Thanks for this comparison of current location and back home, Google Now:
The kids have just found out that we’re (they’re) putting up the (real) Christmas tree this afternoon. Despite the chilly weather, their excitement is virtually tangible.
And let’s be honest: your average Norwegian Spruce would wilt under the African sun anyway…
I like Google Now. It’s full of useful information like how long it takes me to go home. But then, it has been a bit weird too, from time to time.
There was suddenly another weird moment today as well.
I have no idea what the Unknown place in question is, or why I would want to go there. But recognising the general area in which the Unknown place is, I think I’ll give it a miss.
UPDATE:
Ah, zooming in, it’s a bit of field behind a hedge, next to a farm building, near a motorway.
Right, well, that clears everything up then.
Not.
Indeed.
After last week’s frightening tale from Melbourne, given to us under the somewhat confusing “Commonwealth Games” banner, Google Now has done it again, with this bizarre Commonwealth Games story, seemingly even further disconnected from the Games than the serial sex attacker mentioned above:
Here’s the tragic tale on this one – was it a terrible accident or was it down to another cyclist behaving like a twat – that’s up for the authorities to decide, but in the meantime, I think that we can all agree that it has sweet Fanny Adams to do with the Commonwealth Games.
Obviously, I’ll keep you updated of Google Now’s continuing efforts to inform me about the Commonwealth Games.
In unrelated news, how crap does Tuesday look? 🙁
Google Now was already great and it continues to get steadily better as well. I’m also reliably informed that when one is in a developed country, rather than a developing one, Google Now is even more useful. I will report on this next time I find myself in such a position.
Still, like all young technologies, Now is still going through a few teething problems and while it’s hit the nail on the head as far as my footballing preferences go, the link below that also demonstrates that it’s not perfect just yet.
The story is question is this one from Newport in Melbourne, Australia.
Having read through it, I can see absolutely no link with the Commonwealth Games whatsoever, so I’m really not sure why Now thought that there was any connection.
Since the latest software upgrade on my gorgeous Sony Xperia T, I have been treated to Google Now each time I use the search bar.
It’s a fairly amazing feature – it detects where I am, what’s around me and uses information I have searched for previously to work out what information might help me… well… now. It then displays that information on little ‘cards’ before I’ve even asked for it.
Now is wow.
Thus, I am treated to weather information, local restaurant reviews, even local news. It keeps me up to date with the latest on Sheffield United. It reads my next calendar appointment and offers directions. If I book a flight, it’ll keep me informed of delays, gate numbers, seat numbers and issue a digital boarding card. If I’m at a train station, details of the next trains to pass through will be displayed.
But I’m not often at train stations, so mainly, it just tells me how long it’s going to take for me to get home.
Yep. Wherever I go, once I have been stationary for about 5 minutes, Now thinks I’ve probably had enough already and tells me how long it’s going to take me to get home. Tap that little blue arrowhead and it’ll even talk me through it turn by turn. Right now, in the middle of the day, things are looking pretty cool for a quick trip back to Chez 6000. Sadly, I have plenty more to do here before I set off.
This could be seen as all somewhat sinister since I’ve never actually told my phone where I live. It has worked that out for itself. It also now knows where I work and warns me of traffic issues along the way as soon as I set off from home each morning. Again, I’ve never actually told it where I work either. The Sheffield United thing was also a bit of a surprise when it first popped up. It’s ever so clever.
The more paranoid among you will now be wailing and gnashing your teeth over privacy concerns, and if I was a secret agent then I too would be wailing and gnashing (quietly though, so as not to attract attention). But I’m not.
And it’s actually rather comforting to constantly know how long it’s going to take me to get home.