Life

Google Now for life

Just the right information at just the right time

You probably fit into one of the following categories.

  1. You use Google Now regularly and don’t know how you’d live without it
  2. You’ve heard of it, but you’ve never really used it and don’t know why you would
  3. You’ve never heard of Google Now

This story should shift you at least one category up the list, regardless of where you now stand.

The lacrosse game that changed everything

It was a lazy July afternoon, and I was reading an eBook on my phone, planning to enjoy a few more chapters before I attended my little brother's lacrosse game in a neighboring city. A gentle buzz interrupted my relaxation. What's this? A notification..."Heavy traffic on I-15 South. Leave now to arrive on time at Lacrosse game."

I hadn't planned to leave for an additional 20 minutes, but I decided to trust this newfangled technology. Admittedly, I was skeptical, but as I drove along the frontage road, zooming by stop-and-go traffic, I knew Google Now was big, and that it would play a significant role in my life from then on.

Real examples from my life

I could explain why you should be using Google Now to make your life easier, or I could demonstrate how I'm already doing so. Here is a real list of the kinds of items I use it for every day.

  • Location-based reminders (e.g. Remind me to get deodorant next time I'm at the grocery store, remind me to take out the trash when I get to home, etc.)
  • Notifications to leave for appointments based on real time traffic
  • Public transportation route suggestions
  • Flight updates (not every day, but when I or someone I care about travels)
  • Weather updates for work when I'm at home and vice versa. Surprisingly useful for planning what to wear.

The best part

If you've made it this far, you can't possibly fit into category 3 (see above). So what category do you identify with now? What is your experience with Google Now? Are you convinced it can make your life easier? More efficient? Let's hear it all in the comments below.

Filed under
Life
Reply by email
More posts