Google Now has officially been released for iPhone and iPad users.
While Google Now has been available for Android users for quite awhile, it’s now been adapted to iOS as well, and the software’s gone from being an element of Google’s Mobile Search App that’s mostly just neat in theory, to something pretty darn cool in practice.
New and improved and ready for all those millions of users of various “iDevices,” Google Now is designed to try to provide users with the information they want, without them having to search for it. Essentially, what the newest version of Google Now strives to do is answer questions before they’ve even been asked.
For those unfamiliar with Google Now, it’s a system where what Google is calling “cards,” that are complete with different sets of information, appear (ideally) when you need them most. Let’s say you’ve entered a trip into your phone’s calendar. Your flight time and departure gate, directions to the airport and traffic update, for example, would appear as you get ready to head out the door for your upcoming trip–without you having to search for any of it. It can even pull up your boarding pass and have it ready for you.
If you travel to a foreign country, say France, Google Now has the power to immediately provide you with exchange rates, key phrases in french, top tourist sites to see, and more the second you open Google’s App.
Waiting at a subway stop? Google Now notes your location, notices you’re close to a public transit station, and provides you with train times and bus routes .
Bored on a Saturday night? Open up Google Now and you might just find a list of cool events happening nearby or upcoming movie showtimes.
Just getting out of bed? There’s the weather for the day.
Seems like Google’s reading your mind? They’d like you to think so.
But mostly Google’s app is just reading your calendar, your past searches, your location, the time of day, and a number of other key pieces of information it has constant access too. Nonetheless, the end result is certainly impressive, and Google Now gets better at predicting your needs and anticipating your queries the more information you enter into your phone and the more you use it.
What does Google Now mean for you?
While Google Now is a cool gadget, it also says a lot about the direction we’re heading in.
Our smartphones are more important than ever. We rely on them and turn to them for almost everything, and with more and more innovations like this, they’re more and more capable of handling the pressure. Smartphones are getting smarter by the day, and that’s where customers are spending their time and putting their trust.
Big names like Google are spending a great deal of time, money and energy on developing better Mobile Apps and more streamlined Mobile Search, and on just generally improving the mobile user experience. Now’s the time to make sure your business is aware of the potential that the mobile market offers and start thinking of ways to get in on the action too, whether its a mobile app, a mobile-optimzied website, mobile advertising, or more.