Google Now assistant knows what you need, right now

Yesterday's Google I/O event saw the company make a big push into hardware with the announcement of a new tablet, media player and a sky-diving demonstration of its augmented reality glasses, but the search giant also leveraged its software chops and massive piles of user data to cook up a rival to Apple's Siri: Google Now.

While the iPhone's personal assistant is designed to listen to and answer your queries, Google Now supposedly knows what you want before you even ask. Coming as part of the latest Android 4.1 update, it uses everything Google knows about you to provide relevant information at all times - a vision that Google engineers first outlined in 2010.

For example, if you've got an appointment entered into Google Calendar, Now will use your transport preferences in combination with your current location and local traffic conditions to let you know when to leave so you arrive on time. Or, if you are scheduled to take a flight that has since been delayed, Google Now will tell you there is enough time for your regular lunchtime gym workout.

Of course, for Google Now to work you have to be prepared to hand over your entire life to Google's services, but many Android users have already done so. Google also says that users will be able to opt-in to the level of personalization they prefer, meaning it should be possible to avoid any embarrassing notifications based on your late-night web searches.

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Blowfish12@2012 blowfish12.tk Author: Sudharsun. P. R.

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• Google Now's Personalized Search With Automated Results: Creepy Or The Future Of Search? (fastcompany.com)


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Siri says Nokia Lumia 900 the best smartphone ever

When iPhone 4S users ask Apple's virtual personal assistant Siri which smartphone is the best ever, the Nokia Lumia 900 takes the honor.

Apple's Siri virtual personal assistant certainly has said some rather interesting things in the past. But to diss its overlord seems a bit much, don't you think?

When iPhone 4S owners ask Siri which smartphone is the best ever made, the obviously disgruntled virtual personal assistant responds saying it's the Nokia Lumia 900 4G running on AT&T's network. It goes further, stating that the Cyan-colored Lumia 900 stands above all others.

• CNET Review: Nokia Lumia 900
• CNET Review: Apple iPhone 4S

Although it may seem a bit odd that Apple's own service would recommend another phone, it actually makes sense. Siri looked for the answer on Wolfram Alpha, which points to the Lumia 900 when users type in "what's the best smartphone ever?" The high rating is delivered based on "customer review average" across the Web.

The Lumia 900 is certainly no slouch. CNET's review of the device gave it four stars out of five and deemed it "excellent." CNET reviewer Jessica Dolcourt called the Lumia 900 her "favorite Windows Phone yet."

Evidently, it may be Siri's too.

The Siri query does not appear to be delivering the same results to everyone. Two CNET staffers on the West Coast are now getting Yelp results when asking Siri which smartphone is the best ever.

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Blowfish12@2012 Author: sudharsun. P. R. Source: amazon.com, thenextweb