Google Now on your iPhone and iPad • Hacker News Board

Re: Google Now on your iPhone and iPad

#101

Post by gee_totes » Mon, Apr 29, 2013, 4:34 PM UTC

sahaskatta wrote: post #99

driverdan wrote: post #93

After listening to friends rave about Now and reading so many positive comments online I really wanted to like it. I've been using it for a few months and my experience is significantly worse than what others have reported. It always seems to show me notifications for the wrong information at the wrong time. Take directions. I work at a coworking space 4 miles from my home. The hours I'm there vary. Now seems to try…

It doesn't work too well on the first day. Use it for a few days and it will begin to learn your habits.

Not if you continually use public transportation. I go all over the place in NYC, and there doesn't seem to be a way to get the directions to default to public transportation. Having driving directions and traffic wait time when I don't have a car is kind of useless.

Re: Google Now on your iPhone and iPad

#102

Post by the1 » Mon, Apr 29, 2013, 4:35 PM UTC

blhack wrote: post #81

eddieroger wrote: post #46

I fell for Google Now when I booted my old Nexus to test test something, and Google Now had read through my emails and showed me a tracking status for a UPS package I was expecting. I was pretty jealous of that functionality, but never convinced to go back to Android just for one feature. Now, I really have no reason. It's also pretty telling of something when more iOS devices have Google Now than Android devices do.

I had a similar "whoa" moment a couple of weeks ago. Google alerted me that I should leave for Santa Barbara "now". Which was really, really weird for me, since I was already halfway there (from Phoenix). Apparently, it had read through my emails, seen a receipt for sigur ros tickets from ticketmaster, figured out where I was, and already calculated how long it would take me to get there. That is insanely awesome .

Me too.

I was robbing a bank and Google alerted me that I should leave "now".

Which was really weird for me, since I had a lot of gold to transport.

Apparently, it read through my emails, seen a glitch from other galaxy, figured out portal has opened, and already calculated how long it would take for the aliens to invade the earth.

Re: Google Now on your iPhone and iPad

#103

Post by freehunter » Mon, Apr 29, 2013, 4:36 PM UTC

pgrote wrote: post #63

How do you tell Google Now on IOS where "home" is for you?

You can set your home address within Google Maps if you're logged into the same account Google Now is associated with. You can set your work address as well.

If you prefer to have it automagically know your work and home addresses, you can wait a few days and it will discover these on its own using GPS data.

Re: Google Now on your iPhone and iPad

#104

Post by alexobenauer » Mon, Apr 29, 2013, 4:38 PM UTC

sahaskatta wrote: post #99

driverdan wrote: post #93

After listening to friends rave about Now and reading so many positive comments online I really wanted to like it. I've been using it for a few months and my experience is significantly worse than what others have reported. It always seems to show me notifications for the wrong information at the wrong time. Take directions. I work at a coworking space 4 miles from my home. The hours I'm there vary. Now seems to try…

It doesn't work too well on the first day. Use it for a few days and it will begin to learn your habits.

From their comment:

  I've been using it for a few months

Re: Google Now on your iPhone and iPad

#105

Post by kyrra » Mon, Apr 29, 2013, 4:38 PM UTC

driverdan wrote: post #93

After listening to friends rave about Now and reading so many positive comments online I really wanted to like it. I've been using it for a few months and my experience is significantly worse than what others have reported. It always seems to show me notifications for the wrong information at the wrong time. Take directions. I work at a coworking space 4 miles from my home. The hours I'm there vary. Now seems to try…

Guessing random working hours are hard for any algorithm. I wouldn't really hold that against google. As well, the directions to common destinations is more about knowing what traffic will be like and if you should take an alternate route. This is much more useful for those that commute farther.

Re: Google Now on your iPhone and iPad

#106

Post by hnriot » Mon, Apr 29, 2013, 4:39 PM UTC

speg wrote: post #53

cheald wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Make sure you have search history turned on in your Google account - that's when the magic happens. Also, I'm not quite sure how the iOS experience will be compared to Android - on Android, Google Now can proactively push data to users via the ridiculously powerful notifications system, and the intents mechanism lets it hook into the other parts of the phone seamlessly. iOS' notification center is distinctly less adv…

Looks like it doesn't even use notifications on iOS. That's a big bummer :(

yeah, by the time I've remembered to open Google Now and slide up the cards I would very likely have realized what I might have forgotten.

For me, it's only showing the local weather, which I can see out my office window. And besides, this is CA. Forecast for the rest of the year is Sunny and warm.

Re: Google Now on your iPhone and iPad

#107

Post by nedrichards » Mon, Apr 29, 2013, 4:39 PM UTC

gee_totes wrote: post #101

sahaskatta wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It doesn't work too well on the first day. Use it for a few days and it will begin to learn your habits.

Not if you continually use public transportation. I go all over the place in NYC, and there doesn't seem to be a way to get the directions to default to public transportation. Having driving directions and traffic wait time when I don't have a car is kind of useless.

Press the i button in the top right hand corner of the card. Select 'Transportation Mode' from the expander. Select from Driving, Public Transport, Walking, Cycling etc.

Re: Google Now on your iPhone and iPad

#108

Post by stonemetal » Mon, Apr 29, 2013, 4:39 PM UTC

DigitalJack wrote: post #64

mcintyre1994 wrote: post #62

Dammit Google, this is awesome, and genius, and pretty much obsoletes Siri, but why didn't you push this in the Android Google search app? I really want Now on my phone since it's awesome on my tablet, but I can't get Jellybean onto it.

I don't have Siri on my iphone (a 4), but I always thought the benefit was from composing text messages and such... This is just search isn't it?

It isn't just search it is also calender reminders, location based recommendations. It really tries to be a personal assistant the way siri does.

Re: Google Now on your iPhone and iPad

#109

Post by [deleted] » Mon, Apr 29, 2013, 4:41 PM UTC

sahaskatta wrote: post #99

driverdan wrote: post #93

After listening to friends rave about Now and reading so many positive comments online I really wanted to like it. I've been using it for a few months and my experience is significantly worse than what others have reported. It always seems to show me notifications for the wrong information at the wrong time. Take directions. I work at a coworking space 4 miles from my home. The hours I'm there vary. Now seems to try…

It doesn't work too well on the first day. Use it for a few days and it will begin to learn your habits.

[deleted]

Re: Google Now on your iPhone and iPad

#110

Post by hnriot » Mon, Apr 29, 2013, 4:41 PM UTC

lucaspiller wrote: post #90

I really like the dynamic header pictures. It seems to be based upon your location. Any ideas how they are made / where they are from? http://i.imgur.com/0rEQcKp.png

I think it's a co-incidence, for me it shows snow capped mountains, and I'm in San Francisco. We don't have mountains, or snow anywhere short of driving a few hours.