The "conversational search" that Google demonstrated at last week's Google I/O conference is now available to users of its Chrome browser, and it's a significant leap in how we use search engines. I'm 17 years now into writing about search, and I've seen all types of things that have promised to revolutionize the space, especially products that trot out words like "natural language" and "semantic search" but fail to deliver. Conversational search has natural language, semantic search and more built into it, and while it's far from perfect, this really is one of those significant change [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Featured | Features: Analysis | Google: Conversational Search | Google: Gmail Search Field Trial | Google: Google Now | Google: Google Search App | Google: Voice Search | Google: Web Search | Top News

Six shiny new cards are coming for Google Now, the assistive app for Android and recently, iOS devices, that offers predictive information tailored to your needs.  The new cards, announced at Google I/O today, are for reminders, music, TV shows, public transit, books and video games. Photo credit: Danny Sullivan Reminders is an interactive feature that can be set using voice commands.  Johanna Wright, VP of Search and Assist, gave a live demonstration of a Google Now "Voice Action Reminder". Using simple voice commands, users can set reminders that then show up and activate in the [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Mobile | Google: Google Now | Google: Google Search App | Google: I/O

Google has allowed you to speak your search to it on the desktop and mobile devices for some time, but now it's going to get smarter -- talking back to you and continuing the conversation you started. Google shared details at its Google I/O 2013 developer event today and also in a blog post that's gone up. The idea is that your devices --  smartphone or desktop -- will apparently be constantly listening for the "OK Google" command. If you say that, then it knows you want to do a search. That command is already used as part of Google Glass in a similar way ("OK Glass") -- and onl [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Features: Analysis | Google: Google Now | Google: Voice Search | Top News

When Google first released its updated Google Search app last October, it never made the iTunes top ten and, last week, wasn't even in the top 100. But the addition of Google Now helped the app make the top ten in less than a week. Google relaunched its app last October with Siri-like voice recognition and readback, but after peaking at number 16, it started dropping down to around the 150 mark last Sunday. With Google Now being added, the app has risen up to number 10 in the most recently downloaded free apps list. Coincidentally, it also just got named the 10th most downlaoded free app [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Mobile | Features: Analysis | Google | Google: Google Now | Google: Google Search App | Google: Mobile | Top News

Expect Labs, which is a small startup in the San Francisco Bay Area, has a very impressive list of investors. Today the company announced a new funding round, though the figures weren't disclosed. Investors are the venture or investment arms of Intel, Samsung and Telefonica. Telefonica is the world's fourth largest telco and owns mobile operator O2 in the UK. Previous investors included Google, Greylock, Bessemer, IDG Ventures, KPG Ventures, Quest Venture Partners. The company has one product called MindMeld. It's sort of a (video) chat app but really more of a technology demonstration.  [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Mobile | Google: Google Now | Search Engines: Experimental | Search Engines: Help Engines | Search Engines: Mobile Search Engines | Search Engines: Other Search Engines | Search Engines: Personalized Search Engines | Search Engines: Real Time Search

Google Now for iOS and Android are almost identical in their look at feel. And aside from a few "cards," the same is true of their content. But, there are some differences behind the scenes worth noting: one of them is the fact that with its launch on iOS this morning, Google Now is available to roughly 2.5 times more people than it is on Android. Google Now for Android is only available on those devices that feature Jelly Bean 4.1 or 4.2 (4.3 is apparently coming). What that means as a practical matter is that fewer than 200 million people out of more than 750 million Android devices activ [...]

Related Topics: Apple | Channel: Mobile | Google: Android | Google: Google Now | Google: Mobile | Top News

Previously Android-only, Google's "predictive search" tool Google Now is now available for the iPhone and iPad. It's part of an updated Google Search App for iOS. Google Now for iOS had been anticipated since March, when Engadget discovered a promotional video suggesting it would make the leap. Until its release this morning, Google Now had been available exclusively on devices running Android 4.1 ("Jelly Bean") or higher. We've written multiple times about Google Now in the past. But, if for some reason you're unfamiliar with it, Google Now is the company's "search assistant," of [...]

Related Topics: Apple | Channel: Mobile | Google: Google Now | Google: Google Search App | Google: Mobile | Top News

With Google Now coming to iOS, a whole new audience using iPhones and iPads are about to meet Google's predictive search service. It's a feature that's gone from interesting novelty to being downright amazing, in less than a year. Here's a look at how the "predictive search" service has evolved and where it may head next, including perhaps to desktop computers. Wow, It Really Does Work [caption id="attachment_157254" align="alignright" width="300"] Google Now, showing time to airport and navigation option[/caption] [caption id="attachment_157256" align="alignright" width="300"] Google Now [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Mobile | Features: Analysis | Google: Google Now | Google: Google Search App | Top News

As Alex Chitu from the Google Operating System blog discovered, Google is testing adding Google Now functionality to the Google home page. Google Now is about getting you the information you want to see, right when you want to see it. For example, if you are in the airport, Google Now would show you the gate information. If you are about to leave for work, Google Now would show you traffic and driving directions. Google Now is available for Android users and Google Glass users, but for users of Google's home page? Google's home page may soon have Google Now functionality. Google can know [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Google: Google Now | Top News

