The newest version of Android dubbed Jellybean brings upgrades to three search functions. Upgraded was the OS with a deeper Knowledge Graph display, better Voice Search, and Google Now. Google stated “(Google Now) gets you just the right information at just the right time, automatically.”
They referenced Google Now will help you get to work faster by telling you when to leave based on subway times or traffic conditions. It can let you know if you have an upcoming flight you may have searched for and it can keep you updated on the status of the flight. Google Now will show places like bars or restaurants you are near when you walk down a street. It also can recommend items to order at each place when you go inside. This is very valuable since Google acquired Zagat earlier and you can read the official blog here.
Google Now automatically tracks your favorite sports teams based on your searches in Google rather than manually setting them up. To access Google Now, users will just tap on the search box or swipe up from the bottom of the screen. There they will see cards that keep tabs on your unique Google Now updates. These cards will get smarter as you continue to use them and you should expect more cards to be added over time.
Andy Rubin, Sr. VP of Mobile and Digital Content at Google says “We’ve redesigned search from the ground up in Jelly Bean, with a new user interface and faster, more natural Voice Search. You can type your query or simply ask Google a question. Google can speak back to you, delivering a precise answer, powered by the Knowledge Graph, if it knows one, in addition to a list of search results.”
“Today’s smart devices still rely on you to do pretty much everything—that is, until now,” adds Rubin. “Google Now is a new feature that gets you just the right information at just the right time. It tells you today’s weather before you start your day, how much traffic to expect before you leave for work, or your favorite team’s score as they’re playing. There’s no digging required: cards appear at the moment you need them most.”
Voice Search’s presentation was impressive for many watching at Google I/O. For example of Siri vs. Voice Search watch this video. They showed a live demo of them using Jelly Bean’s new feature to ask the definition of a robot or photos of monkeys among other unrelated questions. Jelly Bean responds in a smoother voice than Siri with short answers to go with longer answers provided by the Knowledge Graph. For Android users it’s going to be nice to offer a competitive service that is more interactive and aesthetically pleasing than Siri.
We’ve heard a lot of talk about Google getting you information before you search for it by predicting your actions. And soon we will see how successful they are at predicting our information needs with this update. This all hinges on your search history, location history, and your calendar when you are signed into your Google account. This is why there was the privacy policy consolidation earlier in March, because it allows Google to see your data across all services and combine them for this service.
It’s ironic that Google was built on people’s dependence on search and now it is offering a product that could decrease the user’s dependence on search. That doesn’t scare Google, though, because they know people will use other apps and services for specific things where they previous would have had to use search. If Google didn’t provide these services someone else would independently. The fact that they offer a wide range of services increases their value when users need to access information they continue to use Google products.
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