as they travel. First released back in 2012, Field Trip uses geo-location to surface art and architecture facts, local history, restaurant recommendations, and other tidbits.
Dag Kittlaus, Adam Cheyner and Chris Brigham helped create Siri back before Apple scooped it up for their own. The iPhone 4S was launched with Siri as its headline feature - important enough to supersede the rest of its evolutionarily-boosted specifications. Now this team of creators goes by the name Viv Labs, and they’re making the next generation of what was started with Siri.
The Google Now Launcher, a ‘Now’ fan’s dream come true, has seen a slight upgrade today. While nothing seems to have been altered in the UI or way the launcher acts, the list of supported devices has expanded. It seems you may soon be able to supplant the stock launcher on several Android handsets — maybe even the one you’re currently using.
With Google Now, voice commands have become more powerful than ever on the Android mobile platform. With the 3rd-party-developed app Commandr, Google Now gets a boost. With Commandr for Google Now, we’re able to take quick hold of Music, GPS, Blueooth, Wifi, and your back-facing camera flash.
With Android “L”, consumers will be getting a lot of small changes, but one stands out as immediately more useful. In the next version of Android, the “Ok Google Now” hot-word is coming to almost every screen, just about every time. Once relegated to the home screen, it’s now going to be available whenever you like. Sound familiar?
Android Wear is one of the big announcements of Google I/O today, and one of the first to ship will be LG’s G Watch. Set to go up for preorder on Google Play today, priced at $229.99 and expected to ship on July 7th, we grabbed some early hands-on time and caught up on some of the design decisions with LG.
Google is rumored to be working on a new feature for its Google Search Android app and this one is sure to ruffle a few feathers. The search giant is believed to be working on a certain "KITT" functionality that would offer users always-on, hands-free and, more importantly, eye-free access to Google Search and, by consequence, Google Now.
Google Now is a handy service for those who utilize it, dishing up data cards for things the user needs without being prompted. A new feature rolling out for the service will expand its handiness, adding bill reminders into the mix.
Google has updated their Now search skin for iOS, bringing a more conversational layer to the interface. You can now ask questions, then follow them up with natural language. Improved results and web scouring are also included in the update.
Quick, rattle off everything Google Now does! Unless you’ve been keeping a close eye on all the changes, you likely can’t. The service is adding features at an alarming clip, with recent tweaks like offline cards, hotel info, and parking reminders being among the more useful features we’ve seen added in quite some time. Now is definitely cool, but is it getting it right?
Google Now is handy for all kinds of things, and the team is constantly working to add more to the service. One of their incoming features might be of great use to many, as cards will continue to be available when you're offline. Whether you have a signal or not, Google Now can keep you informed and up to date.
In the new movie Transcendence, Johnny Depp becomes more machine than man, with the film offering a fresh take on artificial intelligence. Stephen Hawking, notable all-around bright guy, came away from that movie with concerns. According to him, AI might be among the worst things to happen to humans.