The commercial in the middle of an episode of "Worst Cooks In America" this weekend caught me off-guard. Was that an ad for the Google Search App? It sure was, and the restart of Google's campaign to push its cross-platform search tool. It was the first time I spotted this particular campaign on TV, though Google tells me they've been running since the fall. That's true, but those seemed to have stopped soon after the New Year, and now the campaign has begun again, it looks like. Of course, Google's no stranger to TV ads these days, such as Google Now recently getting a commercial during [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Features: Analysis | Google: Google Now | Google: Marketing | Top News

Engadget spotted and has archived a promotional video that suggests the Google Search App for iOS may be gaining Google Now support. That support might help boost usage of the Google Search App, which barely makes the iTunes Top 100. Google Now No Longer Android-Only? Google Now is Google's predictive search assistant, which tries to anticipate answers to things before you ask, such as travel times to destinations you frequent. Google Now is available for newer Android devices but not for the iPhone. Late last year, after two months of delay, an upgraded Google Search App was approve [...]

Related Topics: Apple: Siri | Channel: Mobile | Google: Google Now | Google: Google Search App | Top News

Yesterday Google issued an update of its search app for Android. Among the modest changes were expanded Google Now content and functionality. For those devices running Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) or higher, which is now about 13.6 percent of handsets, Google Now now includes movie ratings from Rotten Tomatoes and movie passes from Fandango. (Apple's Siri recently added the ability to buy movie tickets through Fandango.) For those in the market for a home, real-estate listings from Zillow will now appear. College sports scores will soon show up as well. Finally, users can add a Google Now wi [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Mobile | Google: Android | Google: Google Now | Google: Maps & Local | Google: Mobile | Google: Web Search

Following its acquisition of travel software provider ITA, Google's flight and hotel search products have offered isolated useful features but have largely failed to live up to Google's promise of "innovation." Consumers have mostly failed to notice Google's travel innovations so far as well. There are now indications that Google's travel sites and content are becoming more integrated into something more interesting and useful for travelers and not simply "me-too" products -- as they mostly have been to date. A Google blog post today provides a review of recent upgrades to Google Fligh [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Mobile | Google: Google Now | Google: Maps & Local | Google: Mobile | Google: Travel Search | Google: Web Search | Top News

Almost exactly three years ago then Google employee Marissa Mayer described "the perfect search engine" in an interview with IDG News. She said it would be one "that could understand speech, questions, phrases, what entities you're talking about, concepts. It would be able to search all of the world's information, [find] different ideas and concepts, and bring them back to you in a presentation that was really informative and coherent." Mayer went on to add: There are a lot of different aspects of research that need to go into building that search engine. You need to understand speech. You [...]

Related Topics: Apple: Siri | Channel: Mobile | Features: Analysis | Google: Google Now | Google: Mobile | Google: Voice Search | Top News

Google has beefed up its Google Now feature. In addition to the existing content (Calendar, Sports, Traffic, Weather, Places) the company has added a range of new cards/categories to Now: Flights Hotels Restaurant reservations Events Packages/shipping Stocks Movies Breaking news Nearby attractions Nearby photo spots Google Now is in a way Google's answer to Apple's Siri, although the two "assistants" operate differently. More than Siri Google Now is about personalization and intended to anticipate user needs and interests. Siri of course requires an active prompt o [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Mobile | Google: Google Now | Google: Mobile | Top News

Two months ago, Google previewed a new Google Search app that it said would be coming to iOS, bringing with it what seemed a blend of Siri and Google Now-like features. Despite being submitted to the Apple App Store back then, Apple's still not approved the app. Why not? Apple didn't have any comment, when I asked last week. When I checked with Google, it simply reiterated what it said in August, that the app has been submitted. That leaves us with guesswork about why the app remains in limbo. Too Close To Core Functionality? One guess is that Apple doesn't like that you can both talk [...]

Related Topics: Apple: Maps | Apple: Siri | Channel: Mobile | Features: Analysis | Google: Google Now | Google: Mobile | Google: Web Search | Top News

At Google I/O this week Google introduced spoken search results, which mimic Siri's functionality on the iPhone. Siri had been a major point of differentiation between Android handsets and the iPhone, despite Google's preexisting voice search. The new Google female voice actually sounds less like a machine and more natural than Siri. And there are already a number of video demos favorably comparing Google's "Voice Assistant" to Siri (see below). Since Google didn't give her a name (or not one that we've heard yet), I'll call her "JB" for Jelly Bean. The following side-by-side video belo [...]

Related Topics: Apple: Siri | Channel: Mobile | Google: Google Now | Google: Mobile | Google: Voice | Google: Voice Search | Search Engines: Mobile Search Engines | Top News

Buried among the sexy hardware announcements and hair-raising Google Glass demo this morning were some fairly radical changes to the Google search experience for mobile devices. To date Google has been compensating for the awkwardness of the PC SERP on smartphones with voice search and other marginal "fixes." Today it took a potentially major step toward offering a distinct search experience designed specifically for mobile that may bury the "old" mobile SERP. The familiar smartphone mobile SERP is still there and probably will continue to be shown in a majority of cases. But these new e [...]

Related Topics: Apple: Siri | Channel: Mobile | Google: Android | Google: Google Now | Google: Mobile | Google: Voice Search | Top News