One of the biggest reasons to own an Android smartphone is Google Now - the search giant's contextual virtual assistant. Of course, it is available on the desktop via the Chrome browser and also on iOS through the Google Search app, it is best used on an Android phone. Already, 40 handpicked third party apps can send data to the virtual assistant, but now, the assistant is about to get vastly smarter as Google intends to open the application programming interface (API) for it.
This basically means that any third-party app will be able to send data to Google Now. In turn, it will be able to provide more contextual information.
Google announced its intentions at the ongoing 'South by Southwest' conference. Google's director program management for Google Now, Aparna Chennapragada revealed at a session that her division plans on open the API in the future where anyone can build into Google Now.
The discussion provided an interesting insight into the way features are built for Google Now. Notably, initially, the Google decided on its own that what would be useful for its users, then Google surveyed thousands of users.
Already, Microsoft's personal assistant - Cortana - provides this kind of functionality. In fact, if reports are to be believed then Cortana could compete with Google Now head-on on its home turf Android. Reports have suggested that Microsoft plans on releasing iOS and Android versions of Cortana.
Google Now was originally announced back in 2012 alongside Android Jelly Bean, by then head of Android program management Hugo Barra. Google Now provides contextual data to user on the basis of his/her preferences and daily routine and habits.
For instance, through Google Maps and Geo-fencing - it knows where you work, stay and hangout, hence it is able to provide contextual directions and traffic information. It can dig up information from your search history, calendar and Gmail also provide information about events and meetings, sports scores amongst other things.
Amongst modern virtual assistants, which include Apple's Siri, Microsoft's Cortana and the BlackBerry Assistant - Google Now is considered to be the most reliable in terms of both information and speech recognition.
